“All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.”
The Baltimore, MD-based National Summer Learning Association, which provides resources, guidance and expertise to the summer learning community, highlights some compelling U.S. facts and statistics about summer learning loss on its website. Among the Association’s findings:
- Research studies spanning 100 years reveal that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of their summer vacations than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer break.
- The majority of students lose around two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer.
- Over half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be linked to unequal access to summer learning opportunities.
- Most children – especially those at high risk of obesity — gain weight more rapidly during the summer break.
The NSLA’s website also features a searchable database, publications and resources, and tips and tools for organizing summer learning programs.
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) is the only U.S. national nonprofit exclusively focused on closing the achievement gap through high-quality summer learning for all children and youth.
