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Should Schools Assign Summer Homework? Educators Weigh In

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School’s almost out for summer. Should students clear out their lockers and leave empty-handed—or laden down with stacks of math problems and required reading lists? Will teachers warn of repercussions for failing to turn in summer work assignments upon returning to school in the fall, or simply advise students to have fun and stay safe?

It depends on whom you ask.

It turns out that not all educators share the same perspective on whether to assign summer homework, who needs it most, what it should consist of, and how to make sure it gets done. Education Week put the question to state teachers of the year and representatives of statewide principals associations. Here’s what they had to say.

Play and pleasure reading prioritized by many educators

Play and pleasure reading topped the list of responses to the question: What summer homework should students be assigned? Teachers (of both young and older students) were more likely than the principals who responded to suggest that kids need a break in the summer.

“For young children, specifically pre-K to grade 3, I feel that over the summer children need to have their summer break and be provided with the opportunity to explore, get plenty of physical activity, and play. Children learn from play. Play teaches children about problem-solving and social interactions,” said Tara Hughes, a pre-K inclusion teacher at the Nye Early Childhood Center in Santa Fe who was voted 2023 New Mexico State Teacher of the Year.

“Students should have no formal ‘homework'—worksheets or practice books,” said Lori Danz, who is Wisconsin’s 2023 State Teacher of the Year. She teaches high school biology and serves as a school forest coordinator, overseeing outdoor learning. in the Superior school district in the northern part of the state. “I think it’s good for students and families to get away from that, and learn in authentic ways: hiking, cooking, fixing things. So much learning happens that way. We forget that it’s learning.”

Danz acknowledged that not every family has the same amount of free time or resources available to them during the summer. But she added that many districts, including her own, offer free enrichment activities at local schools during the summer that provide activities such as sports, crafts, and physical fitness.

While “play” was a popular response to the question of what type of work kids should be assigned in the summer, some educators suggested that students of all ages read during break to stay sharp.

“Reading for pleasure authentically enhances many academic skills such as cultivating a love for reading, improves reading and writing skills, develops concentration, encourages creativity and imagination, and allows children to be more open to differences and perspectives,” said Krystal Colbert, a 2nd grade teacher at Mitchellville Elementary in Iowa’s Southeast Polk school district, and another Teacher of the Year.

One teacher took the reading directive a step further. Brian Skinner, a high school special education teacher with the Newton Unified school district 373 in Kansas and the state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, said he thinks students should spend time regularly writing and reading for pleasure. “Not only that, but I believe it is important to read from actual books versus phones or other technology,” Skinner said. It’s a belief shared by some literacy experts , too.

Which students most need summer work?

Educators offered a range of opinions when asked which students most need summer work. Principals interviewed for this article were more likely than teachers to feel students should be doing summer work.

“How good is a golfer that takes a three-month break with no practice? Even if you do not play nine or 18 holes regularly, you can go the range, you can chip, you can practice putting,” said Jerald A. Barris, a high school principal at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland, Pa., and a regional representative for the Pennsylvania Principals Association.

Ed Roth, the principal of Penncrest High School in Media, Pa., believes in math homework over the summer for high school students. “In mathematics, it is important for students to have some review and skills practice so that they do not need to spend the first marking period reviewing prior learning, therefore taking away their ability to cover all necessary content for their current course,” he said. Roth’s perspective, which suggests the loss of skills during summer break, has been well-documented in recent research .

But other educators favor a more tailored approach to summer work.

Danz, the Wisconsin high school biology teacher, said that she believes all students need a break from homework but added this caveat: “You can always find exceptions…students who may need remedial practice.”

Fabiana Parker, the 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year, agreed. A teacher of English learners at Thornburg Middle School in Spotsylvania County, Va., Parker said “it is essential to take into account the unique needs of each student” when it comes to summer work. She elaborated with an account of her own children, recalling how she established a routine of daily math practice during the summer but only for her daughter who struggled with math and, in Parker’s assessment, needed the additional support.

Other educators said they are more likely to assign summer work to students on an accelerated track. Such is the case for Michael Ida, Hawaii’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. He teaches at Kalani High School in Honolulu. Ida said that, for most high school students, he recommends no summer work other than reading for pleasure. But he makes an exception for students who choose to enroll in more rigorous courses.

“I teach AP Calculus, and those students do have some required review work to complete over the summer,” Ida said. He gives them math problems that he has created—both routine review problems and more substantial problem solving exercises that emphasize logical thinking and communication.

A creative approach to summer work

Summer should be synonymous with creative learning, some educators emphasized. “Summer is a time to continue learning in the way that every child in every classroom should be taught, with a focus on each child’s passions and strengths and in the way that is most effective for them,” said Catherine Matthews, a pre-K special education teacher at Hyalite Elementary School in Bozeman, Mont., and the state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

“If a child is struggling with fractions but loves to cook, allow them to practice their math skills while doing something that they love. If they need to practice their reading fluency, allow them to choose books of personal interest,” Matthews added.

Second grade teacher Colbert expressed a desire for kids to experience the type of old-fashioned summer that, for countless students, no longer exists. “My wish is that all kids are outside exploring the beautiful world around them, interacting with their friends and family, growing their inquisitive minds, fostering their creativity, and limiting the use of technology,” she said.

Who’s responsible for making sure summer work gets done?

Assigning summer work is one thing; monitoring its completion is another.

Pennsylvania high school principal Barris said parents are ultimately responsible for making sure their kids do the work. “I believe it should fall on the parents for the most part with opportunities, suggestions, and strategies provided by the school in concert with the community where the child resides,” he said, while acknowledging this challenge. “That said,” he added, “getting my 11-year-old to read and practice his skills in the summer is easier said than done.”

A version of this article appeared in the June 14, 2023 edition of Education Week as Should Schools Assign Summer Homework? Educators Weigh In

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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!

• EXPLORE Random Article

How to Deal With Excessive Summer Homework

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 Approved

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 98% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 36,367 times.

Summer homework has become a common theme for students. It might seem like summer homework will rob you of your well-earned vacation. However, if you make a schedule and pace out your workload, you’ll find that your summer homework doesn’t have to hamper your time to have fun with friends and enjoy the warm weather.

Making a Plan

• Gather all your assignments together and make a list of all you need to get done. Seeing the assignments clearly laid out will give you an idea of how to pace your work.

• Let your friends and family know which times you are studying so they won’t bother you.

• If your assignment is to read a book, total up the number of pages in the book and divide it into the number of days in your summer vacation. For example, if the assigned book is 360 pages long and your summer vacation is 90 days long, divide 360 by 90, which equals 4. That means you have to read 4 pages per day to finish the book over the summer. Not too bad!
• If your assignment is to complete four chapters of a math textbook, look at the practice problems for the four chapters and add up the total number. Then divide that number by the number of days in your summer vacation. For example, if there are 225 questions per chapter, that means you need to complete 900 problems over the summer. Divide 900 by 90, which equals 10. That means you need to complete 10 math problems a day to complete all four chapters by the end of the summer.

• For example, if you’re flying somewhere for a family vacation, that’s a perfect time to get a chapter read or a few math problems completed.

• For example, if your family is planning on taking a four-day vacation over the Fourth of July, mark these days off on your calendar since you probably won’t get any work done.

Staying Motivated Through the Summer

• A week off at the beginning of the summer will give you a welcome break between the end of the school year and the start of your summer workload.
• Try to do something fun to unwind during this week off.

• Most teachers won’t respond to emails during the summer, so ask your parents or another adult to see if they can help out.
• If you’re stuck and no one else is able to help, email your teacher as a last resort to see if they can aid you.

• For example, you might write “Read chapters four and five” on your index card. When Friday comes and you’ve met your goal, you might reward yourself with a movie.
• Don’t skip this step. Even little rewards will help to keep you motivated throughout the summer.

Community Q&A

• Put away your mobile devices or ask family members to hold onto them while you study so you aren’t distracted. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Put together study sessions with friends to make learning more enjoyable and to help one another focus. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't stress out just try to complete it slowly. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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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.

