Why Can’t School Be More Like Summer?
BARBARA ROWLEY, New York Times, September 6, 2012

"From their perspective, the worst thing that happens to my two daughters at the conclusion of each summer is that they have to leave their friends and their joyous days of exploration at their mountain summer camp and come home. The next worst thing that happens to them is that they have to immediately start an experience — school — that feels almost exactly the opposite. The onset of camp-sickness is immediate.
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"Happiness is embedded in the summer camp business plan, and is central to what they do. If children  aren’t happy; they won’t come back. Many camps report annual return rates of 75 percent or more. Not every child is happy at camp, and it goes without saying that not every child’s family can afford camp, or wants to send them. But schools could learn a lot about student retention and achievement by taking a page from the summer camp happiness playbook.

"This is especially true right now. Driven by a culture, which, rightly or wrongly, too often fails to recognize teachers with respect and economic rewards, teacher unhappiness seems more prevalent than ever. Yet in all the talk about education reform, happiness rarely seems to make the list, even though there’s plenty of evidence out there about what an improved school environment might mean for learning and test scores, not to mention student attitudes and drop-out rates.

"Put simply, nobody likes working for an unhappy boss. Schools can’t be enjoyable for kids if teachers aren’t happy. For schools to be more like camp — to be more fun — our education establishment has to put emphasis on hiring positive-minded staff and preaching the importance of exuding happiness in the classroom as well as making the necessary changes in the work environment that will make their happiness genuine.
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"I realize that fun may sound like a frivolous goal in the face of the education crisis we face in our public schools, and happiness an extra we can’t afford given our middling rankings among global competitors. But as I grudgingly send my girls back to school this week, I can’t help wishing — just as they do — that school would learn just a little from summer."

"Over-parenting's faulty logic"
Madeline Levine, SF Gate, August 10, 2012

"Counterintuitive as it seems, the very things we're doing to secure our children's futures can end up compromising them. Pushing and over-scheduling prevent them from becoming competent adults capable of the resilience, perseverance, motivation and grit that business leaders say they'll need to compete in tomorrow's workforce. Just as importantly, it interferes with the ability to cultivate healthy relationships and to feel that life is meaningful.

"Many parents have significant misunderstandings about how children learn and what circumstances are likely to drive success in them. Our (culturally sanctioned) faulty thinking is pushing us to do, in many cases, the exact opposite of what kids need to thrive.
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"Studies show that kids enrolled in academic-based preschools actually tend to fall behind their peers who attend play-based preschools by the fourth grade.
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"Self-directed play is the work of childhood. It's a classroom in which kids develop a whole set of skills that really matter in life. Consider what happens in a simple game of chase: Kids must agree on the game and cooperate with each other. They must determine who will be the leader, who will be the follower and when it's time to renegotiate. When we fill their days with classes, practices and games, there's just no time left for learning these critical lessons.

"Most experts agree that kids should have twice as much unstructured free time as structured playtime. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least 60 minutes a day. If they can get that 60 minutes outdoors - climbing trees, chasing fireflies or playing baseball in an empty lot - so much the better."

"Voices: Remember the joy of learning?"
Jessica Cuthbertson, EdNewsColorado.org, July 30, 2012

"Aurora teacher Jessica Cuthbertson has a joyful learning experience and it has nothing to do with filling in bubbles, getting graded or working quietly and alone. 
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"We engaged in a collaborative, authentic learning experience.  And as a result, we left the second day committed to creating and constructing authentic learning experiences with our own students in August.
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"We didn’t take tests – though the facilitators frequently assessed and monitored our needs as learners.  We didn’t bubble anything in or respond to prompts or read passages written to meet the criteria of a certain “level” or to “measure” our comprehension.  We didn’t sit silently and passively.  We didn’t receive nor were we expected to arrive at the “right” answer.  We didn’t work in isolation.  We didn’t feel inadequate or invisible because we read a text differently or because we brought (or lacked) certain experiences or background knowledge.  We didn’t face interruptions or distractions.  We didn’t worry about receiving a grade or even if we would receive professional learning “credit.”

"Instead, we experienced the joy of learning. 

"Today’s teachers and students are part of a national culture that values quantifying the unquantifiable.  We are so busy “racing to the top” that it is easy to lose sight of the journey along the way. Authentic learning is the journey. It is hard to measure or quantify a chorus of “oh’s” and “a-ha’s” — the murmurings that fill a room after a rich discussion. It is difficult to measure the transformation of a furrowed brow that turns into a spark in a student’s eye when they see a text, a concept, a problem or an issue in a new way.  Learning is full of such moments — the internal and external dialogue that is at the heart of authentic learning."

Programs Combating Summer Brain Drain Could Overload Students
Kelsey Sheehy, US News, June 18, 2012

"To combat potential learning loss, schools should expand their summer school programs and students should dedicate a chunk of their summer vacation to hitting the books, the association says.

"But what about letting summer break be just that—a break?

"Summer should be a chance for students to recharge and families to reconnect, some parents and educators say.

""They've been doing this all year and they just need time to recharge their batteries and to refresh and relax," says Daniel Rothner, a former teacher and father of four who is now the founder and director of Areyvut, a nonprofit that helps Jewish youth develop social learning projects.

"The learning will happen organically while students are out enjoying their summer, Rothner says.

""Experiential learning is really where it's at," he notes. "You can learn something in math or science or geography, but it's very different from actually living it. Whether it's doing math at a baseball game ... or at the park.""

"What Will You and Your Children Read This Summer?"

KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times, June 6, 2012

 

"What’s your summer reading plan, and what’s the plan for your children? Two of my four have summer reading time charts from school. Will this be another year when I determine that every evening at X time will be “quiet reading time,” only to have it endlessly thwarted by things like impromptu s’mores and meteor showers? (And how can that really be bad?) I want them to read. They (mostly) want to read. But oh, we have a terrible time with those charts. 

"... Does 20 minutes a day of easily tracked reading fit into every family’s day except ours? They do read, but how many 6-year-olds pay attention to where and for how long? Me, I’ve never exactly understood why they (or, more relevantly, I) should. I prefer the rising third grader’s option: a space to list all the books she reads, along with “one thing you liked” and “one thing you didn’t.” "

"Wired & Unplugged Ways to Encourage Summer Learning"
Jason Koebler, US News, July 1, 2011

"Students can forget as much as two months' worth of math and reading instruction over the summer, according to some reports. To keep their children on track, many parents have enrolled them in summer learning programs. But for students who are unable to attend one, playing certain video games or practicing skills around the house can help.

""People don't often think about games as a way to exercise the brain," says Patrick Supanc, president of College and Career Readiness at textbook publisher Pearson. "But even mainstream games have some really important elements in them that help students develop important skills.""