Summer Holidays

I am sometimes asked if children should have tutoring during the summer holidays. There is no right or wrong answer to this. Each student is an individual and their needs equally unique. While I agree children should have a break from school sometimes a struggling student may benefit from continuing their studies through the summer.

It also depends on how you approach their summer tutoring sessions. My summer teaching sessions become less structured and more creative. A student who is not having fun is not going to be able to concentrate or reap many benefits from my time. They are not going to learn and will only become frustrated. What you don't want to do is ignore a struggling student's need for help. If they were falling behind when the school year was ending they will start the new school year at a disadvantage and the situation will get progressively worse. Allowing them to catch up in a relaxed environment without the classroom pressures can sometimes help a student to regain lost ground and develop confidence and build self esteem.

Something else to think about is if you have an exceptionally bright child then sometimes tutoring sessions are less about assisting a struggling student and more about feeding a mind hungry for knowledge. Sometimes a child may act up when they are bored and intellectually unchallenged. A summer project with a tutor can help them build skills and broaden their education.

I encourage creative arts and crafts projects for all students. This gives them a chance to use their imaginations, their planning skills and their eye hand coordination. It doesn't matter if they produce the Mona Lisa or not as long as they enjoy the process and learn something along the way.

All students deserve the chance to learn and we owe it to them to give them all the help we can.