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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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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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This Is What You Need to Know About Giving Your Child Summer Homework

If you’ve ever heard of the much-dreaded ‘summer slide’ that students experience, we’ve got some bad news for you: it’s a much bigger problem than you likely think it is.

In fact, studies show  that children moving from 3rd to 4th grade lost 20% of their reading skills during the summer as well as 27% of skills learned in math. This number only increases with age- students going from 7th grade into 8th lose 36% of their reading skills and an entire 50% of skills from their math classes!

Summer homework is a way to fight against learning loss and make sure that your child starts the fall semester prepared. But what do you need to know about giving your kid summer assignments? That’s what we’re going to talk about here today. Read on to learn all that you need to know about giving your child summer homework!

The Pros and Cons of Summer Homework

Before giving worksheets to your students or sitting down to do flashcards with them, it’s important that you know both the benefits and downsides to summer homework.

There are a lot of pros to giving your child summer homework. These benefits include:

• The retention of information (and the avoidance of the dreaded ‘summer slide’)
• They’ll have a much easier time with the material at the beginning of the new school year
• It will help to boost test scores and keep them on track in all subjects ( better grades = more rewards, too!)
• It keeps students on a schedule so that they don’t struggle to get back on one when school starts up again
• It gives you the opportunity to socialize with your child and teach them new things
• It can be fun if you engage them appropriately!

There are also a few downsides:

• Your child might become bored and resentful, which causes arguments and tension
• Your child may become stressed out and frustrated
• The school may have already issued summer homework

As you can clearly see, the pros of summer homework vastly outweigh the cons! This is especially the case because all three of these downsides are 100% avoidable as long as you engage your child. Let’s talk about how you can do this!

Engaging Assignment Ideas

It’s important to keep in mind that many schools already give students assignments to complete over the summer. If this is the case, make sure that your student works on this homework consistently over the course of the summer. If there’s enough work to last them for the entire time off, you may not need to give any additional formalized assignments or workbooks.

However, no matter what, it’s important to teach children that reading isn’t a chore- it can be fun! Head to your local bookstore or library to get your child a fun, action-packed book series that will make them excited to read each day. Let your child select something that looks interesting to them and make sure that they complete the book in a given timeframe. Chances are, they’ll enjoy it enough to make quick work of the novel and move through the series excitedly!

You can also get your kid excited about science with hands-on experiments. Have fun with them by making slime, floating things in water and discussing buoyancy, and heading out to the nature center to identify different plants and animals. Not only is this a lot of fun, but it stokes your kid’s sense of adventure! It also is a great way to spend time interacting and bonding with them.

If your child hasn’t been given any formalized summer homework from school, you might want to provide this in addition to the books and fun learning activities. There are workbooks for math, science, reading, and even foreign languages that you can get offline. Have your child complete a page each day (with your help, if necessary!)

Appropriate Timing and Work Environment

One thing that many parents struggle with when it comes to  home learning  is how long a child should spend working on their summer homework each day.

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a rather unhelpful ‘it depends.’

If your child is having fun with you making slime or shaving cream art, you can engage them for long periods of time. You probably won’t need to force them to be there- because they’re having fun, they’ll be able to ‘work’ for hours and hours!

Additionally, when it comes to reading, you should (of course) let your child plow through an entire series in a couple of days if they’re having a good time. If you have a reluctant reader, though, you may need to enforce a half-hour of reading per day. This is a timeframe short enough that most kids can pay attention without getting distracted. However, it also is long enough for a child to absorb the text.

When it comes to school-sanctioned homework or a workbook that you’ve given them, you may want to simply tell them that they need to complete one or two pages each day. This is usually more effective than a time limit.

Goal-oriented learning (rather than using a set timeframe) lets children work at their own pace and ensures that they learn effectively. Some children will absorb the material quickly while others will struggle and need more help. Struggling students may take longer to complete the same tasks, which is totally okay! It also ensures that they won’t try to run out the clock by arguing and that they stay on task.

Get Ready for Summer!

While ‘summer homework’ is a phrase that may initially strike fear into the hearts of students and parents alike, you can make it an awesome experience that you both look forward to each day.

Now that you know the basics of giving summer homework to your child, it’s time to get more ideas on what you can do this summer! After all, summer is just as much a time for fun in the sun as it is for learning. Check out the search function  on our home page to get some ideas of how you and your family can spend quality time with your child and strengthen your bond with them.

June Potter wrote this article on behalf of Free Up. Free Up this the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. Free Up only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world.

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new techniques for tackling homework

• Why Summer Homework is Vital to Students’ Success?

In the US and Canada, one of the special programs in schools is referred to as Advanced Placement (AP). The program was created to develop modalities for college-level education curricula and high school testing. What does this mean? It is a great way for students to prepare for college. But many have been asking the questions: “Is summer homework really important?” and “Is summer homework legal?” The answer is, “yes.” In this post, we will take a deeper look at summer homework, demonstrate its importance, and tell you why training during the holiday is important.

During holidays, especially during the summer vacation, most students want to enjoy the lovely outdoor environment. Therefore, they consider any additional engagement, such as summer assignments for students, a serious distraction. But you can still complete the assignment by seeking writing help. Our writing company comprises of professionals with years of academic writing and can help you write any type of assignment, essay, lab report, coursework, or thesis on your request.

What is the importance of summer homework?

Today, the importance of summer vacation for students is very clear. After a lengthy learning session, the students can take a break from books and be with their families. Also, it is a great time to travel and explore nature. So why do teachers give summer homework? Here are some benefits that you should know:

• Summer homework is a perfect opportunity for students to learn how to work independently.
• The summer homework helps to prevent students from forgetting what they learned.
• Students are able to develop time management and problem-solving skills.
• A great opportunity to review and synthesize what was taught in class.
• Students learn how to set priorities and stay organized.
• Learners can easily identify their weak points and improve on them.
• A great way to get the parents involved more in a student’s education.

Tips for completing summer homework

Now that you know why summer vacation is important, the next question is, “how do you go about it?” Here are some great summer homework ideas that you can use. The first step is creating a schedule. This will give you a clear view of the time to use for vacation and doing homework. For example, you can designate several hours (one or two) every day or a few days of each week during the holiday. When you do your summer homework well, it could help you to get extra course credits. Here are other tips you can use for doing summer homework.

• Start your homework early. The worst thing that you can do with summer homework is procrastination. If you start late, the chances are that you could get stuck when trying to do the homework in a hurry and miss points. Therefore, try to start as early as possible.
• Reward yourself for progress achieved with homework. By rewarding yourself, you will be motivated to complete the assignment and practice various skills. You can reward yourself for various milestones such as completing a chapter of the assignment, collecting the right materials, and formatting the assignment. Good rewards can include your favorite movie or treat in the favorite restaurant.
• Literature.
• Mathematics.
• Use online libraries to access relevant materials.
• If you are far from your school premises where you can physically access the library, consider using online libraries. This will make it easy to read the latest journals and books, among other resources.

Combine summer homework with leisure

You know what? Your summer homework should not be a downer. Think of a unique way of doing homework. What about making it part of the holiday? If you have biology or geography summer homework, why not consider working on it when on holiday in a Miami hotel? After enjoying some great time with friends and dining with family, take two hours to do the assignment. So what do you need to achieve this?

• Use your tablet or laptop to access different materials that you need to do the homework online.
• If you are in a holiday hotel, relax in your room as you do your homework.
• If your summer holiday is outdoors, such as a campsite, look for a quiet point to do the homework.
• If you have a friend nearby, consider inviting him/her and do the homework together on your holiday destination.
• Ask one of the family members to join you when doing the homework. Because your dad did the same type of assignments, he could come in handy to help you solve some problems.

Summer homework made simpler

Should students have summer homework? Should schools give summer homework? The answer is, absolutely yes. The assignment experts may help students to start seeing their courses as part of career progression. This means that learning becomes part of you so that you will no longer have to worry about forgetting. For example, if you aspire becoming an engineer, calculus ceases being a tough subject but a crucial component that you strive to achieve to reach the ultimate goal. This implies that summer homework and other assignments can be simple and fun.

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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

The Mayfield Crier

Summer Homework: Too much, too little, or just right?

