North Carolina Community Collaborates to Stop Summer Reading Loss
No matter what type of academic calendar a state or school district adopts, U.S. students attend school every year for an average of 180 days. During that time, talented teachers, dedicated administrators, and involved parents work hard to ensure that students build the skills and abilities necessary for success in school and in life. Then summer break comes, the formal learning process ends, and, instead of progressing, many students start to slip in their abilities. Research shows that all students experience some level of learning loss when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Students also score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation.¹ Summer learning loss is particularly evident in students’ reading abilities—simply due to a lack of practice. Low-income students, who often do not have access to books in the home, experience an average summer loss in reading achievement of more than two months.2
Citation
Smith, M. (2008, April). North Carolina community collaborates to stop summer reading loss. Innovation Quarterly. The Council of Chief State School Officers.