It’s hard to believe we are in the fourth quarter of the school year. That means less than 9 weeks of school left till summer.
Have you started planning your child’s summer schedule yet? Summer camps fill up quickly. And the best tutors and learning specialists’ schedules fill up fast.
If you are considering academic support for your child, now is the time to act to secure a time slot for your child.
Not sure if your child needs academic support this summer? There are three general reasons why a parent should pursue summering tutoring:
1. To maintain the academic skills taught this past school year. The Summer Brain Drain is a researched based fact and students can lose three months of learning or more over the summer.
2. To remediate the academic skills taught this past school year. If your child struggled to stay on grade level or your child’s teacher suggested tutoring over the summer, this is an indication your child would benefit from intervention over the summer.
3. To enrich the academic skills learned this past school year. If you feel your child was not challenged or she simply loves to learn, working with a learning specialist over the summer is a fantastic way to support your child’s motivation and curiosity.
Mary-Elizabeth Langston is a Learning Specialist with Engage the Brain. She explains why summer is the perfect time for tutoring.
“Summer is also an especially good time for your child to receive meaningful intervention! I often see the greatest gains and leaps in learning from students during this time. We’re truly able to focus on specific intervention and free up mental energy to make connections without needing to keep up with homework, projects, or curriculum. This helps launch students confidently into the next school year and prevents regression. With intervention, we always go as fast as we can, but as slow as we must and this is especially true in the summer. I highly recommend continuing services during the summer for all my lovely students; they’ve all seen so many successes this year and I want to see every student confident and ready for the 2016-2017 school year ahead!”
image courtesy of student tutor
Still not convinced summer tutoring is a good idea for your child? Here are three more reasons:
1. 1 on 1 instruction is the best method. Schools do an admirable job working with students who need extra help. But that help almost exclusively is delivered in small group settings.
2. Flexible schedule. Learning specialists’ schedules are open during the summer allowing you as a parent to pick a time that is convenient for your schedule. You can work around camps and your kid’s other summer obligations.
3. Maintain a routine. It’s okay to relax over the summer, but allowing your child to sink into “no-routine” day after day can promote problem behavior and a much more difficult transition back to school in the fall.
Wrapping it up
The fourth quarter of the school year is the time to set up your child’s summer plans. A balance of down time, fun, and academic activity is ideal. Take inventory of your child’s academic needs – maintenance, remediation, or enrichment – then follow through and schedule summer tutoring sessions in a 1 on 1 setting with a learning specialist.
David Karch (Learning Specialist with Engage the Brain)