Summer Learning Loss

Summer Learning Loss refers to the decline in skills and achievement over the summer months when school is not in session. Typically, this loss is more significant in low-income children. While middle class and wealthy children often have age appropriate books in their homes, poor children rely on schools for their reading material. Poor kids lose over 2 months of achievement during the summer months. Middle class and wealthy students often make gains or remain at the same level of achievement during the summer. Summer learning loss contributes significantly to the achievement gap in our country and in OUR COMMUNITY.

The Berwyn Public Library offers a summer reading program to keep kids (and adults!) reading over the summer. There are prizes and special events and it really is motivating for kids. I encourage everyone who reads this to go this week and register. However, according to an article on the scholastic website, poor children are much less likely to have access to local libraries for a variety of reasons.

"Research shows that public library use among poor children drops off when a library is more than six blocks from their home, compared with more than two miles for middle-class children."

The best remedy for summer learning loss is books in the hands of the kids, and once again, the kids who need the most get the least. From the same scholastic article:

>"We also know that teachers and librarians in the poorest communities, are the least likely to allow children to check out books because these schools can't afford to risk the loss of the few books they have. While economically-advantaged schools are able to buy multiple copies of favorite books, poor schools face serious limitations. High-poverty schools use what money they have to buy test-preparation packages, while middle-class schools buy books."

Of course, the solutions are not simple. If policy makers are serious about eliminating the achievement gap, they must realize that poor kids don't need the same as wealthy kids...THEY NEED MORE. We must offer kids quality summer reading programs in our schools. We must get appropriate reading material in the hands of the kids on that last day of school for them to TAKE HOME. We must keep them reading during the summer.