Summertime Tutoring - Yes or No?

School is coming to an end for this year. Has your child reached the goals that you and his teacher had for him? Is there any talk of repeating the grade next year? And, of course, your biggest concerns are the skills that are behind grade level. It is time to make the decision - summer tutoring or not. Consider a few things that might help you make up your mind.

Any child who is in need of summer tutoring because of his or her lack of success in the classroom is probably also the child who has struggled all year. And, although, tutoring may indeed provide the time for direct one-on-one address of deficient educational areas, you don't want the child to believe he or she is being 'punished' for getting 'bad' grades. If the decision is made to have tutoring over the summer, make sure that you also set aside time to have fun.

Plan and mark days for specific events or trips on your calendar. It can be inexpensive outings like a trip to the frozen yogurt store or the movies, a visit to the country (or city), swimming in the ocean or lake, or a visit to Gramma's house to get spoiled. Spread these out over the summer so that your child can look at the calendar and have those times to look forward to. If your child plays sports, arrange tutoring time around the sports. Physical activity is an excellent outlet, especially if the child excels on the field or the court. This can rebuild self-esteem that may have been hurt by bad grades in school. Never take an activity away that the child excels in. Very often when a parent does this, the child gives up on everything.

Choose your tutor carefully. Find a happy and fun teacher. Keep the tutoring consistent. Of course, you will take a vacation and there will be some missed lessons, but don't cancel tutoring at the drop of a hat. The tendency will be to try and "make up" for those missed lessons by pushing harder the next session. That puts too much pressure on the child. You want slow and consistent progress. That is what makes summer tutoring successful - school is out, there is no homework, and hopefully some of the pressure has been lifted. Use this to create a less stressful environment where the child and the tutor work on core areas of learning that are deficient like basic reading or math skills.

And above all, keep your child's best interest in mind. Maybe you made straight A's in school, but your son or daughter may struggle to make B's and C's. Accept that this is their personal best. The goal of tutoring - or any teaching experience, for that matter - is to help children be all that they can be. This does not necessarily mean living up to parents' expectations or legacy. Always be positive about any improvement that is made. Children want to see your pride in them when they look in your eyes. And a smile along with that never hurts.
 posted by Jane