Mia Maalouf , Opinion Co-Editor-In-Chief | September 14, 2020

Karissa Ho '21

Senior Karissa Ho’s desk space featuring a double monitor and an inspirational reminder to “Just Breathe.”

Summer homework: vacation busywork or imperative educational upkeep? Mayfield girls decide! Both teachers and students struggle to find that balance of summer homework that isn’t too overwhelming but also allows scholars to retain skills and to be well-prepared for the school year. However, sometimes this equilibrium is not reached and it becomes difficult to distinguish between summer and the regular school year. 

On one hand, summer work is beneficial as it allows students to keep their minds sharp and equipped. The amount of summer homework can also be associated with the difficulty of a specific course, as APs and honors classes will require more preparation to ensure success during the year. On the other hand, summer is supposed to be a break from constant school work and dedicating hours to assignments every month may not allow students to get the rest that they deserve. When is it necessary to draw the line? 

A survey at Mayfield Senior School was conducted to analyze the attitudes of under and upperclassmen concerning summer homework. There were a total of 141 participants, resulting in a variety of responses. Some students believed that the amount of work is justified while others feel overburdened and criticized the workload. On average, the participants of the survey had a moderate to slightly heavy class schedule for the coming school year and spent 4-9 hours a month on their summer assignments. Underclassmen who had lighter workloads spent less time on their summer homework while upperclassmen with heavier workloads spent an average of 15-20 hours a month on their assignments. 68% of the participants agreed that summer homework is useful as it prepares a student for the school year. The participants were almost evenly split on the issue of changing the workload with 49% of students suggesting that the amount of summer work should be maintained (they were neutral) while 48% believed that the amount of work should decrease. Why are some in favor of summer work while others strongly oppose it? 

“Summer assignments definitely help me see what Mayfield’s homework will look like and it’s also a really good refresher to have before the school year begins,” said Kayley Bao ‘24, an incoming freshman who highlights a popular belief among her fellow classmates. 

Some upperclassmen also appreciate the benefits of summer work as it is a widespread perspective that summer homework allows students to hone skills. Kerry Zhang ‘22 observed that, “ The amount of summer work is just right and it is beneficial because the math problems help me remember previously learned concepts.” 

Students are also self-aware and understand that the amount of homework among peers changes drastically due to the kinds of classes one chooses. Mia Pippert ‘21 believes that the summer homework, “Is a reasonable amount, for my classes at least. I think if it were any less, the beginning of the year would be difficult because my work stamina would be way too bad.”

On the opposing side, the addition of summer assignments during a time designated for relaxation can seem both daunting and unnecessary, especially to students who have a variety of extracurricular activities, elective summer courses, or college preparations to focus on.  

“ It should be taken into account that we have work from multiple other classes as well as wanting to enjoy our summer and have free time” said Elise Sigler ‘22 who believes that teachers can do a better job at balancing the amount of work given.  

Rising seniors expressed concern about not having enough time to focus on the college application process. “ This year, I am drowning in summer homework,” said Emma Anderson ‘21. 

“Especially as an incoming senior, I feel like I should be spending more time on my college applications and ACT/SAT prep rather than stressing about my summer homework,” said Anderson.  

Kathryn Parry ‘21 agrees with this sentiment, “We need more of a break before the homework is given. Honestly homework-wise there is no distinguishable boundary between school and summer.”

Overall, as Mayfield students get older, their summer workload increases which makes it more difficult for them to focus on various activities or responsibilities that also need an immense amount of attention. It is imperative for teachers and students to communicate in order to draft a balanced plan for summer work that both prepares the students for success during the year but also allows the girls to live out the definition of summer vacation: a time of relaxation that works to ensure that students do not burn out before September. A healthy portion of summer assignments will allow Mayfield students to maintain previously acquired skills and will help them reach their full potential.

• coronavirus
• Mayfield Senior School
• summerhomework

Mia Maalouf is a senior at Mayfield Senior School. She will serve as opinion Co-Editor-In-Chief this year on the Mayfield Crier. At Mayfield, she is the...

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The New York Times

Motherlode | who needs summer homework, who needs summer homework.

Have you finished your homework?

I’ve asked that periodically this summer, as my high schooler makes his way through a list of assignments for the coming school year. I used to think that the summer meant a vacation from that question, but this is just one of the many things that have changed since “I was your age.” Summer assignments have become the rule for many students in recent years, making “vacation” a relative term for kids and their parents.

Launa Schweizer, a former high-school teacher and elementary-school principal, is one of those conflicted parents. She now stays at home with her two daughters, who are in elementary school, and, as she explains in a guest post today, being on the receiving end of those homework packets makes you see them a little differently.

SUMMER HOMEWORK By Launa Schweizer

Teachers assign it.  Kids hate it. Moms hate it more.

But what if the mother and the teacher are the same person?  Welcome to my summer of cognitive dissonance.

For five years, I was an elementary school principal.  I loved my job. Each June, I sent parents a heartfelt letter describing the learning lost when children don’t read or do math over the summer, an effect well documented by research .  The teachers I worked with assembled math sheets, curated summer book lists and crafted assignments to keep students on track with their learning.

Boy, did I love a good summer homework packet back then.

But now, like many other women of my generation, I’ve opted out, temporarily stepping away from work to parent my two daughters, now in the fourth and seventh grades. I never thought I would interrupt my career this way, but life with children makes its demands. So now I’m not assigning the homework; I’m just the one policing its completion, which drastically decreases my motivation.

Yes, my motivation. For, as teachers may not understand, but most parents know, it is the rare child who completes summer homework without serious adult intervention. My household is staring down seven required-reading books, two reading journals and two hefty math assignments, plus the pointed suggestion (nearly a command) that each girl make a long list of the books she reads “for pleasure.”

I made a chart for the kids to document their progress. This, of course, is not working.

We rounded the Cape of Good July, and watched the endless summer dwindle into a few weeks of August.  A few weeks ago, at dinner, between bites of garden-fresh tomato and summery white pizza, my younger daughter worried aloud, almost to the point of tears:  “I have too much summer homework!  I’ll never finish.”  My older daughter averred that she too might be “oh, just a little behind.”  By this she means that the summer homework packets have been at the bottom of her closet for six weeks under a pile of flip-flops, grass-stained shorts and musty towels.

I am lucky that my girls choose to read, and I am deeply grateful that their teachers (and all teachers) care so deeply about student learning.  Given our nation’s vast educational inequalities, and based on what researchers have learned about summer vacation , beleaguered educators probably should use summer work to keep students on course. Every summer that children spend without learning, they fall further behind, and the losses add up.

But having stepped out of my old professional role, and into this wholly maternal one, my focus has shrunk to two children, and my priorities for those two girls’ learning have widened. During the summer, they will play harder, travel farther, sing louder and climb higher than they do the rest of the year.  They will dig holes, talk to their dolls, knit and spend time alone.  They will paddle canoes, take photographs, write stories, catch fish and sell lemonade from our front stoop.

When they buy disposable cups and organic lemons for the lemonade, and don’t make back the money on their sales, they will learn a life lesson as well as a math lesson.  If I had my lazy summer druthers, that’s about as far as I would force things.

Alas, we’re too much a rule-following family to actually skip summer homework. They may end up doing what most kids do: spending the last days before school begins filling in empty packets and notebooks. Things could get ugly at our house around Aug. 29.  But those marble notebooks will be on their teachers’ desks on the first day of fourth and seventh grade. As a former principal, I can say for certain that a three-day sprint in late August is not at all what the teachers had in mind, and not what the research recommends.

In my old role, I knew I was right to assign summer homework. But now, I’m equally sure that there are even better ways for my own girls to learn and grow in the summertime.

The shoe is on the other foot.  The problem is, I’d rather we spend our summer wearing no shoes at all.

What's Next

clock This article was published more than  6 years ago

Should I give my kids homework over summer break?

