Investigation of Summer Learning Loss in the UK—Implications for Holiday Club Provision

Abstract

This study sought to examine whether summer learning loss occurs in spelling and word reading in a population of 77 primary school aged children aged between 5 and 10 years (37 boys, mean age 100 months, SD 18 months, and 40 girls mean age 103 months, SD 16 months) attending three schools in areas of low socioeconomic status in Scotland and the North East of England. Word reading and spelling was measured using the word reading and spelling subtests of the Wide Ranging Achievement Test. Participants were tested on three occassions: immediately before and immediately after a 7-week summer break, and again after 7-weeks of teaching. The results showed a significant main effect of time for spelling scores, F(2,136) = 21.60, p < 0.001, ηp2=0.241. Post-hoc analysis [t(73) = 4.84, p ≤ 0.001] showed that spelling scores were significantly higher at the end of the summer term (M = 26.57) than at the start of the new academic year (M = 25.38). Likewise, spelling scores after 7 weeks post return to school (M = 27.61) were significantly higher than at the start of the Autumn term, t(73) = 7.79, p ≤ 0.001. Performance in spelling declined when children returned to school immediately after the summer holiday (M = 25.38) but 7 weeks later, performance had improved beyond the baseline reported immediately before the summer break (M = 26.57) [t(73) = 4.40, p ≤ 0.001]. There was also a main effect of school in relation to spelling scores, [F(2,68) = 6.49, p < 0.05, ηp2=0.160], with children from school 2 and school 3 outperforming children from school 1. There was no signficant main effect of gender [F(1,68) = 1.47, p > 0.05, ηp2=0.021]. None of the interactions were significant. There was no main effect of time on word reading scores [F(2,136) = 1.12, p ≥ 0.05, ηp2=0.016]. However, there was a main effect of school [F(2,68) = 4.85, p ≤ 0.01, ηp2=0.125] in relation to reading scores, with children from school 2 and school 3 outperforming children from school 1. There was no significant main effect of gender [F(1,68) = 0.37, p ≥ 0.05, ηp2=0.005]. None of the interactions were significant. This is the first such study in the UK to demonstrate that after a summer break of seven weeks, summer learning loss occurred, or at least stagnation in learning, in a population of primary school aged children attending schools in areas of low SES in relation to spelling. However, after seven weeks of teaching, children caught up to and exceeded the level achieved in spelling prior to the summer break. However, the summer holiday period did not result in a loss of word reading skill, reading scores were consistent across the entire study.

Schools and COVID-19: Reopening Pandora’s box?

“…Achievement gaps leave the poorest socioeconomic groups lagging behind their more affluent peers ( 18 ). school narrows these gaps but the gap widens over the long summer holiday ( 19 ). Evidence is limited regarding the impact of other types of school closures on learning loss.…”

Hunger in the primary school setting: evidence, impacts and solutions according to school staff in the North East of England, UK

“…Although the evidence base surrounding holiday hunger is limited, research with parents has shown that some face more financial difficulties and struggle to provide additional food and activities for their children during the school holidays compared to term time (Defeyter, Graham & Prince, 2015;Gill & Wellington, 2003). Furthermore, Shinwell and Defeyter (2017) recently reported that children's spelling performance declines significantly during the six-week summer break from school; a decline that might be attributable to a lack of nutritious food and enrichment activities during the school holidays. This loss in learning leaves teachers needing to set time aside to support children to catch up academically on their return to school after the holidays.…”

Opportunities and Challenges Arising from Holiday Clubs Tackling Children’s Hunger in the UK: Pilot Club Leader Perspectives

“…Holiday hunger is likely to have a detrimental effect on school children’s educational performance, health and wellbeing. Although there are common issues with measurement of changes in educational attainment, gaps in attainment between US children in high and low poverty schools which increase across the summer have been reported [6], with summer learning loss also being evidenced among low socioeconomic status (SES) school children in the UK [7]. Moreover, food insecurity is associated with poorer health status and emotional wellbeing [8].…”