June, 2009 - week 4
In recent weeks, we have been examining the evaluation of children’s academic performance, our response as parents to their grades, and the use of summertime to maintain the educational momentum that will hopefully grow into a desire to be a lifelong learner.
I suggested that summertime learning may reflect the kind of education that many homeschooling families practice year-round. A mutually beneficial relationship with a family that educates their own children could be a real blessing all-around.
However, it is not always possible for a parent to be available during the summer to become their child’s teacher. There is a role for summer school, if used properly. This is a touchy subject, because summer school has too often been linked to a scholastic need based on failure. Here are some reasons why summer school may be considered:
- First, does your child tend to fall behind when there is a significant time gap between lessons? Did your son forget his math facts, or your daughter her spelling skills after a short vacation like Christmas break? If so, your child may be in need of a more continuous form of schooling, such as summer school can provide.
- Summer school might also be an option if you or another responsible adult are not available during summer daytime hours due to employment. Home alone, “vegging out” all summer in front of the computer or television is not a good option. A good summer school can provide an alternative to an unproductive summer.
- A good summer school can be fun as well as helpful. It may not even look like school, but may take the form of a foreign language lab, nature camp, rocketry club, or gardening project. There are more creative options for summer school than a generation ago.
- You may be able to find a summer class that can teach a new skill intensively that is not available during the traditional school year. Maybe your child has always wanted to learn German, or astronomy, or web design or ceramics. This may be the chance.
- Summer school may provide the opportunity to come back to school with a success in the record book, and a new confidence when put back in the classroom with peers. I have seen children gain a whole year’s worth of learning in a few months with the help of a good summer school experience.
So, what should you do as a parent if, for any of these reasons, summer school is an option that needs to be considered? First, check out the possibilities. Check out district choices, language camps, science center learning camps, and anything else that could provide a structured learning environment. Then, talk over the options, prayerfully, with your son or daughter. Avoid the negative connotations of summer school, and help your child see it for the learning opportunity that it can be.
Our sponsor for this program has been sponsored by our friends at the Tea n’ Gift Shoppe of Bemidji, who invite you to slow down and enjoy a cup of tea.