The irony of working in the out-of-school time field is that as the school year starts to wind down, summer programs start to shift into high gear. Programs transition from operating approximately 2 to 4 hours a day to providing six to eight hours of services. The premise of the summer loss argues that the academic progress that students made during the previous school year diminishes during the summer break. Even if the student attends summer school, which is usually for remediation not necessarily retention. 

According to P.T. Von Hippel (2019), students will lose approximately two months of what they’ve learned in math learning every summer.  The National Summer Learning Association claims that starting in elementary school low-income students will suffer from summer learning loss which contributes to a noticeable academic performance gap between them and their middle- class peers (NSLA, 2019).

However, according to research conducted by. Megan Kuhfeld who collected data from the 3.4 million students who took the NWEA MAP Growth assessments, determent the students who experienced the greatest loss during the summer, were those who made the greatest gains during the previous school year. Her research indicates that most children, regardless of their learning advantages, tend to learn more slowly during summer vacations compared to the school year. This means that each summer provides an opportunity for children who are lagging to catch up. In other words, even if learning gaps don't widen significantly during summer vacations, these breaks still offer a chance to reduce them (M Kuhfeld, M, 2019). 

The summer break provides after school and summer programs with the opportunity to provide disadvantaged students with resources and activities to reduce summer learning loss. Previous research shows that summer learning programs for disadvantaged children can shrink achievement gaps, especially if students attend them regularly for several years (Trends, C. 2009). A study conducted by Bowers, and Schwarz (2017) revealed that if students from low-SES homes participate in a well-designed summer programs, their participation can result in improved oral and written narrative skills. Unfortunately, poor attendance sometimes dilutes the effectiveness of summer learning programs; therefore, students who attend summer programs regularly get a benefit, but other students do not.

References

Kuhfeld, M. (2019). Surprising new evidence on summer learning loss. Phi Delta Kappan, 101(1), 25-29.

Trends, C. (2009). Effective and promising summer learning programs and approaches for economically disadvantaged children and youth.

Von Hippel, P. T. (2019). Is summer learning loss real?. Education Next, 19(4).

Spring is officially here. It marks the transitioning of our seasons and year. Winter is typically the coldest period; summer is the warmest time of year and spring, and autumn are the transition seasons. This period marks a time of change, not only for nature, but our daily activities. Depending on the region in which you live, there is a change in the time-of-day, affectionately termed “Spring Forward” as a reminder to set your clocks an hour earlier. Consequently, there is more daylight, which provides additional time to work, relax, and spend time doing things you enjoy.

As the year progresses there are fluctuations in temperature, which research has indicated cause a variation in our moods, psychological well-being, and behavior. Consequently, our social, mental, and academic performance may also alter. The winter months tends to cause more depression and fatigue while the warmer seasons result in increased energy levels and less tiredness (Meesters, Winthorst, Duijzer, & Hommes, 2016). According to a study conducted by Rastad, Sjoden, and Ulfberg (2005) on human behavior, since the shift in weather patterns have an influence on our daily routines and work performance, educators, mentors and out of school time professionals need to be proactive regarding the activities they plan for the remainder of the school year.

Students will want to go outdoors more. Planning outdoors activities will help revitalize their excitement and participation in the after-school program. Earth day is in April, so planting a garden or starting a recycling initiative not only gives students responsibility but awareness of the importance of taking care of their environment. Spring cleaning is also a commonly used phrase to better organize our schedule and life. It can be a reminder of the importance of taking care of your mental health by implementing practices that encourage the removal of negative elements in your life and replace them with more productive habits.

Since research suggest that as students’ progress through the school year, they need a learning environment that will increase their desire to learn new thing and motives them perform better. Thus, it is recommended that educators attentive of the students’ classroom space, temperatures, and lighting. As educators, let us embrace this new season and encourage our students to view it as a time for renewal, growth, and the beginnings of positive change that spring can produce.

References

Meesters, Y., Winthorst, W. H., Duijzer, W. B., & Hommes, V. (2016). The effects of low-intensity narrow-band blue-light treatment compared to bright white-light treatment in sub-syndromal seasonal affective disorder. BMC psychiatry, 16(1),

Rosenthal, S. J., Josephs, T., Kovtun, O., & McCarty, R. (2020). Seasonal effects on bipolar disorder: A closer look. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 115, 199-219.