Patterns of literacy learning in German primary schools over the summer and the influence of home literacy practices
Abstract
The ‘summer learning effect’ (SLE) is described as a stall or drop in achievement over summer, especially in schools serving poor or ‘minority’ communities. There has been little research in Europe on the effect, and research internationally has primarily focused on the effect in reading, with minimal focus on writing. This paper describes the extent and nature of the SLE in reading comprehension and writing in second grade classrooms in Germany. The SLE was evident in both subject areas with all students experiencing lower progress rates over summer. In reading, students attending the high‐income school progressed significantly more over summer than their low‐income peers, while there was no significant difference in writing progress over summer. Literacy logbooks over summer and interviews with a subset of students provided information on how home literacy practices influenced the effect.
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Early influential studies found that summer is a time when socioeconomic learning gaps widen, but this finding has failed to replicate in more recent studies or in European samples.
“Although early influential studies also found that summer is a time when socioeconomic learning gaps widen, this finding has failed to replicate in more recent studies (8, 9) or in European samples (48, 49).”
From Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021) · cites this paper as [49]
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Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2021) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2022376118 · Cited by 1,848 · see citing works
“∗ Although early influential studies also found that summer is a time when socioeconomic learning gaps widen, this finding has failed to replicate in more recent studies (8, 9) or in European samples (48, 49).”
Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
Engzell, P., Frey, A., & Verhagen, M. D. (2020) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/ve4z7 · Cited by 1,739 · see citing works
COVID-19 learning losses: Early grade reading in South Africa
Ardington, C., Wills, G., & Kotze, J. (2021) · International Journal of Educational Development · doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102480 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
- Authors
- Meyer, F., Meissel, K., & McNaughton, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- Meyer, Frauke
- Venue
- Journal of Research in Reading
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-09-23
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 233-253
- ISSN
- 0141-0423 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9817
- OpenAlex
- W2134172185
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 3.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Research in Reading (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- The University of Auckland International Doctoral Scholarship
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Parental Involvement in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Literacy and Educational Practices
- Keywords
- literacy learning, reading comprehension, writing, home literacy practices, second grade, elementary school, school income, student progress, Germany
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