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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

How to Make Summer School Effective and Engaging

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how to make summer school a place that students want to attend ...

‘What Is the Instructional Purpose?

Kathy S. Dyer is an educator who has served as a teacher, principal, district assessment coordinator, and adjunct professor:

The tag line of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) , Summer Changes Everything TM , says it all. As educators leading summer learning programs, we can keep kids learning, engaging and empowering students to finish the unfinished learning and to take their unique skills (and confidence) to the next level. Prioritizing the way forward for learners using summer learning programs as a vehicle can be empowering. Consider these questions as you look for ways to make summer learning more enticing (and effective).

1. What is the instructional purpose of the summer learning program ? Is it remediation, credit recovery, preventing skill regression? Enrichment, extension, or moving ahead? Is it for language immersion? Or is it getting ready for the next grade?

2. Who is delivering the services ? Experienced teachers? Paraprofessionals? Teacher-candidates? Are these teachers who want to be there?

3. What are the expectations for program content ? Reuse school year curriculum? Aligned to standards? New work or a strengthening course? Customized to consider the cultural context of the school and the learners? How will fun be incorporated?

That last question may be the crux of the summer school challenge. Parents want a program that is going to advance their child academically and is also going to allow them to have fun. Learners want to “get it over with,” so if fun can be part of the learning experience, it becomes something different (perhaps) from what happens during the school year.

Based on my experiences as summer school principal, I would say there are a few key ideas that can make the program more enticing for students (and staff).

• Time: Consider one class a day for a block period (three hours) for four weeks. It is easy for students who work to plan their schedule, as well as for parents.
• Course variety: Offer a range of courses depending on your identified purpose. Include options such as required courses and engaging topics.
• Interactive learning: Implement hands-on activities, group projects, and experiments that promote active learning. The block schedule allows time for these. Incorporate educational games, field trips, and guest speakers. If a block schedule is new to staff, offer professional learning on the topic.
• Relevant learning: Emphasize the practical applications of the knowledge taught. Show students how the concepts they learn in summer school relate to their life and what comes next in school.
• Supportive environment: Maintain small class sizes to allow for personalized attention. Create a positive and inclusive atmosphere.

And, last but not least, if you have a building in your district with air conditioning, and it is possible to hold the summer program there, do so, for everyone’s sake.

My question to school districts is: How could your summer school program look so learners wouldn’t want to miss it?

‘Creative Writing Summer Camp’

Altagracia H. Delgado, also known as Grace, has been in the education field for 28 years. She is currently the executive director of multilingual services for Aldine ISD, in the Houston area. She is also an elected board member of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education:

Commonly, students come to summer school because they have failing grades or have not passed the state assessments during the year. In addition to this, most English learners come to summer school because they need additional time learning their second language or, in middle and high school, they need to recover credits to continue a pathway for graduation.

However, none of these reasons implies that summer school cannot be engaging or fun for students. Investing in enrichment programs that can combine content, credit earning or recovery, and English-language development can be a great way for students to have effective and empowering experiences during the summer school session.

One way in which we have been able to engage high school students in English credit recovery while developing their new language is by developing a creative writing summer camp. This summer session provides students with opportunities to work with an author, develop reading and writing skills while expressing themselves through personal narratives, and to create and develop characters for a play that is performed at the end of the session. This public-performance addition to the camp helps our students practice listening and speaking skills in a more creative way.

Because we wanted our students to have formal and informal speaking practices, in preparing for the play, they also had the opportunity to work on the creation of props, background and costumes while practicing their parts. To close out this experience, students’ parents and guardians and English-learning students in primary grades were invited to attend the high school students’ performance. The incorporation of the final performance really gave our high school students something to look forward to because they understood that they were modeling language for our younger learners.

At the end of the final performance, our primary students were able to interact with the now actors, ask questions, and get their autographs. Feedback from the high school students gave us great insight. They shared that they felt more confident about their language-acquisition skills and expressed pride for being brave in a public space.

We understand that due to the academic load many of our students carry to continue their graduation pathways, sometimes creative outlets are not accessible to them. But what we also have learned from this experience is that when we listen to students’ interests, we can learn how to integrate these into lessons that can become more meaningful to them and stretch them in the learning, while also building their confidence.

Supporting Newcomers

Aisha Ansari and Elena Ruiz direct Aspire & Reach Educational Consulting Services , which customizes curriculum and provides professional development and/or coaching sessions to drive student success:

We helped develop a summer school program rich in language acquisition for newcomer students. In the state of Texas, the term “newcomer” is used when addressing the language instructional program (Bi/ESL) of students born outside the United States.

Our school district designed a program last summer that included eight days of rigorous oral production using interactive magazines, as well as a parent and student showcase of work. The use of sentence starters and sentence frames was highlighted as one of the strategies to support students in speaking, reading, and writing. Students were able to read and convey their hard work and ideas in an instant thanks to the use of simple sentence-frame starters!

The Summer Language Program was centered on thematic science lessons in which all learners were engineers and designed—to name a few—cars, boats, and roller coasters. One of the final activities was a field trip to the Museum of Natural Science, where students gained experiences and made connections to classroom concepts.

Thanks to Kathy, Grace, Aisha, and Elena for contributing their thoughts.

Today’s post responded to this question:

What should be done to make summer school more enticing to students, and effective?

In Part One , Diana Laufenberg, Chandra Shaw, and Michelle Shory offered their suggestions.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Illustration by Mike Deas; Debate photos courtesy of families

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Should Schools Give Summer Homework?

For most students, the school year is winding down. Many kids are looking forward to a couple of months off to swim, take family trips, or hang out at amusement parks. But some kids will need to take a break from the beach to do homework. At many schools across the country, the assignments don’t end when the school year does.  

Some educators who assign homework over the break say it helps kids practice the skills they learned all year so they don’t forget them over the summer. That way teachers won’t have to take time in the new school year to reteach lessons from the prior year. 

But others argue that kids deserve a break after working hard all year. Many families travel in the summer, and parents say it can be hard for kids to do homework while they are away. Plus, they point out, homework isn’t the only way to squeeze in summer learning. Kids can visit museums and historical sites during their time off. 

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Doing homework over the summer helps kids continue to learn between school years. It can also help students feel more confident as they enter the next grade. They’ll be prepared and have the skills they need to understand assignments. 

Homework could be a better solution than summer school too. I went to summer school after first grade and thought it went too fast. I would have learned more by doing assignments over the course of the entire summer.

Over summer break, kids deserve time to just have fun with their families and friends. It is important for us to have downtime and relax so we’re refreshed when the new school year starts.

There are so many things I get to do over the summer because I don’t have to worry about homework. I go to camp, which gives me the opportunity to make new friends. I also go on trips with my family. If I had to find time to do homework, my summer would be stressful.

Should schools give summer homework?

¿Deberían las escuelas dar tareas de verano?

Para la mayoría de los estudiantes, el curso escolar llega a su fin. Muchos niños están deseando disfrutar de un par de meses de vacaciones para nadar, hacer viajes en familia o ir a parques de atracciones. Pero algunos tendrán que tomarse un descanso de la playa para hacer tareas escolares. En muchas escuelas del país, las tareas no terminan cuando termina el año escolar. 

Algunos educadores que asignan tareas durante las vacaciones dicen que sirve para que los niños practiquen las habilidades que han aprendido durante todo el año y no las olviden en verano. De este modo, los maestros no tendrán que dedicar tiempo en el nuevo curso a volver a enseñar las lecciones del año anterior.

Pero otros argumentan que los niños merecen un descanso tras trabajar duro todo el año.

Muchas familias viajan en verano, y los padres dicen que puede ser difícil para los niños hacer las tareas cuando salen. Además, señalan que las tareas no son la única forma de dedicar tiempo al aprendizaje en verano. Los niños pueden visitar museos y lugares históricos en su tiempo libre. 

Esto es lo que piensan dos de nuestros lectores:

Hacer tareas escolares en verano sirve para que los niños sigan con su aprendizaje de un año a otro. También da más seguridad a los alumnos al pasar de grado. Estarán preparados y tendrán las habilidades que necesitan para entender las tareas. 

Las tareas escolares también serían una mejor opción que la escuela de verano. Yo fui a la escuela de verano después de primer grado y me pareció que pasó demasiado rápido. Habría aprendido más haciendo las tareas durante todo el verano.

En las vacaciones de verano, los niños se merecen tiempo para divertirse con sus familias y amigos. Es importante que tengamos tiempo libre y nos relajemos para estar renovados al comienzo del nuevo curso escolar. Hay muchísimas cosas que puedo hacer en verano porque no tengo que preocuparme de las tareas escolares. Voy al campamento, lo que me da la oportunidad de hacer nuevos amigos. También voy de viaje con mi familia. Si tuviera que encontrar tiempo para hacer las tareas, mi verano sería estresante.

Summer Homework: A How-To Guide for Parents and Kids

It’s become a predictable yearly debate that rolls around every June:

Should my kids really be getting summer homework?

And if they do, how should we approach it so they actually learn something over the summer (rather than just doing busywork)?

Here’s the thing:

At some schools, kids are routinely overloaded with multiple books to read, and big math packets to complete.

At other schools? Nothing is assigned.

My personal opinion is that the right balance lies somewhere in the middle… Yes, we want kids to keep their minds sharp, but not at the expense of having fun over the summer.

So in this post I’ll cover:

• My opinion on the age-old summer homework debate (in the video below)
• How to handle the different types of work assigned to students over the summer
• Some specific recommendations for what you can do as a parent to keep your kids engaged in the process, including a recent interview I did with WTOP’s Every Day is Kid’s Day podcast on the topic

And you’ll walk away with a better understanding of how to make the most out of homework (or lack thereof) this summer.

