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Sliding Into Summer
Jun 1
/
KoolMinds Online
As my alarm clock sung to me bright and early this morning, I couldn't help but imagine what it will be like next week when there are no lunches to pack, no homework to remember, no permission slips to sign and no agenda for the foreseeable future. It sounds really euphoric and wonderful for a minute and then all the challenges that summer bring start to come to mind. It looks a little different for everyone...
Maybe you're planning pool parties with friends, camps with classmates or amazing family vacations. Maybe you are scrambling for childcare options or wondering how you'll entertain them all day without letting them zone out on screen time.
Maybe you're thankful your kids get to have a break from the rigors of school and have time to relax or... maybe you're worried about your student taking time off because they struggled this year and you're worried they'll get further behind. Maybe the summer slide doesn't look like a fun-filled waterslide to you at all but really a complete undoing of all the progress your student has made in their schoolwork this year.
The Summer Slide
The summer slide is just a playful way of talking about the loss of learning that happens to students with an extended break from school. Think of it like the game of Chutes and Ladders. Just when you start to get some traction and pull ahead, you hit a chute (or slide) and have to go right back to where you were.
The long summer vacation breaks the rhythm and routine of instruction, leads to forgetting, and requires a significant amount of review of material when students return to school in the fall. The highest losses are seen in math and literacy.
Also, the long summer break can have a greater negative effect on the learning of children with special educational needs. While some schools will accommodate special education students during summer, there are also the undiagnosed students slipping through the cracks who already aren't receiving help that they desperately need. For the former, it's important to keep instruction and remediation ongoing, which may look like summer school or private tutoring.
It's easy to say, " Hey, it's Summer! Let them just play and have fun." Yes, of course we want our kids to have fun and have plenty of time to relax. Play is essential in so many aspects of child development but let us also be intentional and set them up for success come Fall. Here are a few ways to combat the slippery slope known as the Summer slide...
3 Keys Components to Combat the Slide
Keep A Regular
Schedule
Say what you want about school but the consistency and structure it provides for students is very beneficial. When kids are suddenly introduced to a world without structure, expectations or rules things can
go awry pretty quickly.
Empower your child by working with them to create a schedule that balances responsibility, play, learning, and creativity. Set firm limits on their screen time and encourage other activities like games
or artwork.
Also, sticking to a regular bedtime and hygiene habits is encouraged by pediatricians to keep children healthy.
There will always be times when those things go out the window like while camping, but generally it should be simple to stay on track.
go awry pretty quickly.
Empower your child by working with them to create a schedule that balances responsibility, play, learning, and creativity. Set firm limits on their screen time and encourage other activities like games
or artwork.
Also, sticking to a regular bedtime and hygiene habits is encouraged by pediatricians to keep children healthy.
There will always be times when those things go out the window like while camping, but generally it should be simple to stay on track.
Offer a Variety of Learning Choices
While camps and classes are a terrific tool to provide new learning experiences they can be quite costly. Online camps and classes are another option and the sky is the limit on what is offered these days. However, a quick trip to the local library or thrift store can also provide an array of new learning opportunities, for less
than $20.
Encourage them to pick out things they've never tried before. Board games, puzzles, workbooks, or a new series of books to read through all summer are simple ways to keep their minds engaged and productive throughout the summer months. If you want to get really into it let them pick out a sewing machine, tools or a cookbook.
Maybe this new bundle of activities creates a chess master or future chef. You never know!
than $20.
Encourage them to pick out things they've never tried before. Board games, puzzles, workbooks, or a new series of books to read through all summer are simple ways to keep their minds engaged and productive throughout the summer months. If you want to get really into it let them pick out a sewing machine, tools or a cookbook.
Maybe this new bundle of activities creates a chess master or future chef. You never know!
Encourage
Creativity
There is a certain amount of summer that we just have to leave to the imagination and I don't mean yours. Try to keep things like art supplies, outdoor toys, and backup plans at the ready. Be open to their ideas even if it might result in a mess.
The only problem with kids using their imagination is that its usually a lot of work. When possible, allow your kids to take some ideas into their own hands. For young ones, maybe it's a lemonade stand, or a pillow fort in the basement.
For older kids, have them make dinner one night from start to finish which includes planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup. There will be supervision required for certain things but just imagine how accomplished they'll feel doing these things for themselves!
The only problem with kids using their imagination is that its usually a lot of work. When possible, allow your kids to take some ideas into their own hands. For young ones, maybe it's a lemonade stand, or a pillow fort in the basement.
For older kids, have them make dinner one night from start to finish which includes planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup. There will be supervision required for certain things but just imagine how accomplished they'll feel doing these things for themselves!
While Summer brings the opportunity to rest, re-charge and put the school year behind you, we all know that there is something new to learn every day even outside of school. As adults, we are actively learning each day. You try a new gardening method, and have to adjust the variables to make sure your plants grow. You watch a video on Tik-Tok and learn an amazing new way to paint furniture. You probably learn new things at your job all the time and if you aren't, it might be time to try something new.
