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The problem with summer vacation is that it's between 8 and 10 weeks in most places. During that time the kids lose some of what they learned the previous year

by ktsmith 17y ago

The problem with summer vacation is that it's between 8 and 10 weeks in most places. During that time the kids lose some of what they learned the previous year and then more time is wasted at the beginning of the next school year on review. Certainly there are other things that are beneficial in other ways and for other reasons that are available in the summer. Let's be honest though, how many kids are actually doing those things compared to the number of kids sitting around watching tv, playing video games etc. Most year round schools in the US simply shift the 8-10 weeks of break into three smaller breaks. This gives the kids and families time to take their vacations, go to camps etc. This is better for the children in many cases as they have less time away from the school in witch to lose those new concepts that they have learned. Additionally many school districts have managed to use year round schedules and track systems to service more children from fewer schools. Finally, if you look at other industrialized nations that are offering significantly better educations and having better results with their education systems you'll find that they don't have these long summer breaks. We are no longer a farming nation as a whole, and the summer vacation being necessary for everyone to work in the fields is an outdated concept for the vast majority of our citizens. I'm not suggesting a reduction in the total time away from school, though there's an argument for that, simply removing the single large block during the summer.

prodigal_erik 17y ago
> During that time the kids lose some of what they learned the previous year Shouldn't we train teachers and devise lessons that actually give lasting knowledge? To me anything less seems like a waste of everyone's time. Shorter breaks only delay the problem, because eventually the kids are going to graduate, which is the longest break of all.
- ktsmith 17y ago
  Loss is typically attributed to not using their newly learned skills. Teachers are constantly being bombarded with new ways to teach things, and new ways to focus on retention and comprehension. Since this has been a problem for decades it's logical to deduce that the teaching methods aren't the problem and the break is. For adults it might not be that big of a deal to lose the specifics learned in school as hopefully the ability to learn and tools for learning have stuck. When you are trying to immediately build on a specific set of skills it can be a real hindrance to have to reteach things that the student should already know, but has lost because they didn't use it for 10 weeks. This may not even be that big of a problem for older students, but at the grade school level we are wasting the kids time by having to reteach things.
protomyth 17y ago
"We are no longer a farming nation as a whole" - That's fine (although farming is a huge export that is not likely to get outsourced like other industry), but we still have a significant number of states that depend on it. That "outdated concept" is not really so outdated. The smaller breaks are BS. They do not allow for summer sports, actual camps, actual outreach programs by college, or decent paying summer jobs. If you need time for students with special circumstances (english as a second language) then use the summer for them, but not to keep everyone in school. Part of being a kid is learning to think and imagine, and schools are the last place those things are valued. Innovation happens here, and needs to not be stifled by some scheme to keep kids in school all year. I also agree with prodigal_erik, why do they lose these lessons? If the lessons won't survive the summer, then they are surely not going to survive when they leave school. Our schools are not the only place where learning happens. Jobs teach, summer camps teach, and sports teach. They all teach lessons that schools can't or won't.

by ktsmith 17y ago

prodigal_erik 17y ago

> During that time the kids lose some of what they learned the previous year Shouldn't we train teachers and devise lessons that actually give lasting knowledge? To me anything less seems like a waste of everyone's time. Shorter breaks only delay the problem, because eventually the kids are going to graduate, which is the longest break of all.

ktsmith 17y ago
Loss is typically attributed to not using their newly learned skills. Teachers are constantly being bombarded with new ways to teach things, and new ways to focus on retention and comprehension. Since this has been a problem for decades it's logical to deduce that the teaching methods aren't the problem and the break is. For adults it might not be that big of a deal to lose the specifics learned in school as hopefully the ability to learn and tools for learning have stuck. When you are trying to immediately build on a specific set of skills it can be a real hindrance to have to reteach things that the student should already know, but has lost because they didn't use it for 10 weeks. This may not even be that big of a problem for older students, but at the grade school level we are wasting the kids time by having to reteach things.

protomyth 17y ago

"We are no longer a farming nation as a whole" - That's fine (although farming is a huge export that is not likely to get outsourced like other industry), but we still have a significant number of states that depend on it. That "outdated concept" is not really so outdated. The smaller breaks are BS. They do not allow for summer sports, actual camps, actual outreach programs by college, or decent paying summer jobs. If you need time for students with special circumstances (english as a second language) then use the summer for them, but not to keep everyone in school. Part of being a kid is learning to think and imagine, and schools are the last place those things are valued. Innovation happens here, and needs to not be stifled by some scheme to keep kids in school all year. I also agree with prodigal_erik, why do they lose these lessons? If the lessons won't survive the summer, then they are surely not going to survive when they leave school. Our schools are not the only place where learning happens. Jobs teach, summer camps teach, and sports teach. They all teach lessons that schools can't or won't.