You can click one of the links below to jump to one of the sections of the guide:

How much is too much summer homework? How to tackle summer reading (The Amazon Method) How to handle math packets and workbooks Creative ways to make Summer Learning fun

Or jump right in with the video below.

How much is too much? What the research says…

When kids do nothing at all in math and reading, the research shows that they can lose two to three months of learning progress over the summer.

Just think: That’s almost as if they decided to end the school year in March!

And if left alone, those losses accumulate over time with respect to their peers.

A 2007 study out of John’s Hopkins University showed that while students (on average) make similar gains in reading comprehension throughout the year, students without access to learning opportunities make no progress over the summer, while students with access outpace them year after year.

Ultimately, by the time they reach 5th grade, disadvantaged students are the equivalent of 3 full grade levels behind their advantaged peers in reading ability!

But, this trend need not apply to your son or daughter…

Because studies also show that kids who read just four books over the summer are able to almost completely eliminate that summer learning slide.

So here’s my take:

If your son or daughter is being required to…

• Read three books, probably classics that they really don’t want to read
• Write multiple essays
• And complete stacks of math assignments

… that’s probably a bit overboard.

Yes, we want kids to keep their minds sharp, but not at the expense of having fun over the summer.

So my recommendation is to create a balance. Get your summer assignments done, but try to structure it in a way that makes learning fun.

Here’s how to do it…

Required vs. Recommended Summer Homework

First off, we can break down summer homework assignments in terms of required vs. recommended .

Most schools send out a recommended reading list, and sometimes subject review packets to their students to complete over the summer.

And some actually require that their students complete a certain amount of those assignments over the summer, which are included in their grade for the upcoming school year.

Now, it does make sense to prioritize required assignments over recommended assignments… especially if your school went overboard with what they handed out.

But as long as it’s not too much material, regardless of whether reading is assigned or not, I recommend working with your child to map out a plan of attack for the summer to get it done (on their terms – see below).

How to tackle summer reading (The Amazon Method)

By far, the most popular category of summer homework assigned are reading lists.

And although most schools have a recommended reading list, they tend to be very broad ( umm, should my 8-year-old really be reading MacBeth right now? )…

Specific reading requirements

Sometimes though, there are specific books that your student needs to read over the summer (see the “required” section above), especially high school students, and you’ll need to work with them to figure out a plan of attack.

Block off some time at the beginning of summer (don’t let it wait until July!) to sit down and ask them:

“You have these 3 books you have to read this summer. How would you like to tackle these?”

And then let them answer. Help them formulate a (realistic) plan with their input, and they’ll but much more likely to follow it… and not end up in the last-minute reading rush on August 30th trying to get their summer reading done!

Flexible reading requirements

But on the other hand, if you do have some flexibility in terms of what your student is assigned to read over the summer, what I like to do is create a reading list tailored specifically towards the age or interests of your student.

And one of the best ways to do this is: Amazon!

Step 1: Go to Amazon.com and type in “Books for… [insert description of your child]”

For example, if I had a 7th grader at home I would search: “Books for middle school”

Or if I was looking for something more girl-oriented for my daughter I would search: “Books for middle school girls”

It’s amazing what books will pop up on the top of the list for kids…

Step 2: Review the list and make sure that the results are relevant (sometimes they require a little tweaking), and pay attention to the options on the sidebar where you can filter by subject, age rage, etc.

Then run them by your child and ask: “Which one of these do you want to read this summer?”

Look over the summaries and let them pick the books they want to read.

Word of caution: It’s not your responsibility as a parent to pass judgment and say:

“You know what honey, this year you’re not reading a graphic novel. You can only read books with words, no pictures.

We don’t want to do that as parents. We really want to let our kids decide, because when they’re invested, they’re much more likely to meet that four book goal over the summer.

Step 3: Either order online or head out to the library…

Make sure to do this before July 4th so the summer doesn’t get away from you, and use your list of books that you picked out.

Then, when you get your books back home…

Step 4: Sit down with them and make a plan.

Don’t assume your child will gleefully run up to his room and begin flipping the pages. They’re much more likely to read consistently if you have “READING TIME” marked off on the calendar at a consistent time each day.

You can even make it a family routine! Having everyone in the house reading at the same time will help encourage your child to get their reading done, especially if they’re reluctant or easily distracted.

Now, many kids are reluctant readers and may need a parent to help them get started… And you need to be willing to make the time to lend a hand.

This can be in the form of “you read a page, he reads a page” or for a really reluctant reader, “you read two pages and he reads one,” until he’s into the story.

Make this a habit, and before long you’ll have a bookworm on your hands!

How to handle math packets and workbooks

The same principles hold true for other assigned work as well.

Don’t assume your child will be chipping away at those math packets one day at a time (and the thicker they are, the more daunting they’ll seem).

Truth be told: we get lots of calls from parents mid-August, panicked that their kid hasn’t read and annotated a three-hundred-page book and completed a bunch of review worksheets – even though the parent has reminded him at least ten times!

This situation isn’t unique.

The value to any summer learning is doing a little bit at a time over a long stretch. The brain retains information best in bit sized chunks, not by cramming.

And this is even more important for math because it’s a subject that continually builds on itself. So if you miss something early on, you’re probably going to have to back-track when you run into that same concept again in the future.

So just like with reading assignments, if your son or daughter are assigned a math packet (or any other type of subject packet) over the summer, make sure to site down and set the plan early.

Aside from your typical reading lists and workbooks though, you can also encourage learning in other (more fun!) ways this summer…

Creative ways to make Summer Learning fun

Below is a recent interview I did with WTOP’s Every Day is Kid’s Day podcast (interview starts at 0:53) on how to bring a fresh perspective to summer learning, and make things more fun and interesting for your son or daughter this year.

Give it a listen for some more tips on:

• Using the Amazon Method to make summer reading more fun
• Alternatives to summer workbooks that are actually fun and effective
• Whether you should spend the time to try and “preview” material they’re going to see in the coming year
• And a whole bunch of other useful ideas for staying engaged over the summer

Here are some of those great ways to get your child into learning, outside of school recommended assignments:

For writing: use a dialogue journal.

One of the best ways to get your child comfortable with writing on a regular basis is to make a game out of it.

So try designating a “special” notebook or journal that lives in your kid’s room that you can use to communicate with them through writing.

Then, simply leave them a note each day, that they read and respond to.

Maybe you say something like, “I noticed how you helped your brother pick up those puzzle pieces. What a nice idea. How did you know he needed your help?”

Leave the journal on his bed and allow him to write back that evening. The next day, you respond.

And be sure not to fix grammar or spelling, just let these be a carefree way to practice writing and even illustrations.

At the end of the summer, not only will they have improved their writing skills, but you’ll also have an amazing keepsake to look back on for years to come.

For reading: listen to audiobooks!

Don’t forget that audio books can be very helpful for developing comprehension and fluency.

Studies show that when kids want to read a book just above their level and listen to the book while following along with the lines, they improve their skills more than if they read independently.

So using a site like Audible.com or going to your local library website to download audio versions of the books your son or daughter has picked out (or has assigned) for the summer isn’t cheating, it’s just another way to “open the door” to getting them involved in reading.

Plus, it’s great for long summer road trips!

For math: play (math) games on the iPad.

For most of us, it’s a constant battle to keep our kids AWAY from the devices over the summer… but it need not be either or.

One of the best ways to “bridge the gap” is to give your child the opportunity to use educational apps or websites on their phone or iPad that will keep them learning, without feeling like math always has to involve drudgery.

Multiplication.com is great site for staying sharp on math facts. And pretty much every elementary schooler needs to practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division over the summer to stay sharp.

Funbrain.com is also perfect for allowing a little screen time in-between reading or homework sessions, while still learning at the same time.

For learning that’s fun: find local adventures!

Yes, you could have your kids spend their summer doing workbooks and refresher material, and that would probably help them stay sharp… but most kids find that to be a drag on their motivation to learn.

Instead, find a local museum or science center and take field trip!

Use the outing to ask your kids to guide the learning session and pick out what they want to explore… and then tell you about it.

And then watch in amazement at how excited they are, not even realizing that they’re “learning,” but just enjoying the moment and experiencing something new.

Summer camps are great for this too, so do some Googling and find out what’s going on in your area.

Now let’s hear from you..

How have you handled the balance between required summer schoolwork and fun?

What have you done that’s helpful in your family to keep summer learning alive without going overboard?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

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LESSON PLAN

Should schools give summer homework.

Analyzing Authors’ Claims

Read the Article

YES: Harris Cooper, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University NO: Nancy Kalish, co-author, The Case Against Homework

Analyze the debate.

1. Set Focus Frame the inquiry with this essential question: What factors should officials take into consideration when creating curriculum?

2. R ead and Discuss Have students read the debate and then answer the following questions:

• What is the issue being debated? How does it relate to current events? (The issue is whether schools should assign homework to students over the summer break.  The issue is timely because disruptions to education stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in significant learning loss for many students.)
• Evaluate why these two authors might be interested in and qualified to comment on this issue. (Harris Cooper is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Nancy Kalish is the co-author of a book that argues against assigning homework.)  
• Analyze Cooper’s view. (Cooper argues in favor of schools assigning summer homework. He says that a long summer vacation without schoolwork leads to forgetting and results in teachers having to waste time reviewing old material in the fall. He says summer homework can minimize these negative results the way summer school has been proven to.)
• Analyze Kalish’s view. (Kalish argues against assigning homework over the summer. She says that doing so might result in more harm than good, such as by stealing time away from play and other forms of learning, reducing time spent on being physically active, and turning reading into a chore. She says students should start the year refreshed.)

Extend & Assess

4. Writing Prompt In an essay, evaluate one of the debaters’ arguments. Assess whether the reasoning is valid and whether it’s supported with evidence. Point out biases or missing information.

5. Classroom Debate Should schools give summer homework? Have students use the authors’ ideas, as well as their own, in a debate. 

