Ready for fall, parents are turning to summer tutoring

Three months of summer may be detrimental to your child's education. Some teachers say summer fun can erase some of the work done during the school year. <br><br>News on Six anchor Scott Thompson

Wednesday, June 5th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Three months of summer may be detrimental to your child's education. Some teachers say summer fun can erase some of the work done during the school year.

News on Six anchor Scott Thompson has more on how summer tutoring can help your kids stay sharp. Six-year-old Jake's traded playtime for phonics.

Jakeâ€™s is getting tutored this summer by former teacher Beth Schmidt. And with her help he's getting a jump-start on his classmates. "Its just a way to keep their confidence level up and keep them interested in learning. You're writing very nicely today have you been practicing this summer." And practice makes perfect.

Schmidt says her hour-long tutoring sessions help fill in the gaps and build self-confidence. "And it is just filling in taking it a little further, almost sometimes teaching ahead of what the teacher is teaching so when its presented they have that self-confidence."

She says the lure of summer fun doesn't distract her pupils. She uses treats and colorful cards and workbooks to keep her kids attention. "What I try to do is set up an environment where they can't wait to come they love to be in the home." Schmidt says the one-on-one attention and positive reinforcement during the summer makes those lessons stick.

She says without it, students waste the beginning of the next year relearning concepts. "I really believe when students arenâ€™t having a disciplined, continual learning process. It does take a while for it to come back."