Do Summer Tutoring Programs Really Help

The school year will be over soon and with an increased emphasis placed on "being prepared" for the next school year, many parents will be looking for summer tutoring programs. Do summer tutoring programs really help? Don't kids deserve to enjoy their summer without having a summer tutor? Many parents feel torn about enrolling their child in a summer tutoring program or hiring a summer tutor. Lets face it, they go to school nine months out of the year and summer is the time to cut loose, be fancy free, sleep in, and totally forget about school. So is it fair for students, who've been promoted to the next grade, to still have to do school work during the summer?

It's been said that kids lose a percentage ,sometimes  two months worth, of what they've learned during the school year over the summer. According to Georgia Family Connection and the National Summer Learning Association, regardless of income all students lose some math skills but the amount of reading skills loss is a different matter. It is believed that income plays a major role in the amount of reading skill loss during the summer. It is also a known fact that more than half of the teachers spend 4-6 weeks of the new school year re-teaching the previous year's skills. So if everyone loses some math skills over the summer and teachers re-teach the skills anyway, should parents really have their children enrolled in summer math tutoring? Since reading loss is associated with income levels should middle - upper income parents stop enrolling their children in summer tutoring programs or cease to hire a tutor during the summer?

Of course I could argue that summer tutoring programs and one-on-one summer tutoring does help students retain what they've learned during the school year. After all, if they're being tutored it's obvious they're learning right?. Well the fact is, tutoring in and of itself does not guarantee the reduction of student summer learning loss also called "The Summer Slide". In fact summer tutors need to have a different approach with their students.  The lesson plans during the summer need to incorporate activities, games, creativity, and technology. The student shouldn't feel like "they're wasting their summer with a boring tutor". Summer learning shouldn't feel like school at all. Students should have fun and be engaged. The right summer tutoring program or summer tutor can help your child achieve reduction of summer loss and build confidence. Check out your Atlanta Summer Tutoring Programs or Summer Tutors or ones in your local area.

Think of it this way, summer is a break from school not a break from learning.

I'm  P.Denise Smith and that's my two cents what's yours?

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Back To School Are You Ready?

Back To School Are You Ready?

How To Select The Right Summer Tutoring Program For Your Child

It's that time of year that all kids and teenagers long for and most parents regret, SUMMER! Those lazy, hazy days when parents are scrambling to find something for their kids to do or somewhere for them to go. Summer Tutoring Programs seem to be the answer for many. With so many children having a hard time passing tests and moving on to the next level and others trying to get a competitive edge preparing for college, tutoring during the summer seems like a great idea.

There are many different types of tutoring programs available. There are math tutoring programs. reading tutoring programs, test prepartion tutoring programs and foreign language tutoring programs to name a few.

If your child struggled with math this past school year, is transitioning from elementary school to middle school or middle school to high school, a summer math tutoring program may be just the "ticket" they need. OR maybe your child hates reading and has struggled through elementary school or is transitioning to become an upper classmen, a summer reading tutoring program can be beneficial for them.

Most of the tutoring programs are 4-6 weeks and are held outside the home, although you could hire a private tutor to tutor at your home. You may think that all summer progams are held in groups and led by a tutor, but that is not necessarily the case. Tutoring programs range from large groups to one-on-one sessions and can include a blend of learning methods (facilator led, group interaction, and computer based). When selecting a summer program ask if tutors are certified or specialize in a particular subject. Ask how the program will engage your child, peak their interest and encourage them. Ask how they measure improvement and if an initial assessment is given. The more detailed information you receive  the easier it will be to match your child with the "right" summer tutoring program.

THE RIGHT SUMMER TUTORING PROGRAM COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR CHILD'S OUTLOOK ON SCHOOL

Always Learning
P. Denise Smith


P. Denise Smith holds a bacherlor's degree from University of Michigan, is a member of The National Tutoring Association, grandmother of four and operates TutorByDenise.com

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