6. Vote Go online to vote in Upfront ’s poll—and see how students across the country voted.  

Download a PDF of this Lesson Plan

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How To Finish Summer Homework Assignments: 14 Tips To Save Your Child’s Summer

• July 19, 2018

Many schools assign homework for students to complete before they return to class in September. This results in both parents and students having to learn how to finish summer reading and homework while balancing fun summer activities.

This summer, school is out and homework is in.

If your child has been putting off a pile of summer homework and reading assignments—he or she is not alone.

Reading books and writing assignments during the summer may not sound appealing to many students—or parents. Students can also get UK homework help if they need the some help with completing their assignment! But summer assignments are a great way to combat the effects of Summer Learning Loss and keep your child’s brain active over the break.

The Facts On Summer Learning Loss

Six weeks in the fall are spent re-learning old material Two months of reading skills are lost over the summer One month of overall learning is lost after summer vacation

With the right mindset, goals, and structure, you’ll have no problem finishing summer reading and homework between BBQ’s, ball games, and beach trips.

Follow these 14 steps to learn how to complete summer homework—without sacrificing summer fun.

14 Tips For Finishing Your Summer Homework Assignments

Make a game plan, tip 1: take a (quick) break.

It’s hard to go from a full year of schoolwork to tackling summer homework right off the bat. Let your child take a week off of homework at the start of the summer. This will give his or her brain a chance to relax and reset, and enjoy taking part in fun summer activities like sports.

Tip 2: Review Project Requirements

Don’t have your child dive head-first into his or her homework assignments. Review the expectations of each project with your child and discuss how much time he or she will need to complete them.

It would be a shame to waste time redoing a project because your child didn’t understand it initially. Reviewing all requirements is an important first step to starting off on the right foot.

Tip 3: Break Down Each Project Into A Series of Goals

Think about which assignments will take the longest and what your child will need to complete them during the summer. Break these larger assignments into a series of goals that need to be met to complete the project.

Examples of goals include “read 2 chapters per week” or “write essay introduction by July 15th”.

Set Aside The Right Amount Of Time

Tip 4: plan a weekly summer homework schedule.

This should be similar to a school year homework schedule, but altered for the summer. T he ideal amount of time to spend doing summer homework per week is 2-3 hours , so figure out where that time fits into your child’s average summer week.

Tip 5: Make A List Of Supplies & Resources

Your summer adventures could take you and your child to a wide variety of places. Make sure you both know what to bring with you so your child can tackle homework when not at home.

Examples of supplies include:

• Textbooks or Assigned Novels

Tip 6: Choose Assignment Topics Based On Interest, Not Length

Sometimes students are given options when it comes to topics to research or books to read over the summer. Encourage your child to make these decisions based on the topics that interests him or her most—not which is “easiest”. This will result in your child enjoying his or her work, and allow him to benefit more from it.

Help Your Child Do Work On-The-Go

Tip 7: adjust your homework schedule for trips & vacations.

Exploring new places is an amazing learning experience, so don’t feel like you should sacrifice them for more homework time. Instead, plan your child’s homework schedule around these day trips and vacations.

If you know your child won’t have time to complete work while you’re away on a longer trip, make up those hours in the weeks before and after your trip.

Tip 8: Tackle The Work Your Child Can Do On-The-Go

While writing an essay is a project to save for when you return home, there are assignments that your child can tackle from just about anywhere. Options for homework to do on vacation include projects that are doable in small chunks—like reading a book or completing a math worksheet.

Tip 9: Bring Your Child’s Supplies With You

Remember that supplies list you created? Make sure you pack that backpack and bring it with you on your trip! It’d be a waste to find a spare hour to finish that math assignment, only to realize your child left his or her calculator at home.

Tip 10: Capitalize On The Quiet Times

Even the busiest trips include some quiet time. If you’re early for a dinner reservation, have your child complete a chapter of reading while you wait. Or, encourage your child to wake up 20 minutes early to answer some math questions without disruption.

Build A Support Team For Your Child

Tip 11: schedule a weekly workdate for your child & a friend.

There’s no reason your child has to work through summer homework alone. Make a weekly work date with a friend where they can tackle summer assignments together. If that friend is in the same class as your child, they can even discuss questions and challenges together. Build A Support Team For Your Child

Tip 12: Review Your Child’s Progress Every Week

Each week, speak with your child about the work he or she accomplished, and what is planned for the week ahead. If you know your child will be busy soon, work together to reorganize his or her homework schedule.

Tip 13: Touch Base With a Tutor (Or Enrol In Summer Learning Program)

A new set of eyes can make all the difference in making sure your child gets his or her summer assignments done efficiently and effectively. Your child’s tutor will be able to give constructive feedback and turn this feedback into goals for the upcoming school year.

If you want an extra head start for your child this school year, enroll him or her in a Summer Learning tutoring program to get started on the right track.

And Most Importantly…

Tip 14: reward your child with summer fun.

While schoolwork is important during the summer, it doesn’t have to come at the sacrifice of having fun. Whenever your child completes a new project or achieves a goal, reward him or her with a treat or fun summer activity.

Work Hard—And Play Hard—This Summer

Summer might seem like it will last forever, but the school year will be here before you know it. Don’t let your child fall into the habit of procrastination—instead, make a plan together and stick to it.

If you follow these tips, your child will finish summer homework and summer reading in no time…and develop great learning and study habits that will already be in place for next year!

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• Jun 30, 2022

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• Jun 17, 2022

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Summer homework may start as early as elementary school, but you don’t have to do it the way it’s always been done! Veteran educators like third-grade teacher Alycia Zimmerman have spent time thinking about how to make summer homework meaningful and interesting enough that students buy in—and even want to do it.  

Read on for Zimmerman’s summer homework game plan and ideas for how to make summer assignments more fun for everyone.

1. Try a New Student Meet and Greet

If possible, meet your incoming students before summer break (even if it’s virtual!) to instill the importance of summer learning.

At the end of the school year, coordinate with the teachers of your incoming students to swap classes for a period. Introduce yourselves to your future students and build excitement for the fun and challenging learning ahead and the very “grown-up” summer homework you will assign.

“We’ve been far more successful in instilling the importance of our summer assignments when presenting about it face-to-face rather than just sending a packet of directions home cold,” says Zimmernan. “The students sit on the edges of their seats as we talk about the importance of summer reading and our certainty that they will do everything they can to 'keep their brains healthy, pink, and strong’ over the summer.”

2. Emphasize the Importance of Summer Reading

Talk about the best summer assignment of all: diving into books!

Reading should be a treat, not a menial assignment, so Zimmerman doesn’t feel guilty about making reading the bulk of her summer homework. Here are some of her most effective strategies for promoting summer reading:

Have students fill out a log  to keep track of the books and other texts they read over the summer. It isn’t necessary to require a certain number of books or specific titles. Simply ask that they find books they love and spend lots of time reading them.

Have your current students write book reviews of their favorite titles to send home with your rising students. Invite your current students to serve as reading ambassadors and speak to the younger students about the importance and joys of reading. When coming from slightly older peers, the message is very well received.

And of course: Sign your students up for the Scholastic Summer Reading Program ! From May 9 to August 19, your students can visit Scholastic Home Base to participate in the free, fun, and safe  summer reading program . As part of the program, kids can read e-books, attend author events, and keep Reading Streaks™ to help unlock a donation of 100K books from Scholastic – distributed to kids with limited or no access to books by Save the Children. 

3. Share Fun and Educational Activities

Direct your students to fun (and educational) activities.

When considering other homework, the best options are activities that students will be motivated to do because they’re entertaining. 

Give your incoming students the “everything is better in moderation” speech so they understand that they shouldn’t play hours of computer games every day this summer. If possible, send them home with printable and book-based packs to polish their skills for the year ahead (you can even pair these with your own assignments): 

4. Connect Through the Mail 

Stay connected with your students over the summer through cards.

Giving incoming students the opportunity to connect with you and with each other can motivate them to complete summer assignments. Here’s one plan for connecting via letters:

Have your incoming students mail you a letter of introduction. Explain that you want to hear about their summer activities, their hobbies, their families, and anything special they want you to know before the school year begins.

When you receive letters from your students, send a postcard back with a brief response. Tell them a bit about your summer plan, and let them know you can’t wait to see them in the fall. 

Encourage them to write again!

You can also pair up students and have them write to each other over the summer. In September, they can bring their pen pal letters to class to display on the bulletin board.

Take advantage of everyone’s increasing familiarity with virtual resources by connecting online, too! Post a short video, article, or question once a week on your classroom's online platform, and invite both incoming students and rising former students to write their thoughts in the comments section. Be sure to moderate their comments and enjoy their back-and-forth dialogues as they engage with each other.

Get started by shopping the best books for summer reading below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store .

• General Post

SUMMER SCHOOL VS SUMMER BREAK: PROS AND CONS OF A SUMMER SCHOOL EDUCATION

At the end of a busy semester of study, you may not be thinking ahead to summer school. That’s to be expected. Many students view summer as their chance for a break, not a chance to continue their studies.

Yet summer school can have quite a few benefits that are worth considering. If you are on the path toward completing a degree, don’t discount this option to do so a little faster. By weighing the pros and cons of summer school, you can make the choice that best fits your educational goals.

PRO: LIGHTEN UP YOUR FALL AND SPRING SEMESTER LOAD

If you consider summer school as a third semester, you might be able to take fewer classes during the fall and spring semesters. If you are nearing the end of your degree and find that the coursework is getting harder, pushing some courses to summer school lets you take a more bearable load in the fall and spring semesters. If you find that your semesters are just getting too hard, and don’t want to graduate later, then consider this strategy.