The point is... learning is not limited to the classroom.
One of our seasoned tutors favorite phrase to keep in the classroom is Never Stop Learning.
Keep reading with your kids 20 minutes every day, even if you aren't getting email reminders from the school. Have them calculate fractions and measurements while you're cooking, or count out change at the concession stand. Pull out a paper map and have them navigate your next road trip. Have them write letters to their cousins in other states or find a pen pal across the world. There are hundreds of ways to keep them engaged all summer. Don't fall victim to the summer slide!
The point is... learning is not limited to the classroom.
One of our seasoned tutors favorite phrase to keep in the classroom is Never Stop Learning.
Keep reading with your kids 20 minutes every day, even if you aren't getting email reminders from the school. Have them calculate fractions and measurements while you're cooking, or count out change at the concession stand. Pull out a paper map and have them navigate your next road trip. Have them write letters to their cousins in other states or find a pen pal across the world. There are hundreds of ways to keep them engaged all summer. Don't fall victim to the summer slide!
Need More Support This Summer?
Contact KoolMinds to see how we can help!
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May 27, 2021
To Whom It May Concern
I am a pediatric neuropsychologist, licensed to practice in both Nevada and Utah. My practice currently offer comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological evaluations for children between 2 1/2 and 17 years of age.
Our team offers expertise in evaluating and diagnosing a wide range of childhood concerns and diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities, Developmental Delays, Communication Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Behavioral Disorders. We also offer evaluation for giftedness.
Given the diversity of the population that we serve, our team works with children who struggle with learning for various reasons on a daily basis.
In my opinion, one of the greatest resources for the families in our community who have children in need of specialized intervention to improve their academic abilities, is KoolMinds, founded and operated by Jura Kool.
KoolMinds is the first place that we refer families when their child is diagnosed with a learning difference because we have seen the quality of their service, and the positive impact that they have on their clients, time and time again.
The feedback that we have received from families about their experience with KoolMinds has been overwhelmingly positive.
Ms. Kool is an asset to our community; she is very responsive to questions and has always been able to provide our clinicians as well as our patients and their families with valuable insight and practical tools for improving academic performance and remediating academic difficulties.
When Ms. Kool informed me that she was growing her practice to Utah and Idaho, my first thought was how amazing it will be for families in those states to be able to access her services.
It is exciting to think how many more children and families will have a better quality of life because they will be able to get the help that they need to succeed academically.
In sum, I highly recommend that you consider referring any child with a learning difference to KoolMinds.
Please feel free to contact me if I am able to provide additional information in support of KoolMinds and Jura Kool.
Warmly,Nicole Ann Cavenagh, PhDNV Licensed Psychologist, PY0584UT Licensed Psychologist, 120174472501Pediatric Neuropsychologist
Jura Kool
President & Co-Founder
Jura has been helping students with learning and attention issues since 2009. She is a Reading and Dyslexia specialist, an Orton-Gillingham practitioner, and Educational Advocate.
Jura has done volunteer work as Co-Founder of Decoding Dyslexia of NV where she helps parents with accommodations and resources for students who struggle with Dyslexia. She became passionate about working with students with learning difficulties when she witnessed her own family members struggle with Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia.
Jura's vision and dream would be for every parent and teacher to understand learning differences and know how to help their students. She has experience with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, ODD, and NLD. She has a background in Psychology, Education, and is currently continuing her education in Linguistics and Cognitive Neuroscience at Brigham Young University.
Jura loves researching about best remedial techniques for students with learning disabilities. Jura enjoys spending her free time with a relaxing movie or good book, reading classics to her children, studying the French language, teaching, traveling, and experiencing new things with her two children and husband. At KoolMinds, she's the Director of Learning and Development and manages the instructional design and support of the programs.
Andrew Mellen
Chief Operating Officer
& Co-Founder
Andrew currently manages the Weber and Davis County KoolMinds locations. He had a unique journey pulling him towards a passion with cognitive skill development. As a young student Andrew struggled to keep up with his schools demands, even in elementary school the load was very overwhelming for him. Specifically reading and concentration were challenge.
When Andrew decided to attend college things really hit a focal point. Immediately the learning struggles became magnified, the learning environment required more individual focus and reading ability. It didn’t take long before he was fighting to pass classes. At this time he had to look at his future with a different perspective, take a different path outside of education or find support to help address the underlying learning blocks.
Immediately after surviving the semester and some research, Andrew enrolled in a cognitive skills program to open up the processing blocks that stood in the way of achieving academic success. A few months later things really started to change, it was about half way through the next semester that he recognized more focus, stamina, retaining information came easier and test scores greatly improved. Reading wasn’t just doable, it was enjoyable!
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