The current academic year 2018-2019 is almost over and we can all heave a huge sigh of relief. End of terms are always stressful - last minute assignments to be submitted, whole year's revision to be done and then exams to be taken. It would have been even more challenging if your kid wasn't a consistent worker throughout the year and has gaps in learning.
But now that it's done, we can relax and ponder upon how the previous year was and how to make the next year easy. Oh yes, I hear you; that's not what you want to do right now. I can hear the screaming "no more thinking about school", but alas it's necessary. A little prep in summer can go a long way in making the school year a breeze (or at least less stressful).
Let's see how summer tutoring can help you and your kids:
1. Work on weak areas and fill learning gaps: Summer is a time where kids can work without any pressure. They can work at a relaxed pace and strengthen the skills they are weak at . A tutor can identify the weak spots and formulate a plan. This will help them learn their materials better next year. No more lagging behind.
2. Learn next year’s materials and be ahead in class: This is what most of my current students do. They all have a heavy course load (honors in at least 3 or more subjects) and they like finishing up as much math syllabus as possible during summer. That way they can focus on the rest of the subjects during the school year. They all say it has worked for them. According to them when math is done in the summer, the school gets easy. And they all manage straight A’s.
This is especially true for kids entering middle or high school. These are times of big change, and getting math out of the way helps build their confidence.
3. Improve critical thinking and logical reasoning skills: During school year your kids are too busy trying to keep up with school work. If your kid has an aptitude towards math, this is the best option for you. Developing these skills need a change in mindset and this takes time. You also need an open and free mind. Summer is the best time for this. Summer is a time to explore. Once the kids develop these skills it stays with them throughout their life. It not only helps them ace all their classes in school but also in their jobs. I do a lot of competition prep in the summer and my kids love it.
4. Preparing for standardized tests: Preparing for SAT, ACT etc. is easier done during summer as the kids are free and don’t have too much of school work (the high schoolers will still have other stuff to do like volunteering, getting reading for AP courses etc.). It’s easier to completely focus on getting a perfect score in the summer against in school year where they have a million other things to do!
5. Prevent summer slide: You might have heard of this one a lot. When kids don’t work all summer, their brain slows down. Have a look at this statistics to see how bad it is. https://www.oxfordlearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ol-summerlearningloss-640w-final.jpg
But with a little work and effort, we can not only prevent this but also use this time to get ahead.
6. Get them away from playing on gadgets all day long: Let’s give the kids something more interesting to do than playing. Let’s do some puzzles and make use of our brains rather than playing violent games (which doesn’t even get their moods up!).
7. Keeps them occupied and out of trouble: An idle mind is a devils workshop. Leave the kids alone and they’ll get into trouble. I know mine does and he’s usually a quiet kid. (If your kid doesn’t get into trouble consider yourself the luckiest person on earth)
Having someone in charge of setting them some work and making sure that they complete it, will give you some breather. You won’t have to keep looking for worksheets or activities every day to keep them occupied.
8. Adjusting to school will be easier: If your kids have been learning throughout the summer (even light learning), going back to school will be a lot easier. They can get into learning new materials right away.
With that being said, having fun should be the most important factor during summer break. Our minds and body deserve a break from the continuous drill. Whatever you learn or do in the summer should be fun or have a fun element to it. It’s the best time to let ourselves loose and enjoy.
As you know I'm an Online Math Tutor and do a lot of tutoring over the summer. To know about the fun math programs I have for summer, email me at vasudhastutoring@gmail.com to set up a free consultation.
To also see some of the freebies I have for the kids click here