Q: What is your perspective on having kids do "homework" over the summer? My two kids (finishing fourth and second grades) both love to read and are above grade-level readers, so I am not worried about that element. But I wonder whether, and how much, time should be spent reviewing math, etc., over break. I have used the summer workbooks before, and while the subject matter is usually easy for my oldest kid, getting him to actually do it (two pages, should take about 10 minutes) was like pulling fingernails out. Though in many ways he is bright, I think he can benefit from keeping a bit of the formal routine over the summer instead of completely checking out.

A: As a former English teacher, I have a strong bias when it comes to reading over the summer. I want every child of every age to read as much as they can, all of the time. Graphic novels, magazines, memoirs, books about sports and historical figures, any or all reading is worthwhile. I am pretty confident that every math teacher feels the same way. Math is easily integrated into every aspect of our lives, and I know math teachers would celebrate if parents helped their children do that.

The summer conundrum: Fight brain drain, or give kids a break?

Why do we teachers want our students practicing their math and reading skills? Because we know summer brain drain is real. We now also have to deal with the fact that technology is far more seductive than books and math. Gaming and social media, left unchecked, will consume all of our children’s attention, making it even harder for them to find their creativity and love of learning.

While I would prefer every child spend less time on technology this summer, I don’t believe in creating epic power struggles over worksheets. There is no quicker way to kill a love of math than forcing worksheets when the sun is shining and ice pops are calling. So, what should a parent do this summer?

1. More important than following a school’s advice blindly, take a real assessment of your child. Is he a happy student? A quick learner? Does she take longer to learn but it sticks once she gets it? Maybe you aren’t sure, and it is absolutely fine to email the teacher and ask about your child’s learning style.

10 ways to take the struggle out of homework

2. Understanding a child’s learning style will help you better assess how you would like to move forward with summer work. Would you like to complete one big chunk a week or lots of little sessions during the week? One week on, one week off? You decide what works best for your child and your family.

3. Fun should be the rule. If the worksheets look duller than dirt, search online for math games.

4. I also don’t have a problem with sweetening the pot when it comes to completing summer work. Call a family meeting with your children and say something like, “These are the books you must read and here is the math that must be completed. Let’s figure out how to make this fun and also, let’s see if there are some ways to earn some treats!” You and your children can cooperatively decide what can be earned, and I suggest you keep it to more of a celebration. While it generally backfires to create consequences when children don’t cooperate, if you create consequences with your children in a family meeting and they are agreed upon beforehand, that could also be a powerful way to help children complete their summer work.

5. No matter how much or how little homework your children complete, please create boundaries around technology this summer. A “bored” mind will find creativity (after some time and tantrums) so you should establish spaces and times when your children won’t have access to technology . These boundaries also will help your child transition more easily into their next grade as summer ends. Their focus will be stronger, their sleep will be better, and they will be more mentally prepared for school.

6. Keep your expectations reasonable. Families are busier than ever, and many students don’t have 12 weeks off. Between day care, all-day camps and other activities, children often are tired at the end of their summer days. Be sensitive that you may have created goals to complete work but it may not all get done. And that’s okay. Just do the best you can to encourage learning while still enjoying the downtime of summer.

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Put a stop to deadline pressure, and have your homework done by an expert.

Summer Homework And How To Tackle It

College and university students will bear witness that homework is not the best part of academic life. Whether it is a take-away essay or week-long research for a given case study, there is no reason to smile. Nonetheless, homework is a crucial component that you cannot separate from any form of learning.

But did you know that summer homework is easy to complete when you have experts by your side? Keep reading to see how this is possible.

Why Is Summer Reading Important?

What is summer homework for starters?

It is holiday assignments that students take during the summer holidays. Such tests attract a lot of criticism from anti-homework crusaders and students as well. But why is this the case?

• They argue that summer is a vacation.
• Summer homework may inconvenience some students whose families move during such holidays.
• The summer assignments are not quality work.

These and more reasons have compelled many to advocate against summer holiday assignments. But is there a brighter side to summer homework? Should schools give summer homework in the first place? Yes, and there is a whole list of reasons that back up this stand:

It prepares students to achieve higher goals in their academic life. It helps to keep students busy in their academic work Summer homework helps to advance the research skills of students It ensures that students stay on track in their academic careers even when schools resume It helps students become independent Students can identify their weak zones and work on them Tutors can assess the intellectual level of students Students will be able to prioritize essential topics

For all these reasons, it is close to impossible to sideline summer homework from schools. So, should students have summer homework? 100% yes! Summer homework will help students better their grades and develop the art of time management. Even though they may seem tedious at first, their results are something that the student can smile about with a sense of fulfillment.

Summer reading is essential when it comes to academic life but also the social life of the student. Having such tasks on your table will help you avoid some common problems such as peer pressure and laziness due to idleness. Therefore, summer assignments for students should be encouraged all the more!

Is Summer Homework Legal?

A student whose summer plans were spoiled sued to end summer homework in Wisconsin in 2005. It sparked legal debate attracting the attention of top lawyers. The student claimed that the summer homework was creating unnecessary stress and giving them an unfair workload. But are these reasons viable to make summer homework illegal?

Some experts argue that summer holidays subject students to increasing pressure to perform. However, such force only serves to demoralize the students all the more. The anti-summer homework crusaders are for the argument that summer holidays are for relaxing and socializing.

But there is something that all these critics get wrong; summer homework is for helping students brush up on their knowledge. Imagine having your kid at home for two months only to go back to school without knowing what they learned in their previous semester! That would not only be detrimental to the student but to you as a parent too! You would have to cater for extra tuition fees to help the student recover the lost time.

Therefore, summer work for kids will help them slip back into the school routine when the new semester starts. However, there should be a balance where teachers should not burden the students with too much homework. It will enable the students to take part in summer camps, extracurricular activities, and even internships.

Since homework will help sharpen the minds of the students, there is nothing illegal about it. No matter how evil some critics may paint summer homework to be, it will remain a critical part of the students’ success story.

What will make summer homework legal or illegal is the quantity of work assigned and the motive therein. If the task still gives the students time to relax and break away from the classroom environment, it is not illegal.

I Hate Summer School; what Should I Do?

It is for sure that you might hate summer school for one reason or another. Having gone through a whole semester with coursework all through, you may want to hate summer school. Others may think of dropping school altogether because of the pressure. But there is a way out!

It’s all about your attitude: There has been a lot of negative talk concerning summer homework. As such, most students have developed a negative attitude towards it. However, if you create the right attitude, summer homework will be your favorite. This attitude will come by realizing the importance of summer homework. Talk to your teacher about it: Do you feel like the summer homework is overwhelming for you? Remember that tutors are human too, and they understand what students go through when handling such types of assignments. Planning is essential: It may be that you hate summer homework because of poor planning. You may have given more time to leisure activities while sidelining your academic work. However, striking a balance between the two will help you sail through smoothly. You will not have to sideline your academic career at the expense of your summer vacation. Using custom assistance would be helpful: Numerous homework writing services can come in handy. You do not have to fumble with your overwhelming summer homework while there are experts ready to help you. Summer math homework will be your favorite with the right writing help.

You can see that there is nothing that can prevent you from completing summer homework. With the right attitude and professional experts by your side, you can smile your way back to school after the summer holiday.

Should Schools Stop Giving Homework?

It is a question that can spark a heated debate in any academic circle. It is usually in line with the question, are teachers allowed to give homework over the holidays? Well, we have already mentioned some of the reasons why reading is essential at any time whatsoever. Nonetheless, here are more reasons why schools should not stop giving homework:

• Homework helps to identify the student’s weakness
• Students can handle assignments by themselves and develop a sense of independence
• Reading gives teachers a chance to evaluate the performance of their students
• It also helps students prepare for their exams
• Homework is crucial in teaching strong research skills among students

From the reasons above, you can note that homework helps a great deal, and you cannot overlook its essence. The result for all these is top grades that will help students achieve their dreams in the future. Who can sweep such a valuable asset under the carpet?

However, there are instances when schools should stop giving homework to students. Some of these include:

• When students are going through a busy academic calendar: This will help them relax their minds and be productive in class.
• When homework becomes the end goal rather than a means to success: Homework should ignite students towards excellent performance in their end semester tests.
• When there is no significant change in the students’ grades: Teachers should not just give out homework for its sake but for a specific reason. If the task is not serving its purpose, they should shelve it and seek other intervention means.

