The Importance of Summer Learning

Research shows that students benefit from summertime educational activities

For most of us, the summer holidays are reminiscent of sleeping in, playing outdoors, and enjoying a well-earned break from the rigors of the school year. Despite these rosy memories, research is emerging that points to a definitive downside to too much summertime recreation.

While the summer holidays are intended to give families a chance to rest and recharge, there can be unintended consequences to forgoing the school routine. Weeks of unstructured days quickly turn into boredom. Important skills and habits learned throughout the academic year are forgotten, and sleep and nutrition start to slip as late nights and lazy days become the norm.

Here is a look at why summer learning is so important, and how parents and students can use the summer holiday as a time of enrichment and growth.

Why summer learning is important

While many parents recall fondly summer days spent with lakeside tire swings and junior sports league, the reality for today’s students is often very different. Far removed from the idyllic summer of yesteryear, young people today are bombarded with electronic devices and media that do not allow for much stimulation.

And, while it might seem harmless to let your child while away the days on social media or video games, a few weeks of this can wreak havoc on a student’s academic performance in the coming year. A comprehensive review of 39 studies on the effects of summer vacation on achievement reveals a startling fact: Children of all backgrounds lose four to six weeks of grade-level equivalency during the summer holidays. That is half a semester!

How to encourage learning during the summer break

This is not to say that a break from the rigor of the traditional school year is a bad thing, but rather that parents should seek opportunities for students to continue to engage in learning over the summer holidays.

There is a myriad of ways for parents to foster growth in their children over the break. American Heritage School offers Summer Day Camps in a wide array of subjects – everything from art activities to computers, theater, robotics, and sports. These can give students an immersive experience in an activity of interest and keep his or her mind engaged and learning all summer long.

The Summer Institute

For high-achieving students who want to pursue an existing passion or explore something new, we are proud to host the Summer Institute — an academic enrichment program offering courses from math, coding, writing, science, art, and robotics to medical terminology, embryology, business law, and leadership. Open to grades PK3 through 12, this powerful program is a wonderful way to make this summer a period of growth and excitement!

American Heritage Schools is committed to student development. Please browse through our website to learn more about our school and all of our offerings. Contact us to schedule a personalized campus tour so you can see for yourself why we are the best.