Learning in summer - yes or no?

Holiday time - free time? Not quite. Many pupils don't put their books and exercise books away even during the long summer holidays: 59 per cent study during the school holidays. This is the result of a recent Forsa survey of parents of school-age children. When asked about the reasons why their children study during the holidays, 67 per cent of mothers and fathers said: «to consolidate the subject matter», and around half (47 per cent) so that their children can prepare for the next school year. But how useful is that?

Learning during the holidays - not automatically stressful

Holidays should primarily be about relaxation, say Raimondo Lettieri, child and adolescent psychologist, and Fabian Grolimund, head of the Academy for Learning Coaching. However, Lettieri believes that brushing up on the school curriculum during this time does not automatically have to be a burden for the child or young person. It's all about moderation: «If a young person is struggling with French, why not use the holidays to revise French words for half an hour every day?»

Studies show: During the long summer holidays, the school curriculum can be forgotten.

Learning expert Fabian Grolimund also considers it sensible in individual cases not to completely ignore school during the lesson-free period: «For example, I include primary school children who have great difficulty with reading or maths». It often turns out that children who enjoy reading or maths also use these new skills in everyday life. «They read comics or Greg's diaries during the holidays, for example, or add up the points when playing cards.» Children with weaknesses, on the other hand, avoid this. «If a child with reading difficulties hasn't seen a letter for five or six weeks, they often forget what they have painstakingly learnt». In this case, it is worth spending 15 minutes a day reading together or playing games in which basic maths skills are practised.

Despite learning: schoolwork gone - the big summer forgetting

Because the fact is: During the long summer holidays, school material can be forgotten. «Summer forgetting» is the name given to this phenomenon, which every teacher is familiar with. This is also confirmed by a large US study. It is more common in maths than in languages. The German study by educational scientists Hendric Coelen and Jörg Siewert also found this «holiday effect» in children. In other words, there are sound scientific facts in favour of an occasional refresher course or one that is divided into small portions.

Education panic puts children under pressure

And then there is also something like educational panic, a term defined by sociologist Heinz Bude. Behind this is the fear of parents that their children will have no chance of getting a «good» job or a good place in society if they do not acquire as much education as possible.

Struggling with learning: «Parents should ask themselves whether this school, usually a grammar school, suits their child»

Fabian Grolimund, learning coach

At the latest when the question of transferring to grammar school arises, the topic of learning also becomes topical during the holidays. Raimondo Lettieri knows from experience that many mums and dads are driven by the fear of not having done everything in their power to prepare their children for the tough competition.

Parents project their own goals onto their children

Parents felt the urge for more efficiency in the world of work in their own lives and projected this onto their children: «The equation of success at school equalling success in life is quickly made». However, if you were to ask the parents whether they would prefer their child to have a good job or be happy, the answer would be clear, according to the psychologist. «It's much better to awaken the child's passion for something,» says Lettieri. This is not only healthier from a psychological point of view, «the chance that the child and the later adult will be much happier and more successful» is much higher.

Parents ignore performance limits

Much of this pressure comes from the fact that parents are unable to accept their children's performance limits, says learning coach Fabian Grolimund. Some parents today believe that anything is possible with the right support and hard work, but if children are constantly getting poor grades despite their efforts, parents should not ask themselves what they can do to help their child improve. They should ask themselves whether this school - usually a grammar school - is the right fit for their child, says Grolimund, adding: «The Swiss education system is very permeable and offers many opportunities to find the right place for a child or young person.» A thought that parents should always bear in mind. Because one thing is clear to the learning expert: «Children and young people should certainly not spend their summer holidays in a learning studio.»

About the people

Fabian Grolimund runs the Academy for Learning Coaching in Zurich together with Stefanie Rietzler. The two psychologists are also authors of the books «Learning with children» and «Successful learning with ADHD ». www.mit-kindern-lernen.ch

Raimondo Lettieri is a psychologist specialising in psychotherapy and child and adolescent psychology. He works as a couple, individual and family therapist in his own practice in Zurich. www.raimondolettieri.ch