Homework should not be a severe black mark that causes students agony. On the contrary, it should motivate students to pursue their academic goals all the more and succeed. Homework should develop the student’s mind towards achieving better grades.

Are you looking for something to do this summer and do not know where to start? Here are summer reading assignment ideas to get you started:

Summer Homework Ideas

• Research possible places for your dream summer vacation
• Create an estimated budget of how much your trip will cost
• What is the best year to visit a particular vacation camp?
• What type of weather is convenient for the summer holidays?
• Which relative inspires you, and why would you consider visiting them this summer?
• Write a diary of your summer holiday, journaling the activities you undertook and observations made.
• What positive things would you promote in your community during this summer holiday?
• Write an essay about a favorite spot you visited during the summer holidays.
• What is the best character/mood for a summer vacation?
• Discuss how your lifestyle will affect how you will spend your summer holiday
• How will your interests and values affect how you spend your summer holiday?
• Write a book review of a favorite book you read during your summer vacation
• Discover ways of saving costs during summer holidays
• Write a speech of what you learned during your summer vacation
• What is the impact of the memories you gathered during your summer holiday?
• What is the effect of a summer holiday on a student’s academic performance?
• What is the ideal holiday destination for summer vacations?
• Illustrate some of the lessons you learned from your summer vacation
• Why should schools allow students to go for summer vacations without giving them homework?
• Why are weather patterns important when it comes to spending summer vacations?
• How much homework should students have for their summer holidays?
• Is it right for students to use writing help for their summer homework?
• What is the role of parents in ensuring that students make the most of their summer holidays?
• How can schools make summer holidays more involving and fun?
• The best internship opportunities to pursue during summer vacations
• How long should a summer vacation take for college and university students?
• Why should teachers care about what students do during the summer holidays?
• Effects of technology on how students spend their summer holidays
• How coronavirus has changed the way students spend their summer vacations
• Discuss the role of mentorship programs during the summer holidays

Don’t Want To Spend Time on Summer Homework?

You can bear witness that summer homework is essential and timely. They will positively impact the student’s academic performance and help them live a better social life. Parents and teachers can rest easy when students are engaged in meaningful and balanced summer homework.

Those who still have difficulties completing summer homework should not despair. Several online writing sites provide the necessary academic assistance for summer homework. All these sites understand the essence of these assignments and help students make the best out of them.

Do you want to succeed in your summer homework today? Try our professional writing help and see the difference!

Get on top of your homework.

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Should students have homework over the summer? Metro Detroiters weigh in

(WXYZ) — Summer homework. Is it an oxymoron, or a good way for students to continue learning through the summer?

It's a controversial topic, and I wanted to hear what people had to say.

"Did your kids have summer homework when they were in school?" I asked Awo Quaison-Sackey.

"I’m the kind of mother where he always had work to do! He had reading assignments," Quaison-Sackey said.

"I think it’s unnecessary and that it shouldn’t be given," Isabella Millard, a Troy teenager who is going into the 8th grade, said.

"If the school didn’t give them something to do, I probably would have, but I’m a teacher," Irene Hone, a Farmington Hills parent and grandparent, said.

"Not for it," Tim Hone said.

"Especially over the summer when kids have a chance to be with family and play, I don’t think that it’s a good idea," Chelsie Dyer added.

Not everyone agrees when it comes to the subject of homework throughout the summer, but most people say they, or their kids, have some kind of reading to do.

However, homework, such as math and science packets, seems to be a bit rare.

"Did you get any summer homework?" I asked.

"No, just, like, my English teachers wanted us to read," Isabella said.

"I think that there could be homework that is more along the lines of, 'get out and play,' or, 'spend time with your family.' Different, creative ideas for families," Dyer added.

"The school would give him like a reading list," Quaison-Sacket said.

"Like this girl is set for a lot of camps all summer so it may make it a little difficult," Hone said.

A 2017 study from The Brookings Institution shows that reserach on summer learning, like these opinions, is mixed.

Some studies show learning loss becomes a problem when students take months off their studies, and others show there's no loss, and students in fact gain learning when taking a summer homework break.

National data from the Center for Education Statistics shows that even if students lost, or gained, learning over the summer, it doesn't have a long-term affect.

"So they have something to work on that gets them ready for the school year and doesn’t give a complete break from the routine of the year," Quaison-Sackey said.

"We already did so much work in the year, I think the summer should be when you get to have time to yourself," Isabell said.

Where Your Voice Matters

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Make Your Voice Heard

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 .

: 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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24 comments.

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.

More from Varsity Tutors:

• 5 Things Students Must Know About the New SAT
• 4 Ways Students Can Prep for SATs Over the Summer
• How Summer Reading Programs Can Keep Students on Track

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Why Summer Homework Isn't Necessary for Student Success

July 26, 2023

By Williana Serve

Now that we're halfway through summer, it feels like the feeling of anxiety (or, in some cases, excitement) increases as the school year approaches. Our FYPs are filled with back-to-school hauls, stores like Target and Walmart are stocking their stores with back-to-school sales, and the time is passing by faster than ever. That being said, one thing that I feel we don't always account for because our brain is on vacation mode is the one thing most students dread: Summer Homework.

Personally, I (and a lot of students) agree that the idea of summer homework sounds dreadful and shouldn't be a thing. There are a few people who may disagree, but here's why I think that summer homework is not the be-all, end-all for whether you'll succeed as a student or not.

via Unsplashed

Encourages a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Everyone talks about the importance of having a "work-life balance," but it feels like school, especially society in general, makes it hard to do so sometimes through a universal workaholic mentality. This is precisely why it's up to us to prioritize that balance for ourselves and avoid imposing work into our free time too much. Not having summer homework encourages a healthy work-life balance by allowing students to truly disconnect from academic pressures and focus on other aspects of their lives.

Summer break provides a valuable opportunity for students to unwind, relax, and engage in activities that bring them joy and fulfillment. By removing the burden of homework during this time, students can dedicate themselves to hobbies, sports, family time, and social interactions, fostering emotional well-being and overall happiness. This break from academic responsibilities enables them to develop essential life skills, such as time management, self-care, and stress management, which are equally crucial for their personal growth and future success.

Teacher and Student Burnout

We've all experienced burnout at some point in our lives. So I'm sure you'll understand when I say this from first-hand experience that it's not fun! We're already spending 8-10 months consistently worrying about our grades, attendance, and the social exhaustion that comes with attending school every day, and sometimes, we just need to recharge.

Eliminating summer homework can significantly alleviate both teacher and student burnout. For teachers, the absence of summer assignments means they can truly unwind and recharge during their well-deserved break. Without the added responsibility of creating, reviewing, and grading assignments, educators can fully detach from their professional duties, allowing them to return to the classroom in the fall with renewed energy and enthusiasm. This respite from constant work pressure fosters a healthier work-life balance, reducing the risk of burnout and benefiting both teachers' well-being and the overall quality of their teaching.

Similarly, students can experience relief from the constant academic pressure that often accompanies summer homework. The summer break is an essential period for students to decompress, engage in activities they enjoy, and pursue personal interests. By eliminating summer assignments, students can focus on self-discovery, exploration, and relaxation, which are crucial for their mental and emotional well-being.

This break from structured academic tasks allows them to recharge their motivation and passion for learning, leading to greater engagement and attentiveness when they return to school. As a result, students are more likely to approach their studies enthusiastically, leading to improved academic performance and reduced burnout throughout the academic year.

Balancing Extracurriculars and Other Responsibilities

Once the clock hits and school is out, we have a "break" from school, but that doesn't always mean we have nothing to do. Many of us could have things to do, such as babysitting, internships, moving, (ironically) summer classes/programs, or even vacations. The last thing we need is the added stress of summer homework piled on top of that.

Engaging in extracurricular activities is crucial for a well-rounded education, as they provide avenues for personal growth, social development, and exploring diverse interests. However, when students are burdened with summer assignments, they may feel compelled to sacrifice their extracurricular participation to meet academic obligations. By removing summer homework, students can fully immerse themselves in sports, arts, community service, and clubs, fostering teamwork, leadership skills, and a sense of fulfillment outside the traditional classroom setting.