CON: SUMMER SCHOOL COURSES MOVE QUICKLY

When you take a course in summer school, you often have to complete a full semester of study in four to six weeks. This means your professors have to pack more into each day than they would during the spring and fall semesters. Sometimes the classes are longer, and other times the homework is more intense. You will have tests and quizzes with more regularity. Make sure you’re ready for this level of intensity. Make sure you use the right strategies to stay focused on your studies if you take a summer school course.

PRO: YOU CAN GRADUATE EARLY

College is expensive, and the more time you spend in college, the longer it will take to fully launch your career. When you take some classes in summer school, you often will be able to graduate early. Graduating early also means you won’t be competing with all of the classmates in your major. If you are living on campus, early graduation also lets you save some money on room and board.

CON: SUMMER SCHOOL CAN COST MORE

Sometimes summer school costs more than schooling during the regular semester. If you are on a scholarship, check the terms of the scholarship carefully. It may not cover summer courses. Similarly, if you have funds through a work-study program, your work position may not be available during the summer. You’ll may also have to pay for your room and board during the summer if you stay on campus.

One way to get around some of these added costs is to take these courses online from home or at your local community college, then transfer them to your university. If you choose this route, always check first to see if they will transfer.

PRO: ONLINE COURSES GIVE FLEXIBILITY

The rise in online education makes summer college classes more attainable in many programs. Students can study online during the summer term and still go home to work jobs and get paid for their efforts. If you are able to take advantage of online courses, this can make summer school affordable and flexible.

CON: CLASS OPTIONS MAY BE LIMITED

Summer school class options may be limited. First, professors, like students, enjoy summer break, so they may not offer as many courses during this term. Second, summer school is very popular, and so classes that are offered may fill quickly. If you decide that summer school helps you reach your graduation goals, sign up for the classes you need early.

PRO: GET THOSE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSES OUT OF THE WAY

General education—the English, math, and history classes that everyone takes, regardless of their major—can be a bit of a drag during college, especially when you want to focus on the classes in your major that teach what you’re passionate about. Summer school gives you the ability to get those gen ed classes out of the way in a streamlined manner. By finishing these mandatory classes in summer school, you can spend your semesters focusing on learning the things that drive your passion.

CON: SUMMER SCHOOL CAN CREATE BURNOUT

College life is intense. You spend many hours of the day studying and researching. Sometimes, you just need a break. When you stick with the grind, even in the summer, you may be more prone to burnout.

PRO: SUMMER WORKS WELL FOR INTERNSHIPS

If you find yourself on the verge of burnout, don’t discount the thought of using summer to complete some educational requirement. Instead of coursework, consider the summer term as the chance to complete a required internship. You can gain valuable on-the-job training, without demanding academics, and still check off some requirements for your degree. Scoring a summer internship can be one of the most valuable parts of your education experience.

CON: SUMMER SCHOOL MEANS LESS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK

Many students use the summer months to work and raise money for the coming semester. If you take a full load of classes during the summer, and those classes are more academically intense because of their shortened nature, you may not have as much time as you need to work. If you need the income from a summer job to pay for your tuition in the fall semester, and you have a good job opportunity available, consider carefully if adding the demands of summer school is wise. That said, online courses and programs can give you the flexibility to work a job while attending summer school, so options exist that can help you do both.

PRO: LESS RISK OF “SUMMER SLIDE”

All students, from elementary school through grad school, who take a significant chunk of time off of their studies are at risk for what educators call the “summer slide.” This happens when they lose valuable learning or study skills over the summer break. When you take summer school, your brain stays engaged with your learning and this risk lessens.

CON: YOUR TEACHERS MAY NOT BE THE SAME

During summer school, courses are often taught by adjunct professors, not the full-time faculty you spend time with during the school year. These teachers are usually qualified for their position, but they may not have the teaching experience of full-time instructors. This could impact the quality of your summer education.

So, what’s the bottom line? Summer college classes can be a great way to get some of your courses out of the way, graduate early, and enjoy a less intense fall and spring schedule, but they can get in the way of rest and jobs. In the end, each student will need to weigh these pros and cons and consider their overall goals for education before deciding to take summer classes.

Source: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/blog/summer-school

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Because differences are our greatest strength

Should my child work on school skills over the summer or take a break?

By Mark J. Griffin, PhD

Question: My child has reading and math issues, and she’s worked really hard this year to make progress in these areas. Is it important for her to keep working on these skills over the summer? Or is it better if she has a real break?

I understand why parents want their kids to take a break and recharge their batteries. But it’s very important to find ways to keep working on these skills over the summer.

The long vacation doesn’t simply hit the “pause” button on reading, math and writing skills. It can actually erode these skills. When it comes to certain kinds of knowledge, kids really do have to “use it or lose it.” This is especially true for kids with learning and thinking differences.

Summer learning loss can set kids with learning and thinking differences back as much as two to three months. (This is why some students with IEPs or 504 plans may qualify for extended school year services .) So it’s essential to strike a balance between reinforcing academic skills and having lots of summer fun.

There are many ways you can help prevent “summer brain drain.” Here are some thoughts on how to put together a summer learning schedule that looks and feels very different from going to school.

A good tutor may be the single best way to maintain and perhaps increase your child’s skills over the summer. Talk with your child about when and where to schedule these tutoring sessions during a summer of fun. And look for a tutor who is skilled in helping kids with learning and thinking differences.

Many school districts and community groups offer tutoring in the summer. Try to check into free or low-cost tutoring as early as possible. These options tend to fill up quickly.

Encourage your child to keep a daily journal. Together you can come up with a minimum length for each entry and other details such as correcting misspelled words. But give your child the freedom to choose what to write about. And have her share the journal with you each day so she knows it’s important to keep up with it.

Read the same book as your child and have an informal “book club” discussion. You may also want to try watching TV together with the sound off and the closed captioning on. Ask your child to read the captions. Pause the show every now and then and discuss what’s going on.

Cooking is a great way to work on reading, writing and math. Ask your child to write the grocery list, find items in the store and read the recipe aloud during cooking time. Measuring ingredients can also help keep math skills from getting rusty. Plus, you get to eat the recipe at the end!

Volunteering can help reinforce social skills. So can joining a kids’ theater group. Tapping into your child’s interests is a great way to help your child “smell the roses” and balance having fun with retaining skills. When she returns to school in the fall with her skills intact, she’ll feel rested and more confident about the upcoming year.

Explore related topics

How to Squeeze the Most Out of Summer Homework

We know it takes the adolescent brain a few weeks or more to get back up to speed after the long summer break. Many teachers, particularly in the high school grades, try to reduce their students’ brain power regression by trying to keep them busy over the vacation. How can summer homework, particularly reading, benefit students without seeming like a chore? The answer is complex, and it partly depends on how helpful you feel about homework in the first place.

Tips to Make Summer Homework Worthwhile

Just like classroom and home learning during the school year, if summer homework tasks are inauthentic (e.g., busy work), they will serve little to no purpose. But, the brain drain of the summer months is real. So, how do we ensure that our students are firing on all cylinders when they walk through our doors in the fall? Here are some things to keep in mind when assigning summer homework.

1. Make Sure the Tasks Count for Something

Nothing will generate ill will amongst students faster than telling them their summer work was all for naught, but you wouldn’t believe how many teachers forget their students even had anything assigned over the summer break.

Students have read your books or have done your homework in good faith. The summer homework needs to be included or even dominate your first unit of the new school year. Otherwise, you might have some trust issues to address.

2. Make Summer Work Tasks Authentic

Students, especially older ones, can quickly sniff out busy work; they are less likely to give their best effort when they sense it.

If it’s something you wouldn’t assign during class—but might give to a substitute if you’re out—don’t assign it over the summer break. The goal is to prepare students for their upcoming studies just as much as it is to keep them from forgetting what they learned in the previous school year. Find a mix of the new with the old, and make it as engaging as possible.

3. Allow Some Summer Homework to Be Self-Guided

It’s no secret that the more input the student has in the task, the more engaging the lesson becomes. Because you’re not necessarily worried about mastery of new material and aren’t focusing on academic standards, there’s no harm in letting the students choose from a list of possible projects or books to read. Try assigning a “ Passion Project ”, where students choose a topic of personal interest and create a project or presentation around it.

4. Utilize the Ultimate Flipped Learning Opportunity

Perhaps you’re a flipped learning veteran or may still be just dabbling. Either way, summer break is the perfect opportunity to assign some lesson videos from your own library or an online resource.

Have students watch some TED Talks or lectures from Coursera or instructional videos from Khan Academy . They might not come in with complete mastery of the assigned topics, but they will be much better prepared to begin learning the material than if they were just doing worksheets from last school year’s work.

5. Celebrate Achievements and Milestones

If you have the resources, include a voluntary option for students to track their achievements and milestones online. Doing so can help students stay accountable in completing assignments while giving teachers the opportunity to motivate their students to continue their learning journey. You can experiment with virtual awards ceremonies, certificates of achievement, or personalized feedback messages. Consider acknowledging everyone again in person at the beginning of the school year to include those who were unable to participate online.

6. Encourage Peer Collaboration and Support

Another option to consider is incorporating group projects, peer review activities, and collaborative discussions into summer homework assignments to encourage students to actively engage with course content and develop essential teamwork and communication skills. Peer collaboration also fosters a sense of camaraderie and accountability among students, as they work together to achieve common goals and support each other's learning journey. For example, try facilitating peer review sessions where students provide feedback and support to their peers on their homework assignments. Students can exchange drafts of their essays or presentations and provide constructive feedback on areas for improvement. Suggest using free online platforms like Google Docs or Padlet for peer collaboration.

Looking for other fun ideas to encourage learning over summer break? Check out Edmentum’s free 30-Day Summer Challenge . Our flyer includes creative ideas designed to keep students engaged in their learning. With 30 days’ worth of fun activities, facts, and resources, learners are bound to learn something new each day and make the most out of summer break.

This post was originally published in June 2013 and has been updated.

