Prevent summer learning loss!

Plan ahead in the summer for a less stressful and more rewarding school year!

I recently was listening to a podcast about introducing year round schooling. One of the main motivations for this is that extended summer vacation time can lead to learning loss. Without regular practice, students forget much of what they learned the previous school year, leading to long review periods in the fall.

At about the same time, I received a call asking to help a student attending summer school. This reminded me of other students I've had in the past that have taken summer school courses. When they start up in the fall, they start off running, almost seeming to be different students from the previous year. We can focus on going over the new material, rather than reviewing the basics.

So, what if your child isn't in summer school, or a year round school schedule, is there something you can do to prevent summer learning loss? Of course there is! There are lots of tutors that welcome students over the summer. In addition to attending tutoring sessions, ask the tutor to suggest activities to do at home to support what they do at tutoring sessions with the students.

Summer is a great time to review, preview or just brush up on topics students typically struggle with. There is no pressure of deadlines or test, and fewer distractions from other commitments. Introducing a routine of doing a little bit of academic work daily may be a welcome change to summer boredom. Choose something that is not too challenging and fun, and you may find your kids engaged for longer than the set time to do “homework.”

Even if you aren't ready to set up a summer program with your child over the summer, if you anticipate needing a tutor for the fall, the summer is a great time to contact a tutor to set something up for the fall. September is a very hectic time for everyone, and it's easy to let things slip. Schedules fill up, and then the first report cards come out and you are left scrambling. A little bit of planning ahead during the summer can lead to less stress and a more rewarding school year this year.

If you are looking for a tutor, whether it's for the summer, or starting in September, (or both!) you can find out how to efficiently search the list of tutors on findAtutor.ca here:

http://www.findatutor.ca/search.html

If you are a tutor and want to add your listing to the list on findAtutor.ca, see the tutor's page here:

http://www.findatutor.ca/tutors.html

Enjoy the rest of your summer!