The Importance of Summer Learning Activities for School Children

What is Summer Learning and what is its importance to school children?

Introduction

The end of the school year is usually received with much excitement by students.  It signals the beginning of summer or the long vacation as some people call it. There are lots of other summer learning activities for school children which they can engage in that are of immense benefits to them physically, academically and in other areas.

 While it is usually seen as a period when children will totally be disconnected from school work, it does not mean that learning has to stop. 

During summer, many children lose knowledge and skills. By the end of the long summer holiday, a high percentage of children display lower results in their academics than they did before the summer break. 

This phenomenon is called “summer learning loss” or “summer slide”.   Research has shown that over this period, students lose a lot of academic skills, especially in mathematics, science and reading.

Decades of research confirm that summer learning loss is real. According to a report released by the RAND Corporation, the average summer learning loss in maths and reading for American students amounts to one month per year.

This learning loss is cumulative, summer after summer. It has a tremendous impact on students’ success, including high school completion, post-secondary education and workforce preparedness.

All these facts contribute to the fact that summer learning activities for school children go a long way to improve their academic performance, equip them with new skills and balance their health.

Traditionally, educators and policymakers have relied on conventional summer school programs to combat summer loss and summer gap-growth. These traditional models solely concentrated on correcting the academic imbalances that these students experienced.

Only recently, many schools have started to move away from the remedial model and embrace a new version of summer school that is both fun and an essential component of their education reform agendas.

With the introduction of various summer learning activities for school children in the various summer camps that schools organise, one can be rest assured that children get a well-rounded summer learning experience.

A good understanding of the fact that children do not have the same learning pace, abilities and learning style makes a good case in support of summer learning activities for school children and the important role it plays in their academic development.

Summer school tends to be more relaxed with smaller classes and less structured activities. It is the optimal learning environment in which children particularly those who struggle during the regular school year and those with peculiar learning disabilities could benefit. Attending a summer school or engaging in summer learning activities gives children a head start for the next school year.

At the GreenyG summer school, organised by Greensprings School, students who require educational therapy and academic intervention in key subjects such as Maths, English and Science will receive lessons from qualified professional teachers and educational therapists.

Summer learning is an easy way to keep your child engaged. Children would be out of school at this time and will have a lot of free time on their hands.

There are a number of summer learning activities for school children that encourage learning and creativity at each grade level and, most importantly, are fun for your child. These activities are a collection of academic, vocational and recreational activities.

At the GreenyG summer school, our themed summer program will keep your child learning with an all-day, all-fun program. They will be allowed the freedom to create and execute their own projects; they will also participate in indoor games and various sporting activities.  

Summer is also a great time to learn new things and also develop new interests or hobbies. Here’s a list of summer learning activities for school children that will be offered at the GreenyG Summer School scheduled to hold from July 23rd – August   17th, 2018:

·         IT Animation and Coding

·          Cookery

·          Art and Craft

·          Ballet

·          Headgear (Gele) tying

·          Make up tutorials

·         Chess and board games

·         Thinking skills

·         Fencing

·         Educational therapy

·          Academic Intervention - Math, English, Science and Further math

·         Capstone presentations and

·         Drama.

The benefits of attending a summer school or engaging in summer learning activities are far-reaching, in fact, there are so many social, cultural and academic benefits of attending a good summer school that it is difficult to list them all in one article, but we're going to try. 

The importance of summer learning activities for school children can be broadly divided into 3 groups they are:

It goes without saying that the academic value of summer learning activities is significant. It can be used to help lower-achieving pupils improve their grades or even the brightest pupils put up a better performance.

- It gets students ready for the coming school year: Summer learning activities go a long way to prepare children for the coming school year. Students who are progressing from one school category to another (maybe from Preschool to Elementary) will find this period very beneficial as it eases the transition process.

-It bridges the achievement gap created by the “summer slides”: The decline in the academic performance of those who do not engage in summer learning activities for school children accumulates over time.

It can have an effect on the general performance of children and limits their academic potential. This is called the achievement gap. By creatively engaging in summer learning activities for school children, this gap and its effects can be greatly reduced.

Great friendships, bands and groups are formed during summer.  Children have the opportunity to interact with children from other schools, states and countries.  This improves their interpersonal skills, leadership abilities and teamwork among them. If you are looking to help your child improve his/her abilities in any of these areas then, you should consider the GreenyG Summer School.

Engaging in summer learning activities for school children, presents an avenue for your child to build genuine interest in a new activity, learn a new language, develop a new hobby,  improve on an old one or try ​to put their ideas to work. It gives them the room to explore and put their energy into something new and productive.

Considering the numerous benefits outlined in this write-up, you can be sure that allowing your child take part in summer learning activities for school children puts them in a better position academically, physically, mentally and socially. Help your child make the most of this summer, register them for the GreenyG Summer School.

To register, click here.