10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #10

© sxc.hu/laura00

Hi, everyone. It's Charlie here, with reason #10 that a student may need some summer tutoring.

Reason #10: A student (or the parent(s) of the student) wants to get a jumpstart on the upcoming  semester's subject matter.

As the fall semester approaches, a lot of students (and their parents) start thinking about getting a head start on the upcoming classes. 


You might be working with a tutee who will be starting pre-algebra, or a student who is excited about taking her first Russian language class.  No matter what the upcoming course may be, a tutor can help give the tutee a helpful jumpstart for the upcoming course. 


A jumpstart is really beneficial, because it gets the tutee excited about the class, and that excitement can translate into long term success.  It also lays an educational foundation that will get your tutee a few steps ahead before the class even starts.


Getting a head start on coursework, even just by looking over an introduction to the coursework, can give your tutee a lot of confidence, too.  Imagine going into a new class, and already knowing the basic principles - now that's a recipe for confidence!

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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #9

Hi there, Charlie here with reason #9 kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #9: That last report card showed a drop in grades either during the school year or summer school.


For some students, grades fluctuate a little bit throughout their schooling years.  For example, I used to be terrible at math and science until I hit high school, then my grades picked up quite a bit.  My best friend had always been great at history, but even his grades fluctuated between As and Bs all through junior high and high school. 

The problem is, if an otherwise straight A and B student is suddenly bringing home Cs and Ds, there is a problem.

Sit down with your tutee and have a quick talk about what's going on.  Ask about the classes, homework, extracurricular activities, teachers - get a general picture of a day in the life of your tutee.  Ask your tutee why he or she has experienced a drop in grades.  Talk to the student's parent(s) if possible, and ask the same types of questions - maybe they have some insight into what's going on with your tutee's grades.

It could be that it was just a very difficult set of classes, maybe the schedule was too jam packed, your tutee could have test anxiety, or perhaps your tutee needs help organizing and prioritizing his or her daily study schedule.  


Whatever the case, if you are able to talk out the situation with your tutee, help him or her get organized, and instill in him or her a sense of confidence and enthusiasm, chances are the grades will show improvement during the next semester. 


It is also a good idea to continue the tutoring throughout the next semester just to make sure that the grades continue to improve, and to prevent a grade backslide during the semester. 

10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #8

© sxc.hu/ilco

Hi everyone, Charlie here with another reason why a student may need summer tutoring.

Reason #8: A student is trying to avoid going to school even though there is no bullying or other negative situation occurring.  

True, this can be a common complaint from students (and parents) everywhere, but avoidance of school is definitely something that can be lessened (or eliminated) during the summer.

Provided there is no bullying, and no other negative situation occurring at school, a desire not to go to classes could boil down to a few easily fixable reasons:

- no enthusiasm for the material or classes
- bored during class
- feeling overwhelmed by work
- a desire to have fun rather than sit in a classroom
- no confidence with the coursework
- test anxiety

Well, good news...I think you all know where I'm going with this by now...tutoring can help!

In situations involving a lack of enthusiasm for learning, tutors can play a big role in getting students hyped up about practically any subject - the wonders of science through cool experiments, the fun of English through story writing, even the excitement of mathematics through physics games or music.  Cases of boredom (assuming the tutee doesn't to be moved up a grade) can also be remedied by a tutor bringing in "real life," fun examples of class subjects.

Feeling overwhelmed by too much classwork or homework is also easily remedied by a few study habit modifications.  When I was a kid, I swore by the 80s favorite - the Trapper Keeper™!  I never went to school without it - I stored all of my class handouts, homework (both graded and pending assignments),  worksheets, even extra curricular information in that thing.  The point is that as soon as I got organized, my grades improved dramatically, and I no longer felt overwhelmed.  A quick chat with your tutee can help pinpoint areas where more organization is needed.

A desire to be out having fun rather than sitting in class (or work for us adults who are out of school) is another common complaint.  This one isn't really too difficult to tackle - an explanation of the time ratio can work wonders.  Sit down with your tutee and spend a few minutes going over how long classes are, and how long homework takes every day.  Then divide that by all the "awake" hours in the day - the classes and homework will most likely be a relatively small percentage of the total week's hours.  Explain how getting organized, and tackling homework ASAP can allow for more fun hours in the day, because all of the responsibilities for the day will be checked off the "to do" list.

No confidence with the coursework or test anxiety are also easily changeable by a great tutor.  Since this post is already pretty long (thanks for sticking with me this far), I'll point you to my other two blog postings that really get into detail about these two issues:
Self-esteem and confidence
Test anxiety

With some good tutoring, any of these problems can be a thing of the past for your tutee, and he or she will be ready to tackle the upcoming school year with renewed enthusiasm.
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #7

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Hi there, Charlie here with reason #7 kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #7: A student is not paying attention to his or her classes or homework.

Maybe you have a tutee who has stopped paying attention during class.  Honestly, we all been there - I was quite the doodler myself through a few years of school - but it is important to tackle the issue before the next semester begins.