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Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

dy•nam•ic constant change, progress, activity

• 25 Summer Homeschool Ideas To Keep The Learning Spark Alive

June 24, 2023 | 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy .

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Today, I’m sharing summer homeschool ideas to keep the learning spark burning. Also, grab more ideas on my How to Homeschool page.

Even if you school year-round, most of us need a change during summer.

Whether you’re looking to add a few hands-on ideas, a summer unit study or a fun workbook, you’ll love these ideas.

Also, summertime is a time to focus on those subjects like art, music, and maybe even science, which we would love to do more of.

Look at How to Incorporate Subjects into a Fun Homeschool Cooking Unit Study.

Table of Contents

Summer Homeschool Ideas

As I mentioned summer can be a mix of fun and learning.

Look at some of these classes we love to do during summer.

• It’s a great time to start learning music at home. Look at these self-paced Learn Music in our Homeschool courses . From 15 minutes lessons to 20th century music, there is something for all ages.
• And language arts doesn’t have to be boring or if you’re like me and have an independent learner, these online self-paced courses from Literary Adventures for Kids have so many fun books to choose from.
• Then if you’re looking for your kids to take formal but fun cooking lessons, do Kids Cook Real Food.

Then I’m not above a few fun workbooks especially when it’s hot outside.

• But a summer workbook where all subjects are included allows opportunity for review and easy days.

More Summer Homeschool Learning Activities

In addition, I have a few more ideas if you’re homeschooling multiple ages.

20 Fun Summer Learning Activities And Make A Rock Sundial

A to z list: 100 fun summer homeschool unit study ideas.

• 30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids
• 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schooler
• How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
• Fun Kids Hands-on Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity
• 10 Edible Beach Crafts For Teens and Make Edible Beach Glass
• 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

Finally, look at these fun summer learning ideas.

Summer Learning Ideas

Use one or two of these ideas to add to your summer learning program. Add a few hands-on projects to keep learning fun.

Fun Pineapple Candle

Squeeze in more fun summer activities for middle schoolers by making this fun pineapple candle. Plus, there is more to homeschool middle school than just academic subjects.

Sun Art – Cyanotype STEAM Project

Have a WOW moment with kids this summer making Sun Art using chemistry and sunlight to make cool art. This is a very inexpensive, easy project with lots of STEM lessons.

Summer Must-Do: Ice Cream in a Bag

Ice Cream in a bag is a delicious summer science experiment.

Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

If you’re diving into a study on the ocean layers, doing summer activities for middle schoolers, or want to do an ocean unit study and ocean lapbook, our kids will love this ocean layers soap. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Jellyfish Name Craft For Kids [Editable Template]

This jellyfish name craft offers a delightful and engaging way for children to practice letter recognition and fine motor skills.

Build Vocabulary with a Summer Word Jar (Plus Tips and Ideas)

Boost your kids' vocabulary with a summer word jar

These summer unit study ideas will keep kids of all ages having fun learning with topics they will be eager to study. Summer is a perfect time to get in some relaxed themed learning with unit studies

Octopus Cutting Activity Pages For Kids [Free Printable]

These octopus cutting activity pages provide an entertaining and educational way for kids to improve their fine motor skills. They have adorable octopus pictures that will keep little ones engaged while they practice their scissor skills.

20 Fun Summer Ideas for a Teen

I may have a bit more than 20 fun summer ideas for a teen, but having some ideas to help out during the summer when hormones boredom hits will hopefully keep you and your teen getting along.

Decorate the Ice Cream Play Dough Mats

Set up your own ice cream shop pretend play with this fun printable playdough ice cream mat activity.

Shadow Names Outdoor Summer Activity

https://intheplayroom.co.uk/shadow-names-outdoor-summer-activity/

Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft For Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers

Your kids will love this fun aquarium jar craft for summer activities for middle schoolers. Whether you’re diving into a study about the oceans or doing a shark unit study, hands-on activities are the way to go. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Make An Adorable DIY Nature Explorer Kit (from a Shoebox!)

Turn a humble shoebox into an exciting DIY Nature Explorer Kit with your kids, sparking curiosity and fostering a love for the great outdoors right from your backyard

FREE Summer Word Scramble Printable Worksheet in Spanish

In this activity challenge your students and children’s mind as you unravel the letters to form summer-related words in Spanish.

I have 20 fun summer learning activities and we’re making a rock sundial. And look at 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers for more summer fun.

Summer Coloring Pages in Spanish for Kids [Free Printables]

Let’s get children of all ages familiar with summer vocabulary in Spanish with these fun coloring pages which includes different summer clip art from a sandcastle, to summer fruit, to ice cream and flip flops.

Colorful Rainbow Fish Fine Motor Activity for Summer

Learn how to make a Rainbow Fish Peg Board out of simple craft supplies. This is a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice color matching and fine motor skills.

Easy DIY Math Fishing Game for Kids

Learn number recognition, counting, fine motor skills and more with this DIY fishing for numbers math game.

Free Carnivorous Plants Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Besides, carnivorous plants are a fascinating topic for every age.

Learning about Shark Senses Activity and Free Printable

Summer is the perfect time to learn about sharks! Try these fun hands on learning activities with the accompanying free printables.

A Mini Sailboat Craft for Kids (With Secret Messages!)

Set sail on a fun adventure with your kids as you build secret message miniature sailboats, a creative and fun-filled way to learn about the intriguing world of codes!

Sun Roll and Cover Mat

Roll and cover mats are fantastic resources for kids to practice numbers in a playful way! This summer, add excitement with the Sun Roll and Cover Mat, featuring Dice Dots for subitizing skills.

Ocean Animal Phonics Activity: FREE Printable Clip Cards

 We are currently learning about the  Ocean  so this first set has adorable sea animals like a whale, turtle, seahorse, starfish, and more!

How To Make Ice Cream In A Bag (A Delicious STEM Activity)

DIY ice cream in a bag is fun STEM activity for kids that ends with a yummy treat! 

Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

I have a free coral reef printable lapbook. Grab more ideas on my Coral Reef, lapbook ideas, and on my best homeschool unit studies pages.

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: the readiness is all

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

Why Do We Give Students Summer Assignments? Seriously, WHY?

Most of my neighbors have hated me from time to time. Specifically in the summer. My most recent neighbor to mock me is a great guy who plays in a punk band and who loves saying things like:

“Must be nice not doing anything today.” As we we pass each other in the front yard.

Now, for those of you who are teachers you know how busy our unpaid summers are. Whether it’s running edcampHOME, #CAedchat, going to a Google conference, or helping your wife by building furniture and setting up her kindergarten class, we are busy.

But people don’t think we are busy, because we aren’t going to the place where you go to learn.

Teachers aren’t the only ones who get shade thrown their way during the summer. Students do too. By who? By teachers, administrators, and school districts. This is a dangerous mindset. For whatever reason far too many schools assign summer assignments to their students. In this post I’m going to:

• point out why summer reading assignments don’t make sense
• provide a few alternatives that will achieve the same objective without punishing students or teachers
• allow you the chance to prove me wrong

Summer Assignments:WHY?

TONS of school mandate summer assignments, and not just in English. Schools, parents, and teachers justify them for the following reasons.

• They keep kids busy in the summer
• They keep kids’ learning from disappearing, or slipping in the summer
• They provide kids an enrichment opportunity
• They give kids a head-start on difficult curriculum
• They discourage the “wrong kind of kid” from taking an honors/AP class or serve as a measurement of their dedication to the class

I gave a summer reading test on the third day of school this year. Later in the day one of my honors students walked up to me as I left my room. She was in tears. She was speechless. It took well over a minute for me to get her to talk. When she finally did- she told me in a quiet whisper, “I’m so sorry I failed that test, I don’t want you to think I’m a disappointment.”

Let that sink in a bit.

We gave her a long book to read. She has no interactions with her teachers. We gave her no feedback or checks for understanding and then we dropped a big grade on her head at the beginning of school when everyone is nervous. Is that really what we want to happen in our school during the first week?

Are we really expecting students to tackle difficult material without their teachers? Do we really want them learning without us learning with them?

WHY EVEN HAVE SCHOOLS OR TEACHERS? (Yes I just yelled)

We have students, ALL the time, drop out of honors at the end of summer or in the first week of school because they didn’t do their summer work. Who wants to start a class with a big F or D in the gradebook?

“ Well David, if they aren’t willing to work hard they shouldn’t be in honors or AP classes? ”

But they DID work hard. They couldn’t get in the class to begin with without good grades and good test scores!

“ But David, the summer reading shows their dedication and serves as a prerequisite to the course? ”

Do they do this in college? The prerequisite, the dedication was shown LAST YEAR when they took a certain course-load and earned the right grades!

“ But David, I read X number of books every summer, they shouldn’t complain about reading a book or two. ”

Not all of your classmates did that, and summers are a little more scheduled than they used to be. Trust me.

Now this isn’t even my biggest pet peeve with summer assignments.

The worst hypocrisy of summer assignments is this. If summer assignments are good for honors and AP students than why aren’t ALL students doing them?

“ But David, honors and ESPECIALLY AP students need to work in the summer because they need to learn such challenging material . (apparently without their teachers to help them with this work.)

Well, isn’t reading challenging for students in the “reading program?” Why aren’t they doing summer work? Isn’t speaking, reading, writing, challenging for ELD/LEP students? Why aren’t THEY doing summer work? Heck doesn’t a CP course challenge the students in that course otherwise they would be in an honors course? Why aren’t THEY doing summer work?

I’m not a big fan of the school where I went to high school but at least THEY are consistent in killing summer for ALL their students. They give summer assignments to everyone in Social Studies and English . Love the seven page-long explanation of the Honors Biology assignment.

