Published in the June 25-July 8, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Photo by Marty Cheek
Zach Meagor in the children’s section of the Morgan Hill Library.
Many students of the Morgan Hill Unified School District are now enjoying their two months of summer vacation. Unfortunately, these long, lazy days can have a dangerous consequence for their futures. Children who do not stay active in learning during their seasonal break risk losing significant academic ground.
Because they are not engaged in learning during the summer break, students lose about 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills. Summer learning loss also causes significant fall back in factual and procedural knowledge. Low-income children can lose an average of more than two months in reading achievement because of summer vacation.
Summer vacation is a significant factor in the academic achievement gap between lower and higher-income youth. Children whose low-income parents cannot afford access to summer learning opportunities and enrichment activities fail to perform as well in the classroom and are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college. Summer vacation thereby increases the socioeconomic gap.
Summer vacation brings other unwanted consequences for kids. A high risk of obesity is one of them. Children gain more weight when they are out of school and spending unsupervised hours playing video games or watching TV. Obesity can impact their academic performance in school later — as well as create health problems. During summer months, unsupervised children and teens are more likely to use alcohol, drugs and tobacco products. They are also more likely under peer pressure to get involved in criminal and high-risk behavior.
Our nation’s farming heritage is one prime reason why America, unlike other nations, chooses to give its students an extended vacation period during the summer months. Workers were needed in farming communities to pick fruits and vegetables when the orchards and fields were ready for harvest. Schools were closed during summer to let children and teens supply this agricultural work force. Many residents of the South Valley region recall spending long hours picking apricots, plums, walnuts, lettuce and other produce under the hot summer sun. Summer wasn’t a time for vacation leisure. Children did sweaty, dirty, back-breaking labor.
Now with modern farming methods, children are not required for farm work. But an extended two-month-long summer vacation continues — partly because of the political influence of vacation industry enterprises such as amusement park operators. Another reason is that full-day summer school costs money, a limited resource in school budgets (although federal Title 1 program and school improvement grants could help pay for innovative summer education programs).
Some communities across America have started partnering with nonprofit organizations and businesses to develop full-day summer programs framed as “camps” for elementary and middle school students. These fun day camps incorporate academic structure with personal enrichment activities such as sports, arts and music.
Morgan Hill has various opportunities where city, school, nonprofit organizations and businesses can partner to help prevent the summer learning slide. Two local resources are the El Toro Youth Center and the YMCA. They provide a safe place for children to go and grow during the summer months. The local library also offers reading programs for youngsters.
Parents should encourage their kids to visit the library on a weekly basis and discover summer reading. This trains their brains so they can have a running start when they step back into the classroom when summer vacation ends.
