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Summer Learning: Maintaining What's Been Learned

by Jerome J. Schultz, Ph.D.

During the summer, you should spend a good deal of time helping your kids maintain skills and knowledge they acquired during the year. Mastery is the key here.

  • Use fun ways, such as computer or board games, to practice or apply skills introduced this past year. Remind your child that a basketball player or gymnast never stops training!

  • Expansion of skills or introduction of new academic skills is a secondary goal (or challenge) for kids with learning disabilities in the summer. It's probably wiser to leave this up to next year's teachers.

    • Who Can Help?
    Who can do this work of summer teaching and learning? Here are some options:

  • Your child takes responsibility.

  • You (father or mother) and your child work together.

  • Grandparents can help.

  • Your child can work with an older sibling.

  • You can hire a tutor to work one-on-one (or with small groups of your child's friends). This can be a baby-sitter, a college student, a professional tutor, a teacher or aide who wants to work over the summer, or a senior citizen or retired person.

  • How about trading your kids for your relative's kids? It's amazing how much better a child will work around other adults!

    Making the Most of Summer Programs
    Some parents enroll kids in summer programs that have both a recreational and academic focus (the former makes the latter more palatable). Schools often offer such programs or sometimes they are available privately. Cost is a factor.

    Very good programs help kids acquire new skills and practice old ones. Unfortunately, they do not do a very good job of connecting the learning that has just taken place in school or building a bridge to fall. Ask summer teachers how they can help with this, since you want your child to have a "seamless" learning experience.

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