Everyone needs a break in the summer. Our minds hurt. Nothing hurts your mind like learning or teaching new material. Your mind needs some down time. Why are we taking away the students down time. You might say, “Well David they’ll only do the work the last two weeks of summer.”

That’s even worse . So now it’s going to hang over their heads all summer and then they will rush to do what they have to do at the very end?

PS- ever seen a teacher look at a stack of 185 summer assigned essays or dialectical journals that they have to start grading on the first week of school. It’s not pretty.

Students ARE already busy learning in the summer. They play sports. They play video games. They travel. They read. They draw and paint. They attend camps. They play music. They socialize. They discover new local places. They date. They dream. They exercise. They sleep. They visit with family. They work at jobs. Whew.

Some Alternative to the typical Summer Assignments

What if teachers on the campus created a Google Slide. One for each teacher. On the Google Slide was a list of ideas for students to learn about their world during the summer. Here’s an example:

Even if every teacher just had four ideas on a slide, students and their parents would have a ton of ideas and these ideas would help students and parents get to know the teachers better. Heck you could ask every staff member at your school to contribute including the district office. Can you imagine the conversations that would take place in the hallways the following school year?

Just have students keep a learning scrapbook. This learning scrapbook could have pictures, drawings, tweets, FB posts, logs of experiences, ANYTHING. Then the following school year have teachers in each subject ask students to take something from their learning log and apply it to something they are learning in class. Here is an example of what you could do.

A question log. Just have students keep track of questions all summer. They could post them on social media with a hashtag, put them under pictures in Instagram, or use them in class when they return. Students could prioritize their questions and do something with those essential questions. Students could ask the questions online via a Google form and then see if a staff member could answer the question(s). If students are asking questions during the summer. They are exercising their minds.

Trust parents that they know what’s best for their children and family and give THEM the choice of what to do with their precious summer vacation. There aren’t that many in one’s lifetime. Savor them. Give them back to the kids, as a wonderful gift from your staff.

I’m not the only one to question summer assignments. Even the New York Times weighed in on “ The Crush of Summer Homework .”

One of my former FVHS students just wrote this brilliant blog post describing what her sister went through in preparing for her 9th grade summer reading . Yes she graduated last year… yes she is still writing on her blog. It’s a gold mine.

So am I way off base? Let me know by writing a comment below, write your own blog post response, or Tweet to me. Like This:

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Beginning my second year as a k-5 tech integration specialist, I noticed my students had NO SUMMER SLIDE. In fact many of them learned more over the summer and were excited to share that with me as soon as they saw me.

I live on a small island and there is nothing to do (besides swimming, etc. but Bahamian middle schoolers don’t realize how great it is). I don’t need to assign summer reading because they are constantly coming by my house, asking me to open the school so they can get more books. I love that reading is their best option and I learn a lot about them by their summer choices.

Even though the teachers are the ones that come up with the summer assignments, the parents aren’t much different, making the child do a lot more. My mom made me complete the summer assignments in a certain amount of time just because of all my other activities. I was already busy most the summer, so it was more like I didn’t have much of a break. A breakdown of my schedule: Monday – 9-11 music, 11-3 Prep Classes, 5-7 Sports Tuesday – 11-3 Prep Classes, 5-7 Sports Wednesday – 5-7 Sports Thursday – same as Tuesday Friday, Saturday, Sunday – homework, practice, some break And two weeks before school I had band camp. The problem nowadays is that parents believe that the harder their kids can work, then the better it will make them a student. The normal teenager is allowed to have a real summer break, but some honors students like myself have to be stuck in a tiring summer where sometimes they think going back to school might even be better (but it really isn’t). Is it right for students to have a busy summer, or should it really be relaxing? In order for one to be successful, must one have to be tired? Is one able to still look forward to breaks if this is all that’s going to happen?

Thanks for joining in the conversation. I’m looking forward to seeing your blog posts soon.

This is a really thoughtful and engaging post!! Thank You. It fired me up to write a litte and I don’t really like to write. My comments below aren’t necessary directed at you, just my thoughts for others to read.

You know what I’ve never done? I’ve never given homework over the summer. You know what I never would have thought would happen? Me standing in line at Costco running into a former student who barely got a C in my class, telling me she’s majoring in physics and wants to be a physics teacher because she learned to see the world differently in my class. Seriously? I never would have expected this!!! Never! And I don’t like saying never. But since I’m saying it, never!

So assuming she has the right teacher, which I am not entirely sure she does, something most have gone right in my class even though I was totally unaware of it. I’m not sure what I did, if anything to foster this, but I really try to focus on the first week of school, because I know if I can get that right, it will cover a multitude of errors and setbacks. Wi-Fi doesn’t work, no text books for a week, can’t log into Canvas, all our laptops need to be updated to work. All NO problem if I build community and capacity in the first 5 days of school. It starts with a genuine smile and a handshake (which freaks some students out) and hopefully ends when they know I care about them more than I care about how good they do in my class or how many physics problems they get correct. Once we have that going for us, even complex circuit problems that students would never even dream of attempting, become something I have a hard time getting some of them to stop doing.

I do have to give a test the first week or so of school. It’s a mandated lab safety test. The test is boring, mundane and mind numbing but necessary. I’m honest with the students about this and say here is the mandated safety test that I don’t like giving you but you all need to pass. We go over the safety guidelines and then I put it online and the students take it as many times as they need to until they get a 100% Some of them have to take it 3 times because there are some really tricky questions in there. I apologize and tell them they can outsmart the test and beat the system. They always do. If the point of a test is to learn, why shouldn’t they be able to take it again? Especially the first week of school when they’ve was NO instruction on the summer reading test. Sometimes we do things because that’s the way they have always been done. Sometimes we ‘have to’ for whatever reason. If you are in a situation like this, my advice is to be totally transparent with your students. I used to do a lot of “test-prep” because I wanted my students CST scores to look good. So we spent about 2-3 weeks before the CST gaming the system. My student teacher and I made a game out of the review questions that involved wagering points, the greedy doughboy and tower building. There was always a really dumb factoid question on transistors the students needed to know just a few buzzwords to get right. I was honest told them all this mattered for was the test and I need you guys to get it right for me. They did, and we went on our way and tried to have fun inspite of it.

If you’re reading this don’t drain the fun out of learning! Everyone will tell you to start designing your lessons with the outcome/standard. I say the first thing you should think of is how can I make this fun, creative and meaningful for my students? The slide idea the David put up in this post is a beautiful example of that. What standard was that for? Start with something that matters then bring a standard into it and ask how does this demonstrate our help us to apply this standard. Standards, grades, tests, they don’t motivate teachers or students to become lifelong learners and people who make a difference. So let’s refuse to make a big fuss about them! We give them too much power. Focus on building the qualities that truly make a difference and a difference will be made.

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This post is so great! I was going to just leave a comment, but as I got to writing it, I realized it was much too long to be considered a comment. Instead, I wrote my response on my own blog. ( https://lifeasafishoutofwater.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/summer-homework-had-me-a-blast/ ) Also, your alternative ideas are the bomb. I’m pretty sure any student would be so excited to have any one of those as “summer homework”.

I’m kind of torn. I feel like some classes are so overwhelming that you cannot fit the entire curriculum in the school year. That’s the College Board’s fault. For example, your student said the AP Bio homework was actually necessary. I teach a year long class that gets one semester credit so I have plenty of time. However, I’ve read some great books/articles that I would love my students to read as kind of an intro or interest spark to Psych. I don’t feel right testing students after a summer assignment on something that was not facilitated by a teacher. At least something complicated.

I don’t think it should be a weeder assignment. Like you said, the classes they had before provided the weeding process. (Usually)

As far as summer being an opportunity for freedom and no cares? It’s 2 1/2 months. I think it’s way too long and that it’s fine to expect that students can spend one week doing summer work, but I like the idea that it’s treated more as an opportunity for learning rather than a strict assignment with guidelines and a test when they get back. I would LOVE it if we had a community service requirement every year and way more than the 10 hours our students need to complete their senior year. What a great way to learn and give back!

I’d also like to be more collaborative on campus regarding tests AND summer reading. What if we could do some cross curricular stuff? Or what if we scheduled our testing to minimize student stress. Some of my students have 4 tests on the same day.

And I would LOVE to trust parents but sometimes they don’t do what’s in the best interest of their kid’s academic and/or emotional needs.

So getting rid of summer homework as policy? I’m not such a fan, as it appears the curriculum in some classes is overwhelming even for teachers.

Good points about the “Why?”.

However, I have some issues with your issues. Issue #1: Students can read or review or learn things without the direct involvement of teachers. This is a good thing and something that all lifelong learners can do. I have my AP ES class interact on discussion boards on my website – it’s amazing to see how much students can teach each other! Also, most of my work can be finished in a couple days – it’s intended not to be burdensome. Issue #2: Gina answered this pretty thoroughly. Issue #3: My summer work is due about 3 weeks after school ends precisely so that students don’t have it hanging over their heads all summer – kids need a break! This also prevents me having to grade it in a rush the first week of school. I then give the work back a week before school begins so they can see what they need more help mastering before our first test. Issue #4: “Students ARE already busy learning in the summer.” I didn’t give them summer work because I thought their brains stopped learning in the summer. Obviously, I write my summer work to help them learn a few, particular things that they probably would not otherwise encounter (like contemplating adding insects to their diet!).

The Ideas sound like lots of fun – I might just one of those next summer instead – thanks for the ideas!

Kurt. Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Would you mind linking to a description of your summer work/assignment? Do all the students in your school do this summer enrichment or just the AP students?

What’s the point of a “vacation” if you have to work during it? Stupid. Just chill out. There will be plenty of education, and stress, come September.

