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SUMMER PROGRAMS
There is still time. Register Today!
Reading/Writing/Math
Help your child gain confidence in core reading skills. In this one-on-one, week-long program, your child will participate in multi-sensory activities, computer games, and phonological-based programs to strengthen their foundational reading skills.
Help your child to build comprehension skills. During this one-on-one week-long program, students will learn to build comprehension skills through character analysis, chapter summaries, theme exploration, and annotation.
An individualized approach to improving a student's writing. In this week-long, one-on-one series, students will learn strategies to assist them in every step of the writing process, including pre-writing, researching, drafting, revising, and editing.
Provide one-on-one support, helping your child build confidence in math skills including: basic math (grades 3-8), pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, calculus and SAT/ACT level math.
During this one-on-one or small group, week-long program, students will actively engage in reading through Thinking Organized strategies and activities.
Executive Functioning - INTENSIVES
An individualized approach to improving key elements of a student's executive functioning skills that will assist with a smooth transition to the new school year.
An intensive program designed to introduce students to a variety of memory and studying strategies.
College
A seminar series for students preparing to apply to college and their parents.
A summer series that will focus on the key areas that tend to get overlooked while preparing to head off to college.
Group-Based Programs
In this program, children will work together to develop problem-solving and executive functioning skills through engaging, hands-on challenges.
A group-based program where your child will work with peers to plan a trip to a DC landmark, sporting event, or museum. After their trip, they will produce a scrapbook summarizing the planning process and documenting their adventure.
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Reflecting on the School Year
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Summer is finally upon us, and many students are ready to toss their backpacks in the closet and not look at them again for two months. However, it is important for students to engage in self-reflection so that they can make adjustments for a successful return to school. This exercise can help your children identify strengths and weaknesses while also helping them think through the best approaches to tackle both easy and difficult tasks.
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SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS
As you help your children reflect on the school year, provide them with a list of about three-five questions. Set aside some time for your children to respond to them, and meet with them individually to go over their answers. Be sure to include open-ended questions in your list that your children cannot answer with a simple "yes" or "no," as this will lead to more fruitful discussion.
Here are some sample questions you can use:
- What goals did I set for myself this year, and did I meet them? This question can help your children realize whether they had in fact set any goals for the school year. Additionally, it is a good segue into the importance of setting goals so that your children have something they are actively working towards. If your children met their goals, ask them to explain how they did so; if your children did not meet their goals, discuss what setbacks they faced and how they handled them.
- What was the most stressful task I encountered this year? If I had to handle it again, what could I do differently to make it less stressful? Emphasize to your children that a stressful task does not necessarily mean a task they did poorly with; it could also refer to something that required a great deal of effort. As your children ponder past assignments, ask them to think about which specific elements of the task made it stressful, as recognizing sources of anxiety can help your children better prepare for them in the future.
- What was my favorite assignment this year? Everyone learns differently, and it is important for students to learn about what it is they enjoy doing academically. If your children preferred assignments that allowed them to be creative, that centered on a beloved topic, or that were the culmination of months of work, then this self-reflection can help them recognize the types of assignments that motivate them. Perhaps most importantly, they can then use this knowledge to make less enjoyable assignments more bearable, as they can now put their own unique spin on them.
- What do I want to do differently next year? Even if your children achieved straight-A's, there is always room for improvement. Whether that means beginning the studying process earlier, meeting with teachers more regularly, or taking more notes in class, it is important for your children to identify elements they feel they can improve upon and set goals for.
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Part of reflecting is planning, and summer is the perfect time to begin some activities that will prepare your children for the next school year.
- Set summer goals that target weak skills. Based on your children's observations about their successes and struggles over the past year, have your children then set goals for both the next school year and the summer. For example, if your children want to improve their conversational Spanish skills, then over the summer they can plan to complete several lessons of Duolingo per day and watch a Spanish-language program.
- Find internal motivation. While extrinsic sources of motivation, such as money or video games, work to an extent, they do not inspire children to fully engage with material and recognize its importance to their life. Ask your children to think forward -- what do they envision themselves doing in the future? Locating internal sources of motivation that compel your children to complete their work and put forth their best efforts for the sheer sake of learning, will enable your children to find high levels of success.
- Prep for next year's classes. Summer homework gives your children a good indication of the type of work they will encounter in the new school year, but there is much more they can do. Whether they complete extra lessons on Khan Academy, read books at a higher grade level, or watch a documentary on historical events, there are numerous ways your children can engage with material outside of their prescribed summer work.
- Strengthen executive functioning skills. Proper time management, studying strategies, and material organization are all part of a fundamental list of skills that students need to be successful in school. Thinking Organized offers several summer programs that target a variety of executive functioning skills that will assist your children in a more seamless transition when the new school year begins.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
While summer should certainly be a time of relaxation, it should also be a time of reflecting and planning. As your children consider the ups and downs of this past year, they will discover more about themselves as both students and learners.
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