The Achievement Gap
Too often we think of summer as a vacation for our kids. But for many public school children, summer is when they lose out. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “summer slide” or the achievement gap.
The Achievement Gap
Studies show that many children lose out on the skills they developed during the year, on the meals they received at school, on the caring adults who support them, and on opportunities for physical fitness and after-school activities.
The “summer slide” can affect whether students master reading by the end of third grade, a pivotal point in a child’s education. This critical time signals a shift from learning to read toward reading to learn.
A recent study showed that children who don’t read proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than proficient readers.
Find out more about the following subjects:
- Richard Rothstein’s study of the achievement gap
- Summer Learning Research Bibliography
Learn more about the national impact at www.HorizonsNational.org Go
