The final bell that signifies the end of the last day of school is like music to your child’s ears. He has finally achieved freedom for the next few months, away from studying, homework, and long days in school. And, while it is true that your child deserves a break — after all he has been working hard for months — all that time away from school could be harmful.
According to Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services, during the summer months, your child will lose one to three months of learning, especially in crucial subjects like reading and math. That is why the owner and director of the San Antonio branch of Club Z!, Farhan Hussain, recommends that between hours of video games, TV shows and playing outside, you should consider introducing a tutor to your child’s list of summer plans.
It is important that your child continues to practice the subjects that he has been taught over the school year so that he doesn’t forget these valuable skills, says Hussain. While this is not meant to suggest that tutoring should dominate your child’s summer, there is a way to balance learning and fun during vacation. It is about finding the amount of time suitable for your child’s needs, he says. For some students, this may mean one hour a week with their tutor, but for others who need a bit more practice you may want to consider having a tutor visit the home every day or every other day.
According to Club Z!, summer tutoring is a cost-effective way for children to master important skills and explore areas that interest them in a new, fun, creative ways, all in the comfort of their own homes. During these summer sessions, tutors focus on:
- Building confidence by emphasizing that a new school year is a great way to put any bad grades from the past year in the behind him, so that he can start with a clean slate.
- Helping him focus on catching up on any material that he didn’t master the past year.
- Introducing new material that he can expect for the upcoming year so that he has a head start.
- Preparing high school students with techniques for taking important standardized tests like the SATs or ACTs.
- Strengthening skills for children who have learning disabilities as they may lose a lot more information in a three-month period.
- Reinforcing the importance of study skills and proper time management.
- Exploring areas that interest him whether it is science, music or language.
Setting your child up with a tutor is another way to show him that just because school is out, learning doesn’t have to end. By reinforcing learned skills and introducing him to material that he’ll learn in the upcoming year, your child will start his new school year armed with the confidence he needs to succeed.
