(Image credit: Question_Everything)
After reading this Global and Mail article shared by Chris Wejr, I realized I had a serious objection to the phrase "learning loss that happens over the summer months" as suggested in the article.
The problem is that kids learn lots of things during the summer, they just aren’t generally learning academic skills during those summer months, except for those unfortunate souls enrolled in summer school.
I remember learning how to swim, how to ride a bicycle, how to complete the computer game Might and Magic II, how to organize times to meet up with my friends and many other fun things. I was a reader, so I also spent much of my summer reading. However, I challenge the notion that kids are learning nothing during the summer; they just aren’t learning the skills schools consider valuable.
If we find that there are kids who are not able to engage in these kinds of unstructured learning activities, we should make these types of summer-time activities more accessible, not take away the summer.
Brad Beaton says:
I learned all kinds of things in the summer: roller blading, swimming, travel to my family roots in the prairies, riding a horse, tying flies, cleaning fish-later on as I got older I went to work with my dad or friends’ dads and worked in the fishing industry, in construction and in the business world and helped me save for university. We built fences, sheds, skateboard ramps, tree houses, finished basements, painted houses, hung drywall and how to shingle a house.
I also read a ton, played hours of football, baseball and road hockey.
I learned lots about a myriad of things-many that I still employ and things that made my life well rounded and rich-things I could not learn in a classroom.
I am a teacher and I can assure you there is more to education than school. It is not all about academics. Sure they are important but I wonder how many of the Stanley Cup rioters have lived what I call “bubble lives”? That is how much “life” education is missing?
June 19, 2011 — 1:34 am
John Goldsmith says:
David, I’m in shock! All learning does not happen in school?
As an educator who has taught online for almost 20 years, this is a common stereotype held by many of my “brick and mortar” brethren – that all learning (or at least all worthwhile learning) and all socialization happens only within the walls of a school.
Having said that, I will admit that there is a learning lose in specific school based subject areas (math, science, social studies, etc.) over the summer. The significance of that lose, I’ll leave to others to pontificate on. I will say that there are sound and reasonable pedagogical arguments for year round schooling.
The school I teach at is a year round school – which is no small accomplishment given the restrictions and inflexible funding formula created by the BC Ministry of Education. Yes, this is the same ministry which recently released a slick online flipbook about Personalized Learning.
June 19, 2011 — 2:00 pm
Darren says:
While not addressed in the article sighted, many are concerned (in the U.S.) that research has shown the achievement gap widens over the summer, especially between low and high income children. So while I agree with some of your sentiments, your experience and the other things you learn over the summer might not be comparable to students already not reading at grade level, etc. So I hear you, but the consecutive summers of “loss” can add up for some.
June 19, 2011 — 2:12 pm
David Wees says:
I’ve heard the same thing, the question I have is, why is the achievement gap increasing during the summer? Are rich and middle class kids spending their summer working on their academic skills? Some of them are, but certainly not most of them. Whatever types of activities are available to them should be made to the poorer kids. It would be cheaper to enrich the summers of the poorest members of our society than to force everyone to go to school longer.
June 19, 2011 — 8:56 pm
Denise Nielsen says:
Okay, as a mom I weigh in. I don’t think we lose learning in the summer – it’s the wrong word. Summer should be fun and I love it when I see my kids get a chance to engage with the world around them on their terms. But yeah, my kids are privileged enough that museums and trips and camps are part of our regular activities.
My kids are all pretty smart, and do well in school, however I do see, particularly with my 11 yo son, a big adjustment every September when he has to return to writing and studying and classroom time after a summer of freedom. I do some low key home schooling over the summer, because it gives us a chance to explore their interests while keeping their reading, writing and thinking skills current. I just blogged about our summer learning at http://viewfromtheglen.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-school.html. It’s not like we are having formal school, but teaching moments are everywhere if you know where to look.
June 21, 2011 — 8:57 am