Effective and Promising Summer Learning Programs and Approaches for Economically-Disadvantaged Children and Youth

This paper presents an overview of research concerning summer programmes, and identifies knowledge gaps. It makes recommendations for practice, and research and evaluation.

Characteristics of effective programmes tended to:

•    Make learning fun  - academic instruction with enrichment activities that relevant to the children
•    Ground learning in a real-world context – academic concepts are applied to real word context
•    Integrate hands on activities – interactive forms of instruction such as immersion or experiential learning
•    Content complement curricular standards – complements what students are learning during the school year
•    Hire experienced, trained teachers to deliver the academic lessons
•    Keep class sizes small - Class sizes of about 10-15 students tended to be most effective for small-group  instruction, with one lead teacher and one teaching assistant

                                                                                             Terzian, Moore and Hamilton (2009, p. 17)