Kids who are enthusiastic about a subject, are excited about learning something new, or are confident with a subject will always be more likely to pay attention during class.  Can you make geometry as thrilling as scuba diving?  Probably not, but you can make it fun and interesting enough that your tutee wants to pay attention!

During summer tutoring it is also good to tackle good vs. bad study habits.  Work with your tutee on scheduling time for homework, let him or her know that budgeting time for homework means more time later for fun. 

Talk to your tutee about how he or she works in class.  Get an idea of where they sit, who they sit with, what they do - look over some class notes and help them learn the best, most efficient way of taking notes.

Ask about homework and study habits.  Offer some effective learning and studying techniques so that your tutee can get the most out of his or her study time.

By making a subject more interesting, giving the tutee confidence, and helping your tutee develop better study habits you will be arming your tutee with knowledge, self-discipline, and self-esteem for the upcoming school year!
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #6

© sxc.hu/JoanaCroft

Hi, there, tutors. Charlie here with reason #6 kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #6: Test anxiety.


You have a tutee who has been talking about a big math test all week.  The problem is, the talk about the test is also accompanied by bitten nails, nervousness, a high degree of anxiety, or stomach aches.  This goes above and beyond the normal "kind of nervous about the math exam" response.  This is test anxiety, and it affects a multitude of students at every grade level.

The great news is, as with most academic issues, tutoring can help!  Summer tutoring helps calm students down when it comes to test taking.  Why?  Because, whether or not a student is in summer school, or taking a summer break, the monotony of the traditional school year has been broken.  The summer environment is different for the student, and it gives that student a chance to expand his or her horizons, open his or her mind to new ways of learning, gets the student out of the "exams=terrifying" mindset, and allows the student to take on new challenges without the added pressures of standard school issues.  In other words, change is good!  It breaks the cycle of negative thinking for students, to some degree, and gives the tutor a chance to step in and help.

To get your tutee geared up for upcoming exams, make sure to talk to the student about how he or she is feeling. 

Work with the material that will be on the exam - nothing beats test anxiety like confidence in the subject matter.

Put together a few "low pressure" practice tests, or worksheets to get the tutee used to working on test materials.  When the tutee is comfortable with the materials, try using a timer to get the tutee used to working under a deadline. 

I have used these techniques for some of my test anxiety tutees, and the results have always been phenomenal.  It may not happen overnight, but it will happen!
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #5

© lusi

Hi, there, tutors. It's Charlie again, with reason #5 to look for when evaluating students who may need some summer tutoring.

Reason #5: No matter how much time a student puts in, homework is always incomplete or done incorrectly. 

It's a fact of life - most students don't enjoy sitting down to do homework, especially during "summer break." This becomes even more of an issue when you notice that a student complains of homework sessions that last for hours, only to result in incomplete or incorrectly completed assignments.  This can be frustrating for the student, and in the long run, can hurt the student's grades. 

The good news? Tutoring can help these students work more efficiently, and get better homework results in less time. 

When you are asked to tutor, spend a few minutes talking to your tutee about his or her homework.  How long is a typical homework session? How often do they do homework (every night, every other night, etc.)? How have the homework grades been so far? Does your tutee feel that he or she is doing their best on the homework assignments?

Since homework can be a major part of a class, it will definitely be worth spending a few minutes talking about it with your tutee, and the results for your tutee will be phenomenal.  Also, keep in mind that as your tutee gains more confidence and knowledge of a subject, the homework grades are also likely to improve as your tutee gets more practice with the subject matter. 

By tackling both aspects of tutoring (study habits and the class subject), you are practically guaranteed to have a happy, successful tutee.
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #3

© beni_bb

Hi there, Charlie here with reason #3 kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #3: A teacher has recommended summer tutoring to help a student who needs an academic boost.

A teacher is often the first person to realize that a little (or a lot) of help is needed for a student in addition to what's can be  given in the classroom.  This is especially true in the summer - think about it, a teacher reviews the grade book, and knows a student could do better, but a subject hasn't clicked for them yet.

In this case, you'll often be called upon to help bring the student up to speed for an upcoming class, or even a class that might need to be repeated. 

This is a great opportunity for you as a tutor, because it gives you the chance to not only help a student understand the academic concepts of a specific course, but it also gives you a chance to instill a sense of self-confidence and enthusiasm in a potentially nervous student.
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #2

Copyright: lm913

Hi, all, Charlie here with reason #2 kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #2: He or she needs to prepare for a standardized test.
Right now, a number of students are gearing up to take the SAT, ACT, or some other standardized test during the school year.  Tutoring can be extremely beneficial for these students who need to brush up on material, refresh study skill techniques, or improve their scores on practice tests.

Tutoring can also be a boon for those students who just have some general anxiety about the test, and need some confidence to quell their nerves.

Whatever the case, tutoring can be a huge help for these students, and summer is often a superb time to help them prepare for otherwise intimidating academic tests. 
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10 Reasons Kids Need Summer Tutors-Reason #1

Copyright: dynamix

Summertime.  Beach parties, swimming, ice cream...it can also be the perfect time for tutoring.
No, I'm not kidding!

