By Sarah Vander Schaaff
Friday is the first day of summer, officially, but around here, some of us have been out for weeks while others are still making up “snow” days. Still, we will continue our summer series on pertinent questions with one aimed at what do when the final school bell rings.
What’s the best use of summer if your child has been diagnosed with a learning difference?
For this we asked a member of the Mindprint Team with more than a decade of experience teaching at a school dedicated to students with learning differences.
As you might expect, her top recommendation is school.
“If that is not an option, consistent tutoring throughout the summer and academic summer camps have proven to be beneficial for many students both with and without learning differences,” she adds.
And for parents who want to give their children a break from the pressure of school after a long year?
“I would say that yes, every child needs a little break during the summer. But for any child, especially for a child with learning differences, a two-month break is not an option. Give him or her a week or two off from “school” during the summer. Usually the week or two after school lets out is enough to let children decompress and recharge their batteries. Parents can encourage them to simply read and play games or do some type of academic work during this time. After that, it is important to have some type of structured time dedicated to reinforce learned concepts and possibly get a head start on learning concepts in subjects that may be difficult for the child.”
Sounds tough?
Not has hard, she says, as the following school year might be without such a dedicated summer.
Do you have an experience with this topic or a different approach? We’d like to hear from you.
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