With summer right around the corner, parents and kids alike are eagerly anticipating slower schedules and more free time. That means more time for beach trips, camping, reading and other fun summer activities.
Perhaps one of the best gifts summer gives is the absence of homework! Even parents breathe a sigh of relief when that last assignment is turned in. Parents also stop scheduling tutoring sessions. They see it as without homework, kids don’t need tutoring. I see it differently and so do most teachers, tutors and other education professionals.
Here are five ways your child can benefit from summertime tutoring:
1. Building skills
When a child first starts meeting with a tutor, the main goal is to supplement lessons being taught in the classroom. The child often comes in frustrated and confused and the tutor assists them one-on-one, a luxury not usually afforded at school.
This interaction helps kids get from one lesson to the next. It also brings students up to speed who may have missed several lessons due to illness or other situation. The student whose needs aren’t being met in the classroom, however, might not be getting enough from weekly homework help. When summer comes and homework goes away, tutors can help students adopt learning and studying strategies that best cater to their preferences. Students can then apply these lessons in the fall to help them succeed.
2. Building confidence
Building confidence goes hand-in-hand with finding successful learning and studying methods. If a child finishes the semester struggling, it’s likely they will start their next year nervous or even disconnected. By having the tips and insight given to them by their summertime tutor, they can resume course work confident and ready to take on new material.
3. Staying sharp
It seems like every year kids have to dust the cobwebs off their brains when the fall semester starts. The joke of “I don’t need to do math while I’m on summer break,” is less of a joke and more of an explanation for why kids have to readjust to learning each fall.
Students who engage in academic activities over the summer, like tutoring sessions, are more prepared to jump into learning. It’s like exercising. If you stop working out, you won’t be as strong.
4. Teaching lifelong learning
When children participate in learning activities outside of the classroom, they stop associating learning with school alone. This helps them take responsibility for what they learn, which is crucial for high school and higher education.
This also assists them with retention. When students begin to feel responsible for what they learn, they apply feelings and additional thought to the information they are taking in.
5. Asking for help
This one applies to tutoring at any time of the year. By signing your child up for tutoring, you are showing them how to use the resources available to them. You are also removing the stigma that asking for help means they are not smart enough. Hopefully, they will take this lesson with them into adulthood.
As you can see, there are many benefits to having your child meet with a tutor in the summer. If you’d like to discuss this more or get in touch with a tutor, like my colleagues Steve, Michelle or April, please visit my office website at compassionatesolutionsscv.com.
