Children lose from one to three months of learning over the summer. The learning loss is so well known that educators call it the “summer brain drain.” A University of Missouri study conducted in the 1990s by education professor Harris Cooper, now a professor at Duke University, found that children lost academic ground across the board during the summer
months. The greatest losses were to math and spelling skills with all children losing some ground in math computation.
Loss of reading skills fluctuated from student to student but was noticeably greater in children from economically disadvantaged homes. At best, reading skills flat-lined during the summer,
even among children with solid reading skills. At worst, children lost a full quarter to semester of learning. The reading skills of economically disadvantaged children suffered the most, showing a measurable decline over the summer.
Horizon Education Centers provide a smart solution for summer brain drain. Our 21st Century Community Learning Centers offer summer learning programs for children ages 6 to 12 that reinforce classroom skills with fun and exciting activities and projects. Using a technology-empowered curriculum that blends one-on-one teaching with immediate feedback, audio assistance and award-winning interactive content, 21st Century Community Learning Centers allow children to practice and master academic skills at their own pace. Instead of falling behind before the next school year begins, 21st Century participants solidify skills over the summer and leap ahead. When fall comes, they’re prepared to hit the ground running and succeed.
