All of us know what it’s like to feel “out of it” after a poor night’s sleep. Whether we go to bed too late or our brain just won’t shut down so we can relax, not getting enough sleep makes us groggy and cranky the next day. With back-to-school just around the corner, parents are expressing concern about how to get kids back on a school-appropriate sleep schedule, because “groggy and cranky” are not conducive to learning.
When the traditional American school schedule breaks stride for summer vacation, students stumble. Numerous studies conducted over the course of decades all show significant learning loss over the summer. Based on test scores, that loss typically equals at least one month of learning for reading and as much as two or more months for math.
This posting was written by Sterling Academy faculty member Dr. James Croasmun.
There is a lot of criticism in the news and in other places of debate in society about the American education system. This generally includes discussion of how much lower Americans score on tests -- particularly in math and science -- than students in other industrialized countries.
Submitted by Robert Strodtbeck, Learner High School Social Studies Teacher