I’m going into 8th grade this year and the entire district decided to give every student from elementary to high school summer homework. It just started this year, which means I am used to having normal, care-free summers. This year however, students have to read a book suggested for third graders on amazon. (Yes THIRD graders,) and do a certain amount of math and reading projects from a list. Some of the required projects make the students post on a certain website. It is less than a week before school starts, and I still haven’t found that website. A friend of mine has, but is unable to send me the link due to the individual accounts we have to use to sign in. In fact, the school website is set up very poorly, and it is extremely difficult to even find the homework in the first place. Who wants to go to school and on the first day only to explain why they couldn’t even FIND their homework? There is no way the teachers will believe that. Where is the vacation in summer vacation?

Thank you for writing this. Sometimes I wish all parents and students would unite in protest. Are they going to give everyone an F?

This is definitely food for thought. I teach high school English at a small international school in Korea, and I’ve pushed a summer reading assignment (even after our former admin left and it was no longer required) because for many of my students, it’s the only interaction with English they’ll have all summer long. Plus, my kids aren’t working and most of their friends are in school (Korean summer vacation is late July/August and only 3 weeks). I have them choose from a list of 8-10 books, and they have a journal/response assignment. Some of my kids (with or without the encouragement of their parents) will order every book on the list, which I think is cool. For the rest, though, I don’t know if the assignment is really very effective. I’m leaving this school this year, so it’s moot for next summer, but I’ll have to chew on this for the future.

I am a former summer work assignment teacher. I am happy for report that I am fully recovered, proud to say. 🙂 I really like all of your alternative assignments. They easily integrate into the lives of students, are fun, and are authentic/meaningful. Thank you for posting.

Thank you for stopping by. There are LOTS of things I used to do as a teacher that I have changed, and I hope I can keep changing as I grow older.

That’s one of the wonderful things about teaching: we continue to evolve. 🙂

Great post.

Not only are you expressing reasons against summer required reading, but multiple alternatives which privide deep learning on things that childrent may enjoy more.

Im going to use this post to begin conversations in our district.

When I talk about mandatory summer homework, I am assuming the assignment is graded or directly affects the student’s grade in some way. If not, then it really isn’t mandatory. I also assume that it is due the first day of school.

I think there are a few reasons that teachers give mandatory summer homework:

1) That’s what has always been done 2) Everyone else does 3) Students ask for summer assignments to be prepared 4) There isn’t enough time to cover the material

Here are my responses to those (and this is geared toward assignments that are many hours long, not a 30 minute learn how to use the online material tutorial although each assignment should be analyzed for need): 1) That’s stupid. Seriously, though some teachers come into a situation and follow what the previous teacher did or what their department head suggests without any thought on why the assignment is given. If this is the case sit back and evaluate what benefit is coming from summer work. 2) See #1 – unless it is mandated by your school (a horrible policy in my opinion) 3) Fine. Give them some handouts, suggestions, websites, etc – this doesn’t mean it has to be a mandatory assignment 3) Ok, so this is the excuse a lot of AP teachers use and there may be some validity to it, but quite frankly, I doubt it. First off, what is the assignment? Students read first 2 or 3 chapters and answer some questions. If it is review material, why make it mandatory? If it is not, why bother teaching the students anything at all? they apparently are capable of teaching themselves several chapters without anybody to ask for help? I would just assign a chapter a week or whatever works and sit back and let the students learn if I though that was the best approach. “Well, the first X chapters are easy, then we have more time in class on the harder stuff.” – well, if it is easy, why not go through it quickly in class and why make students answer a bunch of questions that take hours on easy stuff?

How many students that have to answer questions from the textbook or worksheets simply rush through it a couple days before school starts? Probably a lot. Did they learn anything? Probably not

How many simply copy the answers from a friend? Probably a lot Did they learn anything? Probably not

“Well, the test will show who did and didn’t do the work.” – Ok, then why make the assignment mandatory?

Ok, but what about just reading books for English? Well, what is the purpose and what is the benefit? Are the students expected to come in and take a test on a book? What will they be tested on? Have they had time to discuss with the teacher. Are they really going to remember details in 3 books?

I see very little benefit from a mandatory assignment other than perhaps keeping class sizes smaller because a student simply doesn’t have time to do the work. I have seen teachers give assignments that take 30+ hours although they will probably tell you it should only take the students 10 hours. And what if a student doesn’t do it, but knows all the material? What if a student joins the class the day before school starts? I guess for those that give mandatory summer assignments that a student could not possibly join the class without being so far behind it would be impossible to catch up.

In the end, the big question is still, “What is the benefit?” – My guess is that it would be hard to show any evidence of any benefit.

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I wish I didn’t have summer stuff. I liked my book for the first summer, and I know that this other one is a good book too, but I just have too much work on my plate. I’m starting up a company with my brother, and I am the lead artist, plus I have been traveling and visiting family. (I have had a lot to do) But, here I am three days before school rushing to read a 400+ page book, finish a 24 pg math packet, and stressed over waiting for my neurological exam results!

I have also been trying to apply for an early college, cause I just want High School to be over. But, because it’s rushed, I still have to wait to apply till the Spring. Not to mention that school cuts into June and begins near the end of August. (The 21st!) That also means that I will have to stress about school and possibly have to skip out on my fathers’ birthday activities due to the workload. I JUST WANT TO ENJOY THE REN FAIR AND NOT HAVE TO WORK TILL I BREAK!

Teachers always complain that we get three months off and it’s time to buckle down, but we get two and a half at best! (Sorry that I’m ranting, I just really REALLY hate my high school. Being an Artist doesn’t make it any easier.)

this post made me feel better, i’m currently advancing to ninth grade, with a locker of failures, i wouldn’t say its because i am not smart, its because i have no respect for my teachers, as much as they don’t have respect for us, the fact that i have depression is not helping, i need to relax, and i have 16 pages of complex math problems that i think some of them i wasn’t even taught. i feel like my mind is melting and i have difficulty not crying every time i am forced to look at my homework, my sister just finished working in the army and she’s just as arrogant as every other teacher, threatening me with the most ridiculous threats like shutting down the electricity in the house so i can do my homework (i live in an apartment complex, like that’s gonna happen) this is the most hardest year i have ever attempted to pass, with every night i lay down and think if i’m even going to live to enter high school (if i even manage to get accepted). seeing this post gave me a smile, seeing as i am not the only one who thinks this entire summer homework idea is the most absurd i’ve heard in my life. thank you for sharing your ideas and opinion.

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frankly I agree, I’m entering my last year of high school and I’m taking multiple honors and AP which all come with summer assignments. However to add on to that I’m also taking a summer class which means I have absolutely no time at all. I have so many summer assignments that I need to pull all nighters during the summer, which is ridiculous. My friend finished one of the many summer assignments that we had and it took her 5 weeks to do (we have 8 weeks of summer break), that was only 1 out of the many that we had. I am really upset at my teachers because I don’t they understand how close I am to dropping most of these honor/AP classes because I am not able to finish their ridiculously long summer assignments. To teachers who do this, please note that we are not only taking your class and doing your work.

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5 Tips for Completing AP Summer Homework

A cross the United States and abroad, thousands of high school students are enrolling in and preparing for Advanced Placement (or AP) courses. The AP curriculum is rigorous, and as a result, many AP programs assign homework during the summer. Although this homework carries a significant cost in time and effort for reluctant students, it can help you maintain and strengthen your academic skills during the long summer months.

The total “cost” can move well beyond time and effort, however — if you reach the week before school begins without having completed this assigned homework, you may run the very real risk of struggling in the class before it even starts. Even if your AP summer homework is not factored into your regular grade (and at many high schools, it is), you could be starting the academic year at a disadvantage.

Luckily, AP summer homework is not insurmountable. If you are facing a mountain of required reading, problem sets, and essays, here are several tips and tricks that can help you complete your AP summer homework:

Acknowledge its importance

For AP-level students, one of the most challenging aspects of summer homework is believing in its importance. “It’s summer!” your mind might unhappily shout. “Summer is for fun!” Unfortunately, the reality is that true learning is a continuous process. Completing your AP homework does not need to be an all-consuming task (and reaching that state is unhealthy), but it does need to be a task this summer. Think of it this way — world-class athletes do not train for part of the year. They instead follow a consistent schedule that varies in intensity. The summer is a time that your brain can use to recharge, but it still needs stimulation. Consider your AP homework that stimulation.

Create a schedule

Before you begin your AP homework, make a plan. On the first day of summer vacation, it may seem as though you have months in which to do your work, but this time quickly disappears. Procrastinating can be a recipe for disaster.

To ensure you remain on schedule, purchase a calendar and set milestones in pen. Do leave time to enjoy a family vacation or an outing with friends. If you have two books to read for AP English Literature and Composition, for example, note the page counts, and divide the total pages by the days until school begins. This is your daily minimum.

Reward your progress

Write each of your milestones, or goals, on an index card with the target date of completion and a reward for adhering to that schedule. Post these index cards where you will see them — beside your television, next to your laptop, on the refrigerator, etc. Choose a reward that is truly motivating, such as seeing a highly anticipated movie. If you tend to procrastinate, consider leaving a favorite video game or personal possession with a friend or family member who will only return the item to you when you reach your goal.

Stay in contact with classmates and teachers

Summer homework is far less beneficial if you do not understand the assignment. Some AP teachers will provide you with a reading guide for AP United States History or an answer key for your AP Calculus BC problems. You can also look for relevant resources online. Ask if your teacher welcomes questions over summer vacation, or start a study group with your classmates. Without the consistent feedback that you receive during the school year, it can be difficult to know when your summer homework is done well. Communicating with your classmates and/or teachers can help you avoid that uncomfortable, sinking feeling when you reach the first test of the school year, only to find that your leisurely pool-side skimming of A Tale of Two Cities was insufficient.