Hi all, Charlie here with 10 reasons that summer tutoring is a great idea.  "Why am I tackling this in August?" you may ask - a few reasons:

* It can be a great to let kids have a little bit of a breather in between the school year and summer classwork/tutoring.
* You may be able to get a child excited about the upcoming school year with some fun, summer tutoring.
* It is still early enough that kids remember what they learned during the last school year, and this will be a great way of giving them a jumpstart for the fall.
* Some children have year round school - summer is just another season of learning for these youngsters.
* You can improve confidence, self-esteem, and knowledge by tutoring a kid during the summer. 

Now, without further ado, here is the first reason kids may benefit from summer tutoring.

Reason #1: Sometimes Kids Need Motivation Boosters!
Maybe you know a child who is notorious for making up excuses for why things can't be done - excuses for everything from not completing projects, to unfinished homework, to not studying for upcoming tests.

Maybe, as a parent, you have tried everything under the sun to get him or her to focus on finishing tasks, improve study habits, and tackle school projects.  Now that you've tried begging, pleading, nagging, and bribery (kidding! Well...kind of kidding...), try tutoring.  


Tutoring will help a child get excited about learning and achieving as he or she sees positive progress, and gets feedback from his or her tutor.  Tutoring also makes kids more accountable for the work that they bring home, and they will be much more likely to complete academic tasks if they own the work and know that the tutor will be asking about progress.

Stay tuned for summer tutoring reason #2!
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Ask Micki: Tutee who HATES summer school

Question: Hi, Micki. I am tutoring a junior high kid in algebra, and he is not excited at all. He hates the fact that he's in summer school, and mentions (at least a dozen times per tutoring session) how he'd rather be having fun with his friends instead of studying.  To top it off, it's math, which as you probably know, isn't the most popular subject offered.

Any ideas or suggestions on how to perk up my bummed out tutee?
Thanks,
Allison C. in NJ

Answer: Hi, Allison.  I feel your pain...and the pain of your tutee - I had to take a summer trigonometry class myself back in high school, and it wasn't as fun as the swimming and beach BBQs I had been planning!

Believe it or not, what helped me most of all was time.  As I got to know my tutor, saw my grades improve, and realized that I could swim and BBQ after finishing my homework, an interesting thing happened - I started getting interested in the subject matter.  I think, sometimes, summer school students are so ticked off at missing out on vacation time that they resist being excited about tutoring or their classwork. 

Give him some time.  Chances are, he'll realize that summer tutoring isn't so bad after all, and there is still plenty of vacation time to enjoy.

If you want to speed things along, mention how much time he has after summer school/tutoring to hang out with his friends.  If you're feeling ambitious, calculate how many non-summer school, non-tutoring hours of vacation time he has to enjoy - chances are, it is way more than he thinks!

You could also try a change of scenery - find a large table to work at in the backyard, meet at an air conditioned library, etc.  Find a place that gives your tutee the feel on not being stuck at home, while also being a place that isn't distracting during tutoring.

You know what else helped me through my summer as a math tutee?  Having a friend with me.  No, I'm not talking about a distracting friend who snacks and plays video games while your tutee tries to work. :-)  

I'm talking about a friend who worked with me - we worked together on homework and during tutoring, challenging each other to be our best. 

Ask your tutee if he has a friend who is taking the same summer course.  If he does, and you feel comfortable with it, offer to tutor in a mini-group environment.  See if your tutee might be interested in having a tutoring group/study group with his friend.  It may make it a bit more entertaining for him, and it will let your tutee know that he is not the only kid in summer school.

Good luck, and happy tutoring!

Ask Micki: Summer Tutoring

Question: Hello, Micki. I'm tutoring a 2nd grade kid in reading, and her parents have asked that I continue to tutor her once a week throughout the summer.  The thing is, right now we work with her school worksheets and homework.  Any ideas how we can stay on track during the summertime?

Thank you for the help!
Maricel from MN

Answer: Hi Maricel, thanks for the question - with summer coming up soon, I'm sure your question will help a lot of tutors out there who are wondering the same thing!

First of all, that is great news that the parents of your tutee have asked you to stay on during the summer months.  Not only is it a great professional tutoring opportunity for you, but it is an excellent way to keep your tutee on track (and give her a head start) for the next school year. 

Even better news: reading is one of those tutoring subjects that naturally lends itself to extracurricular work.  Get some fun, exciting books for the two of you to read together. 

Look into summer reading programs at your local library - I always loved those as a kid, and I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I got my "Gold Medal Reading Award" for reading 50 books.  I was ecstatic!

If there isn't anything available locally, you can also set something up yourself.  Keep track of books your tutee reads, ask your tutee to give you short reports of what she has read, and have prizes on hand for when she meets certain goals. 

Last, but certainly not least, check out the resource page on the ITA site for some fun reading and language activities for kids.  There are a bunch of them on there, and it is always good to have a few surprise activities to keep things interesting.

Have fun and, as always, happy tutoring!