Summer vacation is a great opportunity for students to catch up on their academics and get a head start on next year! Here are 3 reasons why summer is a great time for tutoring.
1. Summer learning loss is a real issue. During time off from school during the summer break, students typically experience a decline in their academic gains – often referred to in the education world as the “summer slide.” We’ve discussed the summer slide on our blog before, which essentially describes the result of a lack of practice (3 months off from school) during summer vacation. Research on the summer slide has found students lose up to 2 months of academic gains both in reading and mathematics. A consistent tutoring routine over the summer helps to keep your student’s mind occupied, and any material they learned during the previous year will still be fresh on their mind when they return to school.
2. Summer is a good opportunity to play catch-up. During a regular school year, students are expected to progress at the rate of their teacher or classroom. If a student starts to get confused and doesn’t understand a concept, they may be forced to move onto the next chapter anyway (because the class is moving forward regardless). As we’ve discussed on previous blogs, this is how learning gaps begin to form. During a regular school year, tutors face a unique challenge of having to balance a student’s current responsibilities while also revisiting prior concepts that needed extra time. During summer vacation, tutors have the ability to focus their full attention on “catch-up” work and re-teach previously learned concepts or material that may have been unclear to the student. Without the constant schedule of a regular school year, students can dedicate their time to refining skills with extra practice!
3. Summer tutoring helps maintain a routine. Working with a tutor during the summer will keep your student academically engaged. Many students find themselves watching television, playing video games, or spending hours on social media during the summer break. And although we agree that everyone deserves a vacation, it’s also a smart idea to limit these activities and keep your mind occupied! Summer tutoring can help kids maintain a consistent schedule during the summer break with small practice assignments and activities. In addition, summer tutoring can also help teens adhere to a proper sleeping schedule, which is a common problem when students return back to school and aren’t used to waking up before noon!
Summer tutoring is a great option for students who want to avoid learning loss, revisit past concepts, and even get ahead on next year’s material. It’s important to keep young minds active during extended breaks from school, and summer tutoring is the perfect choice during vacation! Tutors are flexible and able to work around your family’s schedule.
