Summer Learning Sets Students Up for Future Success

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Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

It may be summer but learning in the Kamloops-Thompson School District has not stopped. The District’s mission of supporting learning opportunities and environments which inspire students to thrive continued into the summer months with Summer Learning opportunities designed to set students up for success in their next school year.

With a focus on the Intellectual Development priority from the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, in-person Summer Learning opportunities focused on literacy, numeracy, and transition strategies were offered to over 500 elementary and secondary students during the month of July.

“The main goal of summer learning is to provide additional learning support and extra practice for students who need it,” shared Paul Hembling, Summer Learning and @KOOL Principal. “It’s an opportunity for kids who need a bit more time and support to gain valuable tools and lessons that can help maximize their success as they continue into the new school year.”

Elementary Summer Learning offered Primary Summer Reading and Intermediate Summer Math programs to students at Barriere Elementary, Haldane Elementary, Heffley Creek Elementary, Raft River Elementary, AE Perry Elementary, Logan Lake Secondary, and South Sa-Hali Elementary. Throughout July, these programs provided additional time and support in smaller group settings where students could focus on subjects that may be challenging for them.

Summer Learning’s research informed curriculum was developed by District Literacy and Numeracy Coordinators to make learning fun, engaging, and adaptable for the students’ needs. Classes grouped by reading and math levels created an encouraging and supportive environment for students to learn with others at a similar level. Smaller classes created opportunities for more one-on-one instruction time to address what each child needs to improve.

Intermediate Summer Math was offered to students in Grades 4–7 who were referred by their school because they would benefit from building new skills in math. The focus was on number sense, patterns, and numeracy relationships. Math lessons that included interactive games and fun activities helped students approach math with a new mindset and confidence.

Primary Summer Readingwas offered to students in Grades 1–3 who could benefit from extra support with reading and writing. With a focus on literacy instruction and personal reading levels, teachers worked with students to help them gain more confidence in their approach to reading.

One of the main benefits of the Primary Summer Reading program is to help minimize summer reading loss that is common for students over the summer months as they aren't getting the same intense daily academics as they do during the school year. As one Summer Learning teacher shared, “usually over the summer kids slide back quite a bit in their reading and writing… [at Summer Learning] we see them having way less of a slide over summer so they come back almost as strong as they left.”

Another teacher shared that several students in her summer reading class had actually increased their reading levels over the course of summer school—crediting these gains to the intensity and focus of the learning and how students immersed themselves over the three weeks of lessons.

Not only were elementary students excited to be learning in a reading and math camp setting, they also got to visit the Bright Red Book Bus in their second and third weeks of Summer Learning. This was a highlight for many kids as they got to take home a book of their choosing, which was one more way for them to discover the joy of reading.

Secondary Summer Learning was offered to students ranging from Grade 8–12 at Sa-Hali Secondary School, plus International students from Taiwan who are part of the International Education Program. For secondary students, Summer Learning provides an opportunity to gain additional learning time to improve their proficiency level, successfully complete a course they’d prefer not to repeat next year, or upgrade a course they need for future courses or their post-secondary education.

Teacher Seana Trimble shared that students in the program benefited from working at their own pace, having more direct instruction to help with areas of struggle, and learning to look at subjects they may not enjoy in a different way. “My experience is they often leave not hating the subject as much because they’ve had a good experience.”

Students expressed that they found the Summer Learning program an easier environment to learn in because they could access more one-on-one support, had more time to focus on specific subjects, and better understood the path forward to help achieve their goals. “I don't mind coming to school when I have my own time to learn,” one student shared.

While a classroom may not always be their preferred summer location, students shared that they appreciated the teachers' support so they didn’t have to repeat a class and the understanding that they still wanted to experience their summer break. For most secondary students, their summer classes were half-day, and as one student shared “you still have summer but you also still have learning.”

Working in groups with students from across the District also meant that students could build connections and friendships with peers they relate to.

For students of all ages, Summer Learning provided a positive working environment for them to approach learning in a different way, build resilience, and focus on skills that will set them up for success as they move into the new school year. When asked how they felt about the upcoming school year, students expressed feeling more prepared after what they learned this summer—“I’m ready!”