A balanced extracurricular engagement can significantly benefit a student's well-being and academic performance. Students participating in extracurricular activities demonstrate improved time management skills, higher self-esteem, and reduced stress levels. These benefits can directly translate to greater focus and productivity during the regular school year.

Furthermore, extracurricular involvement often encourages interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to apply the knowledge acquired in their academic studies to real-world situations, thereby reinforcing their understanding of core subjects. Ultimately, by eliminating summer homework and promoting extracurricular pursuits, educational institutions can create an environment that nurtures the holistic development of students, preparing them for success not only in academics but also in various facets of life.

Inequality and Equity

Now, I think this is an underrated aspect that many people don't consider when considering why students shouldn't need summer homework. Summer homework assignments can exacerbate existing educational inequalities and widen the achievement gap, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students may lack access to essential resources like books, the internet, or private tutors during the summer break.

As a result, they face significant challenges in completing assignments and keeping up with their peers, who may have more access to such resources. This discrepancy in available support can lead to feelings of frustration and inadequacy, negatively impacting the self-esteem and motivation of these students. Consequently, they may be less likely to engage with academic materials during the summer, further perpetuating the cycle of underachievement.

Overall, I think the idea of summer homework is overrated. We should be spending our free time enjoying it the way we want, not devoting it to extra work for the teacher to grade during the school year. Emphasizing rest and personal growth during this time can lead to a more balanced and enriched educational journey, ultimately contributing to long-term success and well-being.

At the end of the day, we only get limited summer breaks and many opportunities to complete our work, so why not save for the school year rather than impose it during our summer holidays? Please don't be afraid to share your thoughts in the comments! Have a great summer!

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Williana is currently a freshman in college. She likes to learn new things especially involving Law & Advocacy. When she’s not doing schoolwork, she can be found watching TikTok, YouTube, or reading.

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It’s time for summer homework … but why?

While Watertown High students prepare for the annual struggles, teachers explain the reason behind it

Raider Times photo / Naomi Baker

“Moby-Dick” is part of the summer reading this year for some classes at Watertown High School.

Naomi Baker , Ava Husson , and Ava Hayward June 18, 2021 | 410 Views

Every student knows the feeling of dread that the words “summer homework” invokes. Every spring as school comes to a close, kids are greeted by mountains of extra work they are expected to complete, during what is supposed to be a relaxing break from academics.

Why do teachers continue to assign this work? Why do educators expect teenagers to complete lengthy tasks? Why can’t summer just be fun?

Letting kids get a jump can be helpful in laying groundwork for the upcoming year, said Todd Robbins, the film, television, and radio production teacher at Watertown High School.

AP students need to prepare for the exam, so it is more traditional academic work

— KRAIG GUSTAFSON, social studies coordinator

According to Kraig Gustafson, the 6-12 s ocial studies coordinator in Watertown, “For the regular and honors students I try to assign experiential-based assignments. Boston is so full of historical knowledge so it would be a waste not to go see it. I am so shocked at how many students have never really traveled around the city. AP students need to prepare for the exam, so it is more traditional academic work.”

Adrienne Eaton, lead guidance counselor at WHS, said, “AP teachers have less time to teach than other classes, because of the nationwide AP testing and other schools starting earlier than others gives teachers more or less time to teach the lessons. So preparing the students and getting them ahead on a unit gives more time to the teacher for more things during the school year.”

Although some teachers appreciate preparing kids for the upcoming year, Matt Rose, WHS science teacher said, “I give summer assignments, not because I want to, but because I have to.”

The math packets usually cause me the most stress. The material is easy but they are so long.

— EDEN SALLEY, WHS 10th-grader

However, the same article argues that summer homework causes added stress on students. Countering the argument of keeping information fresh in kids’ minds, it is pointed out that if a brief review of subject matter is not sufficient in reminding students of a certain concept, perhaps it reflects poorly on the original teaching of the content. More homework also means less time for students to engage in physical activities, as well as less time for social interaction and development of social skills. Students are also more likely to fully comprehend information if they are motivated and engaged by the assignment. No matter how well-constructed an assignment is, few students are likely to be excited to complete it when it encroaches on their break.

“The math packets usually cause me the most stress,” said WHS 10th-grader Eden Salley. “The material is easy but they are so long. This makes it seem like a daunting task and I don’t usually get around to it until very late into the summer despite their low difficulty level. They take up a lot of time without reminding me of skills. I think that I would benefit greatly from shorter packets. Even 20 or 30 pages is better than 50.”

Students admit that some assignments are effective.

“Probably for history how we had to go to a historical place and write about it. That one was pretty fun, it didn’t even feel like summer homework,” said Ashley Leal, another WHS 10th-grader.

I give summer assignments, not because I want to, but because I have to.

— MATT ROSE, WHS science teacher

English teacher Malcom Cooke said the assignments come down to the teachers’ personal preference, as they try to get a baseline for skills and motivation. “The philosophy is that someone taking an honors class will work for it and that they are up for the challenge,” he said.

Done well, summer homework can have lots of positive moments.

“I personally love the scavenger hunt component of the APES summer assignment,” said MacDonald. “I get to see pictures of students hanging out and doing fun things together over the summer, and I enjoy discussing some of their experiences in the first days of class.“Some students get inspired to volunteer for cleanups or to try a vegan or vegetarian diet for a day. I think any time you have a chance to try new things, it can lead to a positive experience. I believe I would have enjoyed this type of assignment when I was in high school, so I hope my students do as well!”

However, when it comes to summer homework, students tend to share the same point of view. WHS ninth-grader Marwa Kabir has an idea for the teachers:

“Don’t give it at all.”

–June 18, 2021–

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You don't see a nova every night. But you can see one this summer

It's not every night you see a star blow up.

But it will be one of these nights. Some night between now and mid-September.

And if you're the first to see T Coronae Borealis go to blazes — and more importantly, if you're the first one to photograph it — you could make astronomy history.

"We're encouraging as many people as possible to look at it and photograph it," said Gary Swangin, Warren County astronomer-at-large and past director of the Newark Museum Planetarium and the Panther Academy Planetarium in Paterson.

"No one knows the exact time of the outburst," he said. "And when it happens, we'd like a picture of it."

T Coronae Borealis — also known as "The Blaze Star" — is a nova. A word that means "new."

In fact, this explosion is old. It's 3,000 light years away — which means the light took three millennia to reach us. The coming cataclysm, which has stargazers on tenterhooks, actually happened about the time the Phoenician alphabet was invented.

Here's how to find it

How do you find T Coronae Borealis? Not difficult, Swangin said.

You'll need binoculars. Look for the Big Dipper — you know what that looks like, right? Follow the curve of the handle away from the dipper's spoon and "arc to Arcturus" — the first bright star you come to. It's in the constellation Boötes — known for its "kite" formation. "A diamond in the sky," as it were.

To the right of that, you'll see a star formation that looks like a horseshoe — curved part down. That's Coronae Borealis — the Northern Crown. On the left prong of the horseshoe, toward the bottom, is T Coronae Borealis. Just waiting to blow its top.

Right now, you'll need binoculars to see it. But when it goes nova, it will be the jewel in the crown — the brightest star in that group.

When will it blow up? No one can say exactly. Some night between now and Sept. 24, probably.

How long will it last? A day or two, probably.

How do we know it will blow up? Because it blew up the last time.

T Coronae Borealis is what is known as a "recurrent" nova. Like Old Faithful, it erupts on schedule. Its 80-year cycle was observed in 1866, and again in 1946. But on neither occasion did anyone snap a picture.

"Amateur astronomers, citizen scientists, can contribute to the scientific importance of the event," Swangin said. "If you can capture images of the explosion with a telescope, or some other optical device, you might contribute something historic. You might be the first person to photograph this outburst."

Story of a star

Why does this nova keeps on nova-ing? That's a story in itself.

Usually, when we think of novas, we think of a "supernova" — those cataclysmic explosions that lead giant stars to collapse in on themselves. The sheer force of gravity reduces them to pulsars — or in the most extreme cases, black holes.

