8 Key Benefits of Summer Tutoring
Many students might think of summer as the time of freedom and a break from academic responsibilities. Summer should be fun, but what if you can use this time to ensure a better academic year to follow as well? According to the National Summer Learning Association, summer learning loss is “one of the strongest contributors to the high school dropout rate.” There are many reasons to invest in tutoring during the summer break; tutoring can help students:
Bridge the Gap
One of the main reasons why summer tutoring is so beneficial is because it allows a student to fill in the gaps in knowledge from the previous year. Students have different ways of learning, and, sometimes, a lack of one-on-one teaching can lead to students falling behind in class. On average, students lose a month of subject knowledge during the summer. That means, though, that some students lose much more than a month’s information and may start the next year significantly behind.“Two-thirds of teachers polled in a recent survey said they spend at least a month reteaching students old material when they return from summer vacation.” – Education Week
Even if a student might have a good grasp of the subject matter, not understanding certain terms, ideas, and concepts will prevent them from succeeding on the level they want to and may lead to problems in next year’s tougher classes. The best time to address these issues is over the summer, as the new school year will bring expectations to keep on top of the current material as well. Summer tutoring gives a student the opportunity to review difficult material, ask more detailed questions, and address any issues and concerns within the subject.Boost Performance
Use tutoring to give you an edge for the academic year to follow. Once a student has worked on some of those concepts they did not understand, it is a great opportunity to start working on material for the next year. Students typically have some idea of the types of classes they will be taking next year. A tutor can help guide a student through the material to make sure he or she doesn’t fall behind. Studies show that summer programs have a significant positive impact on a student’s grades, especially for Math and Reading. The summer is also a great time to build confidence, as this is a big part of student success. Low self-esteem can lower a student’s desire to learn and make it difficult to focus on studies, among other things. During the summer, a tutor can work with a student on the concepts he or she doesn’t understand and celebrate their achievements without the added pressure of grades.Prepare for the ACT and SAT
Students often have a lot going on during the school year. Challenging classes and a mix of extracurricular activities and other obligations can make it difficult to find time to study for these tests during the school year. The summer is a great time to study for a standardized test such as the ACT, PSAT, or SAT. Students typically don’t have their schedules packed as full during this time, and there tend to be a few test dates offered during the summer as well, so it is a great option for students who want to take the test before the next school year and have the time to give a proper amount of attention to studying. A tutor can help a student make that study time have a greater impact by not only teaching them the content of the test but how to approach questions on the test itself.Practice Essential Skills
Practice. Practice. Practice. Summer tutoring allows students to practice skills that are fundamental to learning such as note-taking, organization, listening, writing, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and more. Often, when a student comes to us for tutoring, it is not only because they missed some information in class. A deficiency in one or more of these skills usually contributes to the student’s struggles. Learning and refining basic note-taking skills, for example, can make a huge difference, but it may not be much of a focus in your child’s school, especially after the earlier grades.Cope with Test Anxiety and Learn Testing Strategies
Sometimes a student does really well in class but tends to have trouble with test-taking. There are many possible reasons for this, but a major one is test-anxiety. Some students may over-think certain elements of the test, leading to anxiety which distracts them from doing well on the test. During summer tutoring, a tutor can work with a student to develop habits and techniques to deal with stress and focus during an exam. There are also students who have trouble staying focused for tests in general, and some of these same techniques could help these students do well too.Create a Structured Routine
If time management and organization is something that your student is struggling with, summer tutoring could help create a consistent timeline and structure for studying. Your tutor can work with you to put in place a routine for studying regularly. Regular sessions will add additional structure and accountability during the summer months. This will help your student avoid procrastinating and become more accustomed to studying regularly. A tutor can also help your student organize their notebooks, make better use of their agendas to keep track of assignments, and provide other tips to make sure good study habits stick.Find The Best Study Style
We don’t all learn in the same way. Tutors can help a student and their family identify the study style(s) that work best and create strategies that are suited to that student’s way of learning. Summer tutoring is an ideal opportunity to experiment with teaching and studying styles and explore different ways of learning. This way, students can find a method that really resonates with them.Discover the Fun of Learning Again
Sometimes students lose their interest in learning during the school year. This happens with students in any grade level and happens among struggling students and high-achieving students alike. It’s the way things are that sometimes students and teachers alike have to trudge through material in order to meet a deadline. Thankfully, tutoring doesn’t have to be as regimented if you don’t want it to be. Tutoring can help a student explore the areas of each subject that interest them more, and engage them with projects and assignments that will captivate their attention. One of the things that students love to learn is how each subject relates to real-world applications. Summer tutoring is the perfect avenue for engaging students in this way. Strive Academics offers a variety of tutoring solutions for both the academic year and summer breaks. We aim to create the best environment for assisting any student in their academic growth. If you are interested in exploring the benefits of summer tutoring, get in touch with us today.View our resources
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3 Comments
My son has been struggling with school this year and I am wondering if it would be worthwhile for him to get tutoring this summer. You make a great point that a tutor will help my son to stay on track over the summer and not be so anxious for his upcoming ACT text next year. Also, he can learn test-taking strategies to make testing so much easier.
The summer can be a great time to get a head start on new material so that he’s more comfortable with the content when the year starts. It’s also a great time to really shore up the foundational material from last school year! It’s never too early to start studying for the ACT and SAT. A lot of students feel overwhelmed when they only have a month or two of study time before the test. If your son is generally anxious when it comes to test taking, a more gradual pace might be best.
I like how you said that summertime is a great time to study for the ACT or SAT since there is less going on. I believe this is a great idea that can really benefit a student who works hard during the school year. In general, more students should probably look at going to prep class or getting a tutor for these types of tests during the summer.