Continually challenge yourself

The best architects, athletes, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and, yes, students become better at their trades by constantly challenging themselves. Signing up for an AP class certainly counts as a challenge, but once you have your AP summer assignments in hand, begin looking for ways to improve your knowledge base and your performance as a student. This advice is doubly true if your AP program does not assign much (or any) summer homework. Seek out AP practice tests in AP Biology or AP Statistics, and experiment with the problems they contain. Not only can you work these problems into the schedule you created, you can also utilize them to identify your class-specific strengths and weaknesses. If you are focusing on courses that are literature-heavy, look for each class’s reading list, and get a head start on the books that will be assigned early in the school year. It can seem near-impossible to motivate yourself in the summer months, but come fall, you will likely be very glad you did. Good luck!

Brian Witte is a professional SAT tutor with Varsity Tutors . He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Washington and holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

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• 5 Things Students Must Know About the New SAT
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Fantastic Summer Homework Ideas for High Schoolers

If your high schoolers are anything like my high schoolers, they love spending time talking about how bored they are. Yet for whatever reason, that talk never turns into action. Nothing seems to change at the end of the year, as kids are making plans for what they will be doing, or not be doing, over the summer. I always enjoy making an addition to their plans–a little bit of summer homework from their (not always) favorite art teacher. For me, there are always a few of ways to go about it–required summer homework and optional summer homework.

Required Work

For my students who will be in AP Studio Art , I require that they complete 2 projects over the summer that are “portfolio-worthy”. I type out assignment sheets for 3 projects with in-depth explanations. However, each of the three has enough open-endedness within a theme to allow students room for expression and personal voice. If students don’t like any of those 3 projects, or don’t want to do them, I allow them to complete projects of their own choosing. As long as the quality is there, I am open to just about any idea they bring to me.

Photography List

In addition, I send AP students home for the summer with a checklist of photography subjects. The photos students take are referenced and utilized throughout the year in a myriad of projects. The more images they come in with, the better. Many students end up using the cameras on their phones, which is OK because the quality doesn’t have to be stellar. The idea here is not for the photos to serve as the art project, per se; the idea is to have a library of images that can serve as backgrounds, design elements, and inspiration for them come fall.

You can download my 3-page PDF list by clicking the image below, or get a customized Word version by clicking here .

Download Now

Optional Work

For the rest of my students, summer homework is optional. I have a list of projects that I give to whoever may want it, and to a few others that I think might just take on the challenge. These are more lighthearted, fun projects that could take all kinds of different directions. I think it goes without saying, but if kids enjoy the work they are doing, they are more likely to complete it.

Here are a few ideas I like to use:

• Have a friend pose for you. In 20 minutes draw 20 poses. Go!
• Create a drawing or painting inspired by song lyrics or a piece of writing.
• Create a time-lapse video of you working on a drawing or sculpture.
• Sculpt your favorite food out of mud or sand. Photograph it from multiple angles.
• Visit someplace colorful–a farmer’s market, a flower shop, a candy store, or a museum. Make art inspired by the location.

Media Consumption

Lastly, I love to have students take the time to look up interesting artists using not only books and websites, but videos and other media. Artists my students really respond to are Banksy, Robert Longo, Maya Lin, Cheeming Boey, Kara Walker, James Turrell, and Kehinde Wiley. The Art 21 series from PBS is also a great resource. The key is to make the artist interesting enough that kids want to look at more of their work and learn more about the art being made.

Whether your students are making work because they want to or making work because they have to, summer homework is a great avenue to keep them involved and engaged over the summer. There is undoubtedly a challenge in seeing that work is actually completed, but if it is, students come back to the next school year with renewed energy, more confidence, and hopefully a little better understanding of their own art and the art of others.

Do you assign summer homework? Why or why not?

What summer homework assignments have been successful for you?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Timothy Bogatz

Tim Bogatz is AOEU’s Content & PD Event Manager and a former AOEU Writer and high school art educator. He focuses on creativity development, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking skills in the art room.

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Watch CBS News

How schools' long summer breaks started, why some want the vacation cut short

By Aliza Chasan

June 11, 2024 / 7:00 AM EDT / CBS News

As summer nears, schools across the country have ended for the year or will soon let out for a lengthy break. Most adults work through the summer, but thanks to outdated medical beliefs, a convergence of rural and city calendars, and educational reforms, kids today enjoy summer vacations. 

Schools didn't always have such a long summer break, Ken Gold, dean of education at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, said. In the early 19th century, schools in cities were typically open year round while schools in rural areas typically had two terms, one in the winter and another in the summer. 

"By the end of the 19th century, it hasn't quite converged on what we have now, but the writing is on the wall," said Gold, author of "School's In: Summer Education and American Public Schools."

How did school summer vacation start?

School was a year-round event in colonial times, said James Pedersen, school superintendent and author of "Summer versus School: The Possibilities of the Year-Round School." Even as late as 1841, some schools in Boston and Philadelphia were having class 240-250 days a year. 

Most K-12 public schools now are in session for only 180 days a year, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.

While the length of the school year is relatively consistent across states today, there were wide variations in the early 19th century. At the time, schools in cities were typically open year round while schools in rural areas typically had two terms, one in the winter and another in the summer, Gold said. Schools in rural areas had far fewer days of class than schools in cities. 

Many people incorrectly believe the agrarian myth of summer vacation that children took a break from school during the summer to help their parents in their fields and farms, Gold said. While older students in rural areas did take time off from school in the summer to help their parents out, the most intensive labor was during the spring planting and fall harvesting seasons. 

The shift to incorporate a lengthy summer vacation into school calendars began in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Pederson said. 

As summer heat hit cities, people with means were leaving cities to summer in the mountains or at beach resorts, Gold said. 

"It's not like these families were sending their kids to the public schools in large numbers, but typically they were running them," Gold said. "And so you begin to have kind of a movement away from the summer because people aren't around — some of the folks who matter and are making the decisions about the schools."

Rural schools began to mimic the structure of the city school year — opening for longer periods of time while also eliminating the summer terms, Gold said. 

Some of the changes came down to educational reformers, who viewed summer terms as weaker academically and also thought the school year in rural areas was too short. They also wanted teachers to spend time training and developed programs for them in the summer. 

Lingering medical notions   about overtaxation dating back to the late 18th and early 19th century also played a role, Gold said. Even though science moved away from this by the late 19th century, Gold said that it became ingrained in a lot of people's minds that "too much use of the mind would lead to physical and mental debility.  

Why lengthy summer vacations are still around

Schools use summer break to make repairs to buildings. Some school buildings are also not outfitted with the air conditioning that would be needed to keep kids in class over the summer months. Around 36,000 schools nationwide need heating, ventilation and air conditioning updates, the Government Accountability Office found in a 2020 report , the most recent statistics available. 

Joseph Allen, director of Harvard University's Healthy Buildings Program, last year explained to CBS News that many schools were built to retain heat . 

"The climate's changing fast and our buildings are not. Our buildings are not keeping up," Allen said then.

Teachers also may not be prepared to give up summer breaks. Part of the profession's lure, for some, is the way the schedule is structured each year, Steele said. 

"So I could imagine that moving toward a year-round model could exacerbate some recruitment and retention problems," she said.

Outside schools, there's also an economic barrier to ending or shortening the summer break. 

"Entire industries are around summer breaks — think about teen employment , summer camps, vacations, back-to-school sales, everything is there," said Pederson. "It's really hard to undo that."

Pederson and Gold both attributed the ongoing use of a lengthy spring break to tradition. 

"People's practices now of recreation and leisure in the summer are pretty powerful barriers, I think, to change," Gold said.

David Hornak, who's a school superintendent in addition to being the executive director of the National Association for Year-Round Education, said most parents and guardians went to school on a traditional academic calendar, and they want their children to have the same opportunities as they did in the summer. 

"So much has changed over the last 130 years except for the school calendar most commonly used across the nation," Hornak said.

Will summer breaks ever get shorter?

Summer break is already shorter in some schools across the country following a balanced calendar. Hornak's district has largely followed the balanced calendar model, which used to be called the year-round model, for the last 30 years. 

"The year-round education, or what we're now terming balanced calendar education, is built on the premise that the school year continues to be 180 school days, but that those 180 school days are used more efficiently across the calendar year," Hornak said. 

Most balanced schools start in early August, then take some time off mid-fall, at Thanksgiving, around Christmas and New Year's, in the middle of the winter, in the middle of spring and around Memorial Day weekend. The summer break of a traditional school is shortened, with the days reallocated to give time off at other times. 

Both of Michigan parent Kellie Flaminio's children go to school in Hornak's district. Flaminio, who also works for the state Department of Education, said she sought out a district with balanced calendar schools, even though she herself went to schools with more traditional academic calendars. Flaminio said that she and her husband both work full time, so the balanced calendar worked better for their schedules.

"Having to pay child care for the weeks that the kids aren't in school, it was a little easier to have it more spread out versus that large chunk at one time," she said.

The mom said it's also been great for her son, now a sophomore in high school, and her daughter, now a sixth grader, who have never commented about feeling like they're missing out by not getting a 12-week summer vacation.

"Honestly, I think they get kind of bored and are ready to go back to school by the time we go," she said.

Around 4,000 schools in the U.S. follow a balanced calendar model, representing about 10% of the total student population, Hornak said. His organization advocates for districts around the county to use their 180 days of school each year more efficiently.

According to Hornak, balanced calendars lead to increases in student achievement and a reduction in summer learning loss. They can also help with staff retention because it gives teachers more frequent breaks. 

Those regular breaks also offer opportunities for schools to pre-teach or re-teach concepts to students who might need help. Enrichment can also be offered to advanced students during those intersessions.

Pederson said school year schedules don't need to be one size fits all; they can be individualized based on the student to match their ability level. He also noted that schools are supposed to prepare children for future professions, and that giving them 10-12 weeks off for the summer hinders that preparation.

"If we're trying to get them prepared for what the future holds, it really doesn't fit that, right? Because no other profession has off that amount of time," he said.

Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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