Academic Summer Camp

Local colleges and universities often offer summer camp sessions that focus partly on academics. Educational summer activities can give kids a head start for the next school year.
Q
My six-year-old daughter is having trouble with reading and writing. Do you have any ideas for summer camps or activities that could keep her learning while school is out?
A
Check with the colleges or universities near you to see if they are offering summer camp sessions. Frequently they will have day camps that focus partly on academics and partly on fun. Check also with your local chapter of the Learning Disabilities Association to see if they are sponsoring a local summer camp.

Talk with your daughter's teacher and with the technology specialist at her school to find some software titles that would help her. The teacher can also recommend some workbooks that would encourage your daughter to continue to work at her reading and writing.

Be sure to take your daughter to visit the public library this summer. Many libraries sponsor summer reading programs and contests that may spark her interest. The librarian can also help you find some high interest books that will get your daughter excited about reading, and you can "write" stories together as you ride in the car and then put them on paper later when you are home.

Barbara Potts has worked as an elementary school counselor for many years. She has a BA in psychology from Wake Forest University, and an M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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