Kids involved in enrichment opportunities like camps, traveling and other constructive summer learning return to school in the fall ready to learn and succeed. Kids who don’t have access to those opportunities lack the same advantages when they go back to school, says Ron Fairchild from Johns Hopkins University School of Education.
Because of its cumulative effect, summer learning loss is a major factor in the growing achievement gap. By the time low-income students reach middle school, they can be as much as 2-1/2 years behind their more resourced peers, says Fairchild.
In the following video, Fairchild and American Library Association president Dr. Loriene Roy discuss how to make the most out of the summer months by keeping children learning and reading through summer.