The more that you read, The more things you will know. The more that you learn, The more places you’ll go. —-Dr. Seuss Parents often ask me what I suggest for their child’s summer reading. I find that a hard question to answer because for me as a child I wanted to read EVERYTHING! Reading is personal to what an individual likes, and the wonderful thing is if you ask your child what they like there will be a book about it! I think the most important question a parent should ask is not “what” should my child read but “HOW” do I get my kids consistently reading-not just in the summertime! Summer reading is great because there is more time, it is not curriculum reading so there is more scope for exploration, and of course, it’s going to keep the brain working and retaining skills that get forgotten in summer. But reading for kids (and teens, and adults) should reach far beyond the summer and if possible should be a daily habit. Reading increases vocabulary, makes better writers, increases focus and concentration creates stronger analytical skills, and enhances creativity. Reading helps young children understand emotions and how they fit into the world around them and teaches them empathy. For adults, the daily stimulation of the brain through reading has been proven to reduce mental disorders such as dementia as well as help with stress reduction. Essentially, reading is more than knowledge-enhancement, it plays a very important part in our cognitive and social development. So how do we develop reading habits? I think that will look different for everyone but one thing holds true: Family engagement helps. Read as a family before bedtime. Get invested in what your children or young adults are reading. Get excited about the storyline with them, and ask what they think is going to happen next. Find out what genres they like, really have fun personalizing to their tastes, then expand out once they are engaged. This one sounds counterproductive, but watch the movie version with them (preferably after they read the book but whatever works) and talk through what is different, what worked, and what didn’t. Make the movie a nice treat after getting through a book with popcorn and candy etc. 5. Make it a game, set timers, and mini-goals, and create a little recognition chart that positively tracks progress after each chapter. 6. Get to the library! Make it a field trip. 7. Make your own books (comic books and graphic novels count!) 8. Have your kids start book clubs with other kids-make it social! 9. When going on trips pack books! Have them read on the trains and planes etc. 10. And if all else fails….bribe them! Exchange reading time for screen time. Sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. If they are reading to get their screen time they will eventually fall prey to a storyline that they end up liking! MOST IMPORTANTLY… have patience. Reading does not come naturally for everyone, if your child is struggling stick with it. If your teen is struggling, stick with it. Eventually, the experience becomes easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Plus it’s free entertainment! *If you still need help with what your child should read there are many links that will have school reading lists or the most popular books according to the age of your child. Maybe you have your own personal favorites from childhood like The Chronicles of Narnia, Wizard of Oz, or A Wrinkle in Time. Just because a book is old doesn’t mean it’s not a whole new world to them!
Summer is upon us. Give yourself a pat on the back, you’ve made it through the school year! The daily battle cry of morning struggles, evening homework, extracurricular activities, teacher meetings, and packing lunches will slowly fade into a dull murmur. You can now focus on that lingering question: To Tutor or Not To Tutor? Summer is a necessary time for families to regroup and recoup, but a little summer chillin’ with a cool tutor has long-lasting beneficial effects. When it comes to our brain, the old adage ‘use it or lose it’ is true. According to research, after 6 weeks of not working that muscle, the quick-thinking skills and ability to retain concepts have a fairly significant decrease. A tutor is a light, easy and personalized way to keep your children in the game with the added benefit of making the transition into the following school year so much easier. Aside from one or two hours per week where you get to have a little YOU time, here are the Fab Four Favorite reasons why families consider enlisting summer tutors. 1) KEEP THAT LEARNING FUN!! School years can be grinding. It is hard for students to maintain genuine curiosity and learning awe when tests, grades, and deadlines are looming over them. Wading through the required curriculum can lead to burnout and loss of inspiration for both the student and the teacher. As tutoring is individualized there’s an opportunity for kids to explore areas that apply to their own lives. This is a chance to affirm the individual interests and passions that each child brings to the table allowing them to feel heard, appreciated, and reignited. If they want to study bugs, or space, or graphic novels or whatever may ignite that spark, summer tutors can use that as the jumping board to all the other topics that will undoubtedly arise from there. As this is a school-to-pool situation without loads of other homework and the pressure of grades, learning feels genuine, exciting, creative, and engaged. 2) NO COMPARE AND DESPAIR One-on-one tutors allow students to focus on their own needs without having to compare themselves to the levels of their other classmates. An average classroom has about 30 students and all students are expected to learn at the same rate. Whether your child is advanced or struggling with a particular subject it may feel unreasonable to the learner to remain within this expectation. If a child gets behind in a subject there is not time for the teachers to go back and make sure that the learning gap has been addressed. This can feel shameful and frustrating when in truth it is as simple as not every child learns the same way. In a relaxed summer environment, a tutor can build a child’s confidence and help them fill in where they might have gotten behind, and furthermore prepare the foundation for concepts introduced in the upcoming year. It is also extraordinarily helpful to have the time to discover what kind of a learner your child is. A tutor can help uncover what techniques work best for each child. And if your child is advanced, then a tutor can push beyond the limitations of a classroom and help your child to explore their fuller potential. Either way, the tutor helps build confidence. Confidence enables children to stay open and present for receiving information. Plus who doesn’t want a confident child?! 3. FOCUS AND ROUTINE. FOCUS AND ROUTINE. AND ONE MORE TIME… FOCUS AND ROUTINE! Kids need routine. Heck, adults need routine. Holding onto organization and time management is a constant battle, then summer comes along, and bam! All that structure that was finally achieved floats away like a pool noodle. Tutoring practices structure and routine throughout the summer months. Keeping on top of and/or building in motivation, study habits, organization, time management, goal setting, test and study strategies, and any kind of practiced focus is going to create emotional and physical space for the more important aspects of the upcoming year. Imagine not having to ask your kids every day to do their homework or not scrambling to create the science fair project the night before! 4. THE SUMMER SLIDE So starting in September with the ‘summer slide’ is not just fancy alliteration. It is a real thing. On average students lose approximately a month of learned subject knowledge during the summer break. Many teachers have to spend the first-month reteaching material from the previous year. A tutor helps keep the previous year’s lessons fresh and forefront and as stated earlier, makes sure the material is completely understood. It is disheartening for a student to start already feeling behind, especially with concepts they have learned and then frustratingly forgotten. Keeping practiced with the learning mindset generates forward motion and makes transitioning back to school so much more fluid. In short, so you can go enjoy your time off, the summer tutor takeaway is Fun, Focus, Confidence, and Fluidity.