They were called "novas" because they appeared — to us on Earth — as a new star in the sky. New and terrifying: a unsanctioned star, in a sky that was supposed to be perfect and unchanging, could only mean disaster. The word itself means "bad star." And some novas have been so bright they were visible in the daytime — like the supernova of 1054 A.D., whose gaseous remains can still be seen as the Crab Nebula. Saints preserve us!

Some of the greatest astronomers made their bones by reassuring the public that novas were, in fact, No Big Deal.

Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe proved that the terrifying nova of 1572 was actually a faraway object, well beyond the moon. Frederick II of Denmark was so grateful he gave Tycho his own observatory, Uraniborg: the first in modern Europe. Galileo boldly proclaimed that the supernova of 1604 was not a new star at all, but an old one — normally too faint to be seen — experiencing a flare-up. He predicted it would soon be invisible again. When it was, his fame increased. So did his enemies in the church.

Two to tango

All of these were one-time events. But T Coronae Borealis is a special — and fascinating — case. It's actually a double star: a red giant and a white dwarf. And they have what might be called a toxic relationship.

"It probably scares people if you use the technical name: Mass Transfer," Swangin said. "The white dwarf is pulling material off the red giant."

White dwarfs are small, but dense. Red giants are big, but lighter. The dwarf's heavy gravity pulls material off of the giant and absorbs it into itself. And this goes on and on, until the white dwarf is gorged. "When you get this Mass Transfer, the white dwarf becomes unstable. It wants to blow away that mass. It heats up inside and the thermonuclear reaction causes it to explode. That's what you see as a nova."

Every 80 years, the dwarf star of T Coronae Borealis blows off its outer shell, leaving the core. Then it starts bingeing again. Then it purges. And so on, and on. It sounds odd, but it's not uncommon, Swangin said.

"Since we know that a significant number of stars in the universe belong not only to a binary system but multiple star systems, it's not that unusual to have this take place," he said. "We've seen this in other galaxies."

June 19, 2024

This Isn’t Your Grandparents’ Summer Heat

The face of summer is transforming, as people today face more frequent, longer-lasting and hotter heat waves than they did several decades ago

By Andrea Thompson

In the U.S., the number of heat waves has grown from an average of two per year in the 1960s to six in the 2010s and 2020s. The heat wave season has grown by 49 days over the same period.

Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images

Children growing up in Philadelphia today experience more than four more heat waves every summer than those who grew up there in the 1960s. Kids in San Francisco today endure nearly seven more heat waves per year than their counterparts in the mid-20th century did. And in New Orleans children are currently subjected to nine more.

Exactly how many heat waves hit any city in a given summer has always been subject to the whims of the weather. But is very clear that—with global warming now heating the world to 1.2 degrees Celsius above its average in the late 19th century—summers are dramatically ramping up. “There’s no question that summers have changed,” says Kristie Ebi, an epidemiologist who specializes in heat-related health risks.

In short: The milder summers of our parents and grandparents are a thing of the past.

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Today’s summers on climate change steroids are not just a matter of shirts increasingly clinging to sweat-drenched backs or individuals needing to crank up the air-conditioning more often. They pose a major and deadly public health threat that people, cities and countries are only beginning to grapple with. Record-shattering heat waves last summer—the hottest in the past 2,000 years —underscore the growing danger. Some 2,300 people in the U.S. died from excessive heat during that season, the highest number in 45 years of recorded data, according to a recent Associated Press analysis of data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And some experts say that record only counts a fraction of the true number of heat-related deaths.

This summer is very likely to bring more of the same. Though it is impossible to say where and when any specific extreme heat waves might take shape more than a few days ahead of time, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service’s forecast shows a greater than 50 percent chance of above-normal temperatures across nearly all of the Northern Hemisphere. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also predicts above-normal temperatures for most of the U.S., especially the Southwest and Northeast. The high odds of a hot summer in those areas are primarily based on the long-term global warming trend, notably in the Southwest, says Dan Collins, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. In “this season and that region, the trends are particularly strong,” he says. And these predicted temperatures are measured against a baseline of “normal” readings from 1991–2020—when global warming’s impact was already becoming measurable—meaning this summer is even hotter when compared with those that occurred earlier in the 20th century.

So far these forecasts are proving accurate. A major heat wave developed over the western U.S. early in June, sending temperatures soaring to levels more typical of those later in the season. That same dome of heat had been roasting Mexico since the beginning of May, breaking records and causing howler monkeys and birds to drop from trees after dying of heat stroke and dehydration. A heat dome is bringing potentially record-breaking hot temperatures to the eastern half of the U.S., especially New England, in mid-June. Outside of North America, broad areas of Asia—from Gaza to Bangladesh to the Philippines— sweltered in climate-change-enhanced heat during April and into May. These events show how summer heat is bleeding into spring, as well as into autumn.

Amanda Montañez; Source: Climate Change Indicators: Heat Waves, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( data )

The shifting character of U.S. summers can clearly be seen in data charting extreme heat events in 50 major cities. Such events are defined as temperatures reaching the top 15 percent of local records because what qualifies as extreme heat differs in, say, Houston and Seattle. Based on the trends seen in those data, on average, U.S. residents have gone from experiencing two heat waves each summer in the 1960s to more than six today—and the duration of those heat waves has lengthened from three days to four. The heat wave season also lasts much longer, extending from just more than 20 days in the 1960s to more than 70 now. Changes in heat wave characteristics for individual cities can be seen in the graphics below.

These trends can have far-reaching health consequences: people aren’t always prepared for today’s extreme heat because we think of summer weather in terms of a gentler climate that no longer exists. “Prior experience is so important,” says Micki Olson, who researches risk communication at the University at Albany. “It’s a big influence in how people perceive the risk.” And even when individuals do remember heat waves and how they were affected by them, “they remember a heat wave—they don’t remember a temperature,” Ebi says. This means people don’t always know what temperatures call for special precautions or what those precautions might be.

The deadly nature of heat is also not well recognized by the public. Heat waves are the deadliest extreme weather events in the U.S. , killing more people than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods combined. But this is an invisible threat that unfolds over many days, Olson says, unlike a roaring funnel cloud or the rushing wall of an ocean storm surge. And the death toll of a heat wave is often unknown for weeks or months, making it difficult for people to connect the event to the inherent risk.

Olson’s research has shown that it’s difficult for the pubic to grasp the exact meaning of measurements such as the heat index (which factors in both the temperature and humidity) or the National Weather Service’s (NWS’s) heat advisories and warnings. New efforts, including a “heat risk” ranking rolled out by the NWS this year, provide more information about what the risk levels are and when precautions need to be taken. But it is not always clear which populations need to be alert to what rankings, Ebi says. For example, those who are age 65 and older or are otherwise highly vulnerable need to be concerned even amid a “minor” risk ranking.

As summer heat becomes a growing threat, meteorologists need more help in spreading the message about risks and precautions, Ebi says. For example, pharmacists can let people know if a medication reduces the body’s ability to sweat , thus making an individual more susceptible to heat illness. Adapting will also require rethinking where and how we build: Many homes in places like Seattle often lack central cooling because it wasn’t needed in the past. “Areas that didn’t have air-conditioning will need air-conditioning ,” Olson says. A few U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and Phoenix, have created a “heat officer” position to better spread awareness, recommend more specific precautions (such as how much water people in at-risk groups should be drinking and how often they should consume it) and coordinate services with organizations that work with unhoused populations.

Such concerted efforts will become increasingly necessary: as bad as it is already, summer heat is only going to intensify . A 2021 study in Science found that, under countries’ current greenhouse gas reduction pledges, children born in 2020 will experience seven times as many heatwaves over their lifetime as people born in 1960 . Those future waves will also last longer and feature ever higher temperatures than today’s.

Aggressive climate action can avert that scenario and make future summers more tolerable for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But even if those countries’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are strengthened so that global temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees C above preindustrial levels, the 2020 cohort will be subjected to four times as many heat waves as the 1960 one.

As Ebi told a class of college students during a lecture last year, “When you get to be as old as I am, you’re going to look back and think about how nice the summers used to be.”

