How to choose the best summer school for your child?

Summer is coming and many parents are thinking about what arrangements they are going to make for their children during the long summer months. Although some parents may know exactly what they want their children to be doing all summer others maybe asking themselves questions such as -

* Why should I send my child to summer school?
* How will summer school help?
* Will he forget everything he has learned if he does not go?
* How long should my child be attending summer school?
* What type of program should I choose?
* What are the consequences of not sending my child to summer school?

Here are my responses to these questions so that you can make the right decision for you and your child.

* * Why should I send my child to summer school?

Summer school serves two main purposes. It gives your child a safe place to be if you are working and unable to look after your child all summer. If this is the main reason you are sending your child to summer school choose a program that is fun for your child and will help him or her develop new friendships and experiences. Programs that present outdoor activities or computer skills can be fun as well as helping your child learn something new.

The other reason for sending your child to summer school is to make up for missing learning and poor grades on report cards. If this is why you are looking for a summer program for your child you should check with your child’s teacher to find out what level and type of program your child needs.

* How will summer school help?

A summer program can help you by making sure that your child is in a safe and nurturing environment if you cannot be with him or her all the time. It can help your child by introducing them to new experiences which they get to try out in a fun environment and the right program can help your learn things they may have missed.

* Will he forget everything he has learned if he does not go?

I doubt it. In my experience children who have not been to summer school may forget a few things over the summer but they soon remember them when they get back to school in September. This is especially true if you have kept your child interested in learning by scheduling trips to the local library and doing interesting and fun activities at the weekend.

* How long should my child be attending summer school?

That depends on what you want your child to achieve. Some children never go to a summer school of any kind, others go to different programs the whole summer. I would not recommend that you send your child to academic type programs all summer, they need a break from learning and need to have fun.

* What type of program should I choose?

Again, that depends on what your child needs. Ask your child what they would like to do for the summer if you want to find a fun activity for them. Just be sure that if the activity has the potential to be dangerous (rock climbing for instance) you check on the credentials of the people running it.

If you are looking for an academic program the best thing to do is to ask your child’s teacher which programs are available. After all many teachers actually teach summer school and they will know what your child needs.

* What are the consequences of not sending my child to summer school?

That depends. If you plan to spend time with your child during the summer doing fun things (that can include fixing a car, visiting relatives, sitting on a beach, walking in the park)) the chances are that your child will learn more from being with you than being in summer school.

If you are working and cannot spend time with your child or arrange for someone to be with your child then summer school is a good option. You will feel happy knowing that your child is safe and having fun.

If your child needs extra support with learning summer school might be a good way to go, but there are many other ways that you can help your child learn if you have time.

In the end the choice of whether or not to send your child to summer school depends on what you want to happen for you and your child during the summer. Just remember that summer is about having fun and spending time together. Do not let summer school get in the way of doing that.