When I retired after thirty-five years teaching, I missed contact with the children. Don't misunderstand, I didn't want a whole room full, all day, every day, anymore, but I missed the special moments, the one-on-one interaction, when you could actually see learning taking place in one little mind. Accordingly, I began tutoring during the school year. The process usually involved helping with homework, noting the weak areas, and giving extra help where needed.
Soon, I was receiving requests for lessons during the summer. My first inclination was to refuse. The poor little tykes had worked their hearts out during the year. They deserved a break, didn't they? Then I started remembering the unhappy scenes in the classroom every September. Not only were the children dejected about being cooped up inside again, many were anxious and frustrated because they had forgotten much of last year's work. Maybe a few lessons during the summer would be helpful after all.
We usually arrange an hour a week, a time that's suitable to parent and child. The cost is nominal, just about enough to cover the cost of books, which I supply. I know which ones have worked well for me through the years. The Teachers' Supply Store usually has a good selection of these, plus any new ones that seem worthy of a trial.
I ask to see the child's final report card and note the strengths and weaknesses. Good and average students begin the next grade's curriculum, and move ahead, week by week, at their own pace. The goal isn't to cover a great deal of next year's work, but rather to retain the skills and knowledge from the completed grade and maybe receive a little head start on the Fall term.
The children who need review or reteaching of the previous grade's work will receive it before moving ahead. This is a necessary strategy. Starting a new year's work without having mastered the former grade's curriculum is a recipe for frustration and failure throughout the next ten months. No child should experience that; it could negatively affect his or her entire educational career.
The summer schedule is very flexible, students may disappear for a few weeks at the cottage, visits to grandparents and other special occasions and activities and that's quite all right. There's a lot of learning that must take place out in the real world, and summer's the ideal time for that. Because when I'm considerate of their priorities, my students don't seem to mind giving me an hour an week. Besides, at the end of the lesson, there's always a Popsicle or a box of Smarties as a reward for hard work.
I never assign Homework for summer lessons, with one exception. Every child chooses a book of fiction to read, one that catches his interest and is well within his comfort level for word recognition, vocabulary and comprehension. We spend the first few minutes of each lesson discussing the plot and the characters in the book. He is responsible for reading at least one more chapter before the next lesson. Those who finish the whole book will receive a new one at the next lesson. All books are theirs to keep.I really hope, through the summer lessons, to foster a love of reading in the children. I believe literacy is the basis of all education.
You may wonder why a parent cannot do what I do with the children. It is certainly not rocket science. Believe it or not, I've had parents who were university graduates who could not prevail upon their child to sit and complete a homework assignment within a reasonable time, never mind attempt to teach them anything new. Sometimes, children just work better for a stranger, especially one who can pull a stern "teacher" look, when it is called for.
Are summer tutoring lessons helpful? Yes, I believe they are. For the good and average students, they will keep the knowledge and skills of the previous grade fresh and sharp and provide a head start on next year's work. For a struggling student, they can be a life raft, saving him from sinking into a morass of new work for which he is not prepared.
Tutoring lessons need not be expensive. Seek out a college student saving up for an education, who is perhaps planning to become a teacher. You might even find a retired teacher who misses her contact with children and is anxious to practice her craft on your little one. With a little luck, all the parties involved will enjoy the experience, and it will be a memorable summer for everyone.
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