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Surviving the summer’s heat wave - and be aware of medication risks.

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A homeless person wipes their face with a damp towel during a heatwave in Miami, Florida, on June ... [+] 26, 2023. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

This summer’s heat “dome” is brutal and could be deadly. Almost 80 million people in the US are living under heat warnings this week. While most people likely know the importance of staying hydrated, many likely don’t know the risks of the medicines they take.

Basic safety tips include avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol. But did you know that sugary drinks can also cause dehydration ? Be careful when you reach for that cool, refreshing soda!

One study of heat-induced dehydration in animals showed that rehydration with a soft drink beverage worsened kidney injury compared to water or fluid with stevia, a plant-based sweetener. This was prompted, in part, by the epidemic of chronic kidney disease in sugarcane (and other) workers associated with heat-associated dehydration.

In addition to water, fruits and vegetables can help you meet your fluid needs. These include watermelon (92% water), strawberries (91%), canteloupe (90%), peaches (89%), oranges (88%), cucumber (95%), lettuce (96%), zucchini (94%), and celery (95%), among others. Interestingly, cottage cheese also has an 80% water content, and skim milk is 91% water. So, there are many options for rehydration.

Leigh Frame , George Washington University nutritionist and director of the Integrative Medicine program, told the Washington Post that eating a heavy meal is a bad idea. This is because it can be hard for the body to break down and because digestion itself creates heat.

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Be careful not to drink too much plain water, as this can lower your body’s sodium to dangerous levels (called hyponatremia).

How much water do you need? According to The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine , men should aim for 125 ounces (3.7 liters) and women for 91 ounces (2.7 liters). But about 20% of that fluid intake will come from foods . The amount you need to drink varies with your activity, body size, metabolism, and the environment. An easy guide is to aim to have your urine be a very pale yellow—if it is darker, that’s your clue to drink more.

Oral rehydration solution mixes are readily available in many countries. If these are not available and your budget is limited, you can make your own ORS. Some recipes are available from the University of Virginia , the Rehydration Project , among others.

Heat-related illness

Symptoms of illness from excessive heat run a spectrum. First can be heat cramps from dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Treat this with fluids like sports drinks with carbohydrates and electrolytes.

Sweating too little can contribute to your body overheating. Sweating too much, as can happen with many medications, can worsen dehydration,

Heat exhaustion can include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, heavy sweating, fatigue and generally feeling unwell. You can cool the person with cool water or cold compresses and encourage cool liquids.

Further on the spectrum is heat stroke , which is more serious. The body can’t cool itself down, and the person’s temperature may rapidly rise. Symptoms include Confusion or altered mental status, and slurred speech, loss of consciousness, hot, dry skin or profuse sweating, and seizures.

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. While waiting for help, place cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits, and groin; or soak the clothing with cool water. Also, circulate the air to speed cooling.

Tricks to help deal with the heat

Ideally, if you don’t have air conditioning, you want to get to a cooling center, library, shopping mall, or some place with air conditioning. Not everyone has that luxury.

Fans don’t work very well when the temperature gets into the 90s. Strip down and expose as much skin to the breeze as possible. Mist yourself with water to cool as it evaporates. Slowly blow the air over ice towards you for a small bit of relief.

Medications

Often overlooked with all of the problems people face now is the risk many medicines pose during the heat. Here are some of the risks:

Diuretics are very commonly used to treat hypertension and heart failure. They cause us to urinate more and can lead to dehydration. Common diuretics include hydrochlorthiazide (HCTZ), furosomide (Lasix), and acetazolamide (Diamox).

Other blood pressure medicines may lower your blood pressure enough to make you more likely to faint from the heat. These include:

—Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) like Enalapril, Lisinopril, and Ramipril.

—Angiotensin II Receptor blockers (ARBs), as Valsartan and Losartan

—Calcium channel blockers, such as Amlodipine and Nifedipine

—beta blockers, such as Atenolol, Metoprolol, and Propranolol

Some antipsychotics, anticholinergics, and stimulants can interfere with your body’s ability to control its temperature.

A number of antidepressants affect sweating. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), like escitalopram (Lexapro), sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil), can cause increased sweating. So can Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), such as Duloxetine (Cymbalta) or Venlafaxine (Effexor). Both of these classes of antidepressants may contribute to dehydration.

Buproprion (Wellbutrin), which belongs to yet another class, and can also increase sweating.

In contrast, sweating is decreased with Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs), such as amitriptylene (Elavil), and typical and atypical antipsychotics. Haloperidol (Haldol), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Quetiapine (Seroquel), Risperidone (Risperdal) are some medicines used to treat psychosis.

Anticholinergic agents include the antihistamines Benadryl, Dimetapp, Dramamine, and Unisom Sleep tablets. They are also sometimes used for incontinence and in COPD, Parkinson’s disease and asthma. They cause decreased sweating, which can contribute to overheating. The newer antihistamines, cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratidine (Claritin), don’t have this effect.

Many other medications, including those for migraines and seizures, can cause increased sweating. See this CDC list for the most common ones.

Some of the risks are less likely to come to mind. For example, there can be drug toxicity when someone is dehydrated and is unable to adequately clear a medicine with a narrow therapeutic index—that is one where a small difference in the drug level can lead to serioius side effects. This can happen with apixaban (Eliquis) carbamazepine (Tegretol), and lithium).

Finally, if you get dehydrated enough to cause kidney injury, this might be worsened by even commonly used drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or other NSAIDs.

The Department of Health and Human Services says, “climate projections indicate that extreme heat events will become more frequent and intense in coming decades. Heat-related deaths have been increasing in the U.S. , with approximately 1,602 occurring in 2021, 1,722 in 2022, and 2,302 in 2023 .”

These are some of the reasons to try to prepare and take extra precautions during these heat spells.

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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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The 2024 summer solstice is the earliest since George Washington was president

It's the earliest solstice since june 20, 1796, when george washington was president and there were only 16 states in the union..

Folks hankering for the warmth of summer will get a special treat this week, with the earliest summer solstice in more than two centuries slated for Thursday afternoon.

Specifically, it's the earliest solstice since June 20, 1796, when George Washington was president and there were only 16 states in the Union.

The early solstice is due to the complex dance between Earth's yearly orbit around the sun and its daily rotation, along with how we mark the solstice on our calendars. Quirks in the Gregorian calendar mean the solstice will make another jump earlier every leap year until the year 2100.

When is the summer solstice?

The summer solstice – the precise moment when the sun is at its highest point in the sky each year – is Thursday at 4:50 p.m. EDT. It marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

At that moment, the sun will be directly above the Tropic of Cancer. That's the farthest north the sun moves in the sky, which is why the days close to the solstice have the most daylight of the year.

Some people call it "the longest day," but to be precise, it's the day with the most daylight, because every "day" has 24 hours. The amount of daylight will be consistent for a few more days before shrinking each day until the winter solstice in late December.

The reason we have solstices, equinoxes and seasons is because the Earth is tilted on its axis, thanks to a random collision with another object untold billions of years ago. 

Is summer already here?

In many parts of the country, it's felt like summer for several weeks now, which is why meteorologists call summer the hottest three months of the year (June, July and August). 

But the real heat is likely still to come: On average, there is a one-month lag between the solstice and peak summer temperatures, according to climatologist  Brian Brettschneider . That's why July is often the hottest month of the year in many locations.

The solstice comes nearly three weeks after the beginning of  meteorological summer , which started on June 1.

Who celebrates the solstice?

Many people around the world celebrate the summer solstice with music and festivities. In England, hundreds of people travel to the ancient site Stonehenge for the first day of summer. Solstice observations there have been going on annually for thousands of years.

The Stonehenge rock formation perfectly aligns with the sun's movement on both the summer and winter solstices. Although its origins and reasons for its creation are not understood, Stonehenge has become one of the most popular places to observe the solstice.

The Mayans and Aztecs also used the summer and winter solstices as markers to build structures that precisely line up with shadows created by the sun, according to  Scientific American. 

Keep in mind that Thursday is also the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, meaning winter is coming for the roughly 12% of the world's population who live there.