Summer Math: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

The lazy days of summer are ahead, but if you aren't careful, what may sound like a good thing, could really come back to bite you in the backpack this fall. Despite decades of research, every summer we hear about kids who take a break from school without looking back - as if it is a terrible thing to learn when you don't have to.  Consider yourself reminded:  Don't be that family. Be the one who shows learning is fun, being smarter is something to be proud of, and send your student back to school with more mathematical confidence and fire than you can imagine.

THE American ideal of lazy summers filled with fun has an unintended consequence: If students are not engaged in learning over the summer, they lose skills in math and reading. Summers off are one of the most important, yet least acknowledged, causes of underachievement in our schools.

I enjoy a good day at the beach as much as the next guy, but just like the importance of reading, staying on top of your "mathing" is equally important. Here's why:

• Math is vocabulary heavy
• It is highly procedural
• Problem solving become increasingly complex and bundles former skills that need to be sharp
• There are so many rules that secondary students often get burned by the details if they aren't careful
• Tools for assessing reasonableness dwindle if not using routinely
• The ability to apply knowledge to new situations becomes intimidating when your confidence drops

As a result, no matter how effective other school reforms are, our traditional 180-day school calendar creates an incredibly inefficient system of learning. We cannot afford to spend nearly 10 months of every year devoting enormous amounts of intellect, energy and money to promoting student learning and achievement, and then walk away from that investment every summer.

How can we provide the best of both worlds for you?  Easy. Our summer math program let's you have your cake and eat it too!

• Our summer programs offer enrichment or academic support
• Drop in sessions let you play each day by ear
• Customized curriculum allows us to focus on what's necessary and skip what isn't
• Summer Fun days calendar to keep the environment kid-friendly yet productive

See the full New York Times article here:  https://nyti.ms/2jABBT3