As our children get ready for summer camp, days at the beach, and travels around the world, our students are also sharpening their skills, previewing upcoming courses, and reviewing pertinent material. Why? Because middle and high school student brains need repetition, because rested students learn better, and because children want to ease the transition back to school in September.
Want to brainstorm tailored support for your child this summer? Click below to book a call with my team! Or, keep reading for our summer recommendations!
Here’s what our kids are doing, sorted by grade:
Our Littles:
Every study shows that reading aloud to children is essential for brain development, and that’s certainly an essential part of every summer for our younger children.
For parents who have kids heading into 4th grade, practicing fundamentals (think multiplication tables!) is also fundamental. We need our children to have certain math facts down as they build to more difficult conceptual modeling.
Rising 5th graders:
Read, read, read! Our rising 5th graders should be reading books they love, setting the stage for a lifetime of reading for pleasure.
Math drills! We recommend math review 3x/week. That may be multiplication drills, fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), long division or working with decimals–whatever your child studied in 4th grade.
If you notice anything that your child seems to be missing, our tutors are pros at being helpful buddies.
Rising 6th graders:
Rising 6th graders should prepare much the way they did before 5th grade–lots of reading and lots of math review. The books and math content should be more challenging, but we recommend daily evening reading and 3x/week of math review.
If your rising 6th grader has any deficits on fundamental concepts, August is the time to review with the help of a tutor. These concepts never go away, and we want to make sure that our younger students are on solid ground as they head into harder math.
Rising 7th graders:
Repeat the above but add in writing and vocabulary!
Families considering applying out for 9th grade should be particularly focused on long-term vocabulary retention. Reading isn’t enough since both the SSAT and the ISEE test vocabulary out of context, which means it’s time for flashcards.
Students who have yet to develop a process for writing basic essays should use summer to develop a procedure (think read, find patterns, develop an outline, write and edit), and select a tutor who can help use summer work to enrich your child’s writing skills.
Rising 8th graders:
Many rising 8th graders will already be busy with SSAT or ISEE test preparation, including vocabulary and math review. Even if your child is staying put for high school, you’ll still want them to build and review these skills.
Rising 8th graders are often served well by previewing Algebra I so that the year starts off smoothly.
Rising 9th graders:
Geometry is a big conceptual shift from everything kids have seen in middle school, which means most students like to do the first chapter from their textbook in August.
Students worried about Biology or, in some cases, Conceptual Physics, might also do some pre-season work in those areas.
9th graders also need to get that analytical paper process down. 9th graders with a strong understanding of literary and historical writing, and an effective writing process, find the transition to high school writing far easier.
Rising 10th graders:
Review Algebra I (it’s been a year!) and preview Algebra II and Trigonometry.
Tackle the first unit of Chemistry in August. Balance those equations with your tutor, not on your first test.
Rising 11th graders:
You get the idea–do the first month of math ahead of time. This time it’s usually pre-Calculus!
Jump to the next level in math: kids who want to have Calculus on their transcript senior year (and be ready for the math on the SAT/ACT) often do intensive Algebra II-Trig work over the summer to place into pre-Calculus in 11th grade.
Sharpen those research skills, learn about DBQs, work on the writing process–juniors need it more than ever!
Oops, it’s time to work on SAT/ACT…if you haven’t already done diagnostics and customized a plan it’s time to do it.
Rising 12th graders:
Tackle any foundational Precalc material that feels fuzzy and get a jump on Calculus as early as possible–this class is a toughie, and kids have a ton more going on this year with college on the horizon.
Level up for advanced courses and seminars. The stakes and expectations are higher for our seniors, so sharpening those analytical and problem solving skills are vital this year!
Conquer that college essay over the summer! Kids who hone and polish their writing with their tutors early will not only create succinct essays that pack an emotional punch, but also free up valuable time for the rest of their academic year ahead.
Summer is the time for us to help position our children for success come fall. We want the transition to September to be smooth, and for our children to go in with confidence as they adjust to new teachers and concepts.
Let’s chat more about what your child’s specific needs might be so that we can customize a plan, with or without a tutor! Click the button below to book a call with my team.
