Summer School?

By Terrie Lynn Bittner

Report cards for middle school students sometimes come with an unpleasant surprise: your child is failing in math or reading. Should you send him to summer school to catch up? Should you make him study all summer long under your supervision? Should you just give him a break and start fresh next year?

By middle school, a child who is failing in important subjects is setting himself up for a dismal high school career. He may already have a dim view of his academic abilities. No matter how little he appears to care, he probably does. It is embarrassing to be less skilled than your peers, particularly in reading. It is important to bring those skills up before the student begins high school and the stakes get higher.

If summer school is available, it can be a good option, particularly if the classes are smaller and the teachers are using a different approach than was used in the regular school year. I've never been convinced that just doing the exact same thing over again will get different results in most cases. When I failed my first math class, the school had so many failures due to a teacher better suited for advanced students, that they started a special class for his "failures." This teacher worked on building our confidence and breaking the work into small manageable chunks so we could get a good grasp of the basics. The change in approach was what most of us needed. Find out how the class will be taught and how many students will be in the class.

You can also choose to work with your child at home. Before deciding to take this route, evaluate your ability to work with your child. Some parents are unable to make the transition from parent to teacher and back again. Are you able to make your child do the assigned work? Can you break the material into manageable pieces so he can understand-or can you buy a homeschooling curriculum that will do it for you? Most teacher supply stores can help you select workbooks and programs that help.

If you decide you cannot work with your own child, consider hiring a tutor. You can hire a professional, but often a preteen will get even more from a teenager who likes the subject and is good with children. Look for someone who is cheerful, who loves the subject, can communicate the material well, and who is creative. Also be sure he is a sympathetic listener when your child gets upset.

Do not ask your preteen to put in a full day. Preteens need the summers to sleep in, rejuvenate, hang out with friends and do nothing. They will also benefit from having time to pursue their personal interests or take classes in subjects that will build their self-esteem. An hour or two of one-on-one will do as much good as five hours in a classroom setting.

My next article will explain how to tutor your child in math, and the following article will discuss reading tutoring.