Based on a mixed methods research design that included an examination of the impact of summer, case study analyses, and survey findings, English learners appear to have an advantage over their non-English learner peers in resisting summer loss and developing social competence. This study examined the effect of summer vacation on the oral reading fluency (ORF) of 476 first and second grade students, with particular focus on English learners (EL). Overall, children in the sample experienced a 10% loss, with lower socioeconomic (SES) students experiencing greater loss than their higher SES peers. Although first grade English learners experienced 3% greater loss than their English-speaking peers, second grade English learners performed substantially better upon returning to school as compared to the 7% greater loss among non-English learners. Case study analyses were conducted among English learner students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who experienced gains during summer. The interview technique developed for the current study was derived from the Language Experience Approach. Qualitative data on the case study children offer perspectives on their funds of knowledge and how skills and competencies--particularly prosocial skills--acquired outside of school fostered their achievements in school. Case study English learners who resisted the potentially negative effects of summer proved to be creative problem solvers, goal-oriented, and empathetic toward others. In further examination of the case study findings, a survey was administered, to the teachers of the children in the original sample to examine the relationship between social competence and summer loss. Children who rated higher on levels of prosocial skills and self-regulation in the classroom also performed better in terms of ORF and standardized reading test scores. Social competence is associated with higher oral reading fluency during in-school time (spring) for second graders and with out-of-school time (summer) for third graders. Bilingual students demonstrated an advantage in terms of social competence as measured by the survey--EL students were rated higher by their teachers than non-EL students. Among third graders, the social competence variable replaced the formerly important language status variable, inferring a stronger influence of social competence. Implications for policy makers and practitioners including adjusting testing cycles, increasing access to books during summer, and promoting social emotional learning are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]