Summer is a time when most students are out of school and often have the opportunity to use that time for different activities. For this blog, we’d like to highlight the importance of using some of this time to engage in summer learning.
While summer is often seen by many as a carefree time, it can be a time of further decline for many students, especially for those students experiencing poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges to education, and as a result, the American Rescue Plan has provided tens of billions of dollars to schools to support student learning, including summer learning programs. It is recommended that schools coordinate with community partners to make sure that summer learning programs are implemented, successful and sustainable. These partnerships can help support summer and after-school learning even when funding from the American Rescue Plan or other sources ends. With regards to mathematics, summer programs can help reinforce core concepts, enhance problem solving skills, and develop a strong foundation for future success.
Learning mathematics during the summer can provide students with an opportunity to reinforce learning around core mathematical concepts. However it can also help students learn core mathematical concepts that they may have missed during the school year or that they may see during the upcoming school year(s). This can help students gain confidence in their mathematical abilities and help relieve stress from the start of the school year. At the middle and high school levels, algebraic concepts are the driving force behind the curriculum. The CollegeReadyMath program promotes conceptual understanding of algebraic concepts by inviting students to reflect on fundamental features of algebraic thinking and revealing the mathematical properties behind most algebraic manipulations. During the summer, students can work on building their algebraic proficiency and make sense of abstract algebra concepts without all the demands of the regular school day. By developing these conceptual understandings students will begin to develop a solid foundation for future mathematics learning and begin to bridge the gap in any deficiencies.
Summer learning programs also provide a chance for students to enhance their problem-solving skills. Problem solving in mathematics involves thinking creatively, critical thinking, applying multiple solution strategies, and persevering through the problem solving process. The Global Math Project’s Exploding Dots is a free online resource that has been used by millions of students (K-12+) to engage in mathematical problem solving in a dynamic web-based environment. Students could use this resource independently or as part of a summer mathematics learning program. At its core, Exploding Dots teaches arithmetic skills and algebraic concepts while students are solving problems that are well connected to the K-12 mathematics curriculum. When students build their problem-solving skills during the summer they are building a skill set that goes beyond mathematics; they are building a skill set that can be used across academic content areas and in real-life situations. I recently met with an owner of a large HVAC business and the owner said that he could easily train technicians to fix problems with HVAC units, but he said that training technicians to identify and diagnose problems with HVAC units was something that was far more challenging. This real-life situation is just one of many occasions where problem solving skills are sought after in the workforce.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are part of a strong foundation to future success in both careers and in college. NCTM states that “unquestionably, a strong high school mathematics education opens doors to expanded professional opportunities.” For many students who have not experienced repeated success in mathematics, problem solving can seem daunting. Summertime provides the time (and often the space) for students to strengthen their mathematics education. PBS has developed a collection of summer learning activities that help build these critical thinking and problem solving skills by tapping into the curiosity of students. NCTM states that one of the four purposes of mathematics is to “cultivate in students a sense of wonder, beauty, and joy.” One way that CollegeReadyMath explicitly gets at this purpose is by using the “Notice and Wonder” instructional routine where students make sense of a situation, scenario or other mathematical phenomenon. In addition, CollegeReadyMath also uses the “Which One Does Not Belong” instructional routine in which students use critical thinking and justification skills. A look at this collection of “Which One Doesn’t Belong” examples really helps one see how this can help students to see the beauty and joy in mathematics.
When students experience the wonder, joy and beauty of mathematics, it can improve their disposition toward mathematics and form or reinforce a positive identity with math. This can help students strengthen their understanding and gain the mathematical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed to be successful in school and beyond. Summer learning provides a time for students to deepen their mathematical knowledge and to expand their preparation for future opportunities.
