Summer Classes for Highschoolers is a GREAT idea!

(Excerpt from an article entitled "What Should High School Students Do Over The Summer?")  We found it compelling that taking classes is listed as a great way to spend some of their time! 

Full article can be read at http://blog.prepscholar.com/summer-activities-for-high-school-students

Classes

Description: Taking classes may not be the most fun way to spend your summer, but they can help you stay on track in high school and prepare you for college. Some students take summer classes to improve their grades in a class they didn’t do well in the first time, some do it to take a class they wouldn’t have time for during the school year, and some use summer classes as a way to take college courses or advanced high school classes. Summer classes can be taken in a variety of ways, either through your high school, at a community college, through an academic program at universities, or even online.

Pros: Strengthen your transcript, take classes you’re interested in, can help prepare you for college.

Cons: May be harder to motivate yourself to study during the summer, not the most enjoyable way to spend the summer.

How to Stand Out: If you’re able to, taking college classes over the summer can be a great way to become a stronger applicant. Having college classes on your transcript, even if they are only introductory classes at a community college, can boost your application by showing schools that you’re able to handle the rigor and workload of college. This is an especially good option if your high school doesn’t offer a lot of advanced classes and you want to strengthen your transcript.

Keeping off the Summer Slide

KEEPING OFF THE SUMMER SLIDE

What’s on your schedule for summer?  The family vacation, camp, trips to the pool . . . and something you didn’t think about, the summer slide. That’s what we call the educational ground children lose during the three-month break from school, especially when it comes to reading.   

According to the authors of a report from the National Summer Learning Association: "A conservative estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22 percent of the school year . . . It's common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills."

Summer learning can erase early reading deficits   

The transition from third to forth grade marks the change from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”.   Summer learning programs have been shown to mitigate summer learning losses in reading and to help children gain needed proficiency in reading skills as they enter the fourth grade. 

The summer before high school is one of the most critical transitions    

The transition from eighth to ninth grade is one of the most pivotal moments in a student’s education.  Students who receive extra support of adults in summer learning programs are more likely to navigate this transition successfully. 

High-quality summer learning programs level the college entry playing field

Evidence shows the need for remedial coursework in two- and four-year colleges has created a sense of urgency around college preparation programs, particularly for first-generation college attendees.  Students who participate in SAT / ACT test preparation courses can increase their scores by 200+ points.  This may be the differentiating factor between winning a one-time $500 scholarship award and a more valuable 4-year scholarship. 

Make sure to put reading on your list of things to do this summer.  Make a weekly trip to the library a fun family event.  Read to your kids, and ask them to read to you.  For more help in preparing for school in the fall, call the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville at 268-8556. 

Here are 10 good reasons to have your child in tutoring!

We have attached a link to a good article about 10 good reasons to enroll your child into tutoring. It even makes a recommendation to use summer tutoring as a means to help your child transition to their next grade,The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville is open all summer with flexible hours and will be able to fill gaps and help make the transition to the next level in school.

https://www.care.com/a/10-reasons-you-need-to-hire-a-tutor-1309091200

Please give us a call at 268-8556 to talk about your child's needs and how we can help this summer so that the next grade isn't a struggle!

It's time to incorporate Tutoring into the Summer Plans!

This article starts with this:

"To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months."

Summer is also one of the very best times to enroll kids into tutoring! At the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville, we can use the summer weeks to get your student up to grade level on core subjects, get ahead and prepared for the next school year, prep for ACT/SAT, take care of that online course requirement, and complete summer packets. 

Call us now at 268-8556 to enroll and get on the summer schedule.

You can read the rest of the article by clicking on this link and prepare for a fun and educational summer!

http://www.summerlearning.org/?page=know_the_facts

Summer is for Reading, Too!

Hooray! It’s summertime!  No more teachers, no more books  .  .  . um, what?  No more books?  Summer is a great time to relax, but it's no time for your child to stop learning! 
   

Many schools have a summer reading list for students, typically made up of a few classic titles that wouldn’t ordinarily make the cut if it were up to your child.  But with all the books out there, how do you help your child select age-appropriate titles that catch their interest?  

The first place to go is your local public library.  If you haven’t been there in a while, don’t hesitate to ask for help.  Your librarian is trained to help you find what you’re looking for: a specific title, books that are good for reading out loud, books related to a particular topic or even books for kids in a specific age group. 

Some parents enjoy providing award-winning books for their children. The Caldecott Medal (for illustration) and the Newberry Medal (for writing) are the two most important awards for children's literature.  They are awarded each year by the American Library Association, but they are given to only two of the more than 2,500 new children's books published each year. 

The library will also have several journals on hand that review children's books, including the Horn Book and Booklist; they can help keep you current with what’s new, what’s trending and what’s worth pursuing in children’s books. 

You can find a huge variety of discounted books at library book sales (usually held annually) and used book stores.  Jacksonville’s best is Chamblin Bookmine; the store on Roosevelt Boulevard has more than 50,000 square feet of books.  There you can find hundreds of books – many in like-new condition – at discounted prices.   

Lots of kids cut their reading chops on comic books, which have been around since the 1930s.  These days, you have comics that tell the stories of teams of popular superheroes like DC Comics’ Justice League and Marvel’s Avengers, as well as comics dedicated to each of the superheroes individually. 

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic that is no longer produced, but you can find them all in paperback at any local bookstore. Calvin and Hobbes will help you remember what it’s like to be a kid; it’s funny and endearing, perfect for children of all ages.  

When your child is young, it’s a good idea to start a small library for them.  Keep some books for little children to handle freely. And once your child learns to read for themselves, keep reading together - encourage them to read to you some of the time.  

You really can’t go wrong with whatever your child selects to read: fiction, non-fiction, magazines, comic books or the newspaper. Reading nurtures literacy, language development and thinking skills. So find a few good books - enjoy your summer, and enjoy a good read!