Hi, can anyone provide some guidance finding an inexpensive summer reading program? I am a single mama of 4 (and proud of it) and my oldest needs some help with reading. I personally do not like to read and am afraid he has inherited it. : (
GCC offers classes at $335 a pop so I'm struggling whether to pay the mortgage or send him to the reading program (insert smile here).
Any help is greatly welcomed!
Anna - mama of Joshua, Isabella, Sofia and Israel
Good for you for looking for
Good for you for looking for options!!
Check the local YMCA or community center. Some churches have free tutoring programs. Or the local library.
Try an incentive program with him -- find something he wants or likes, and he can work toward getting that by reading a certain number of pages every day. (Then he has to tell you about what he read) This will help increase his comprehension and verbal skills too. Ask him leading questions, -- then what happened?...who did that?...how many characters are there?
Work with him at whatever reading level he's at. The more he reads, the easier it will be. If he's behind his grade level, no big deal. Start where he can be successful, then go from there.
Good luck!
Wow! Didn't think of the
Wow! Didn't think of the YMCA or churches. Thanks for good advice!! I DO NOT LIKE TO READ and I don't want him to know that, but I'm sure it shows.
Anna - mama of Joshua, Isabella, Sofia and Israel
What about asking the school
What about asking the school if they have an leads on tutors that they recommend or use during the school year that might be interested in doing some tutoring in the summer? Maybe there are some high school kids that excel in reading that could help you out and for a nominal fee. Or if that doesn't lead you any where, why not try contacting a high school nearby to you and seeing if they have any students that already participate in tutoring in school that may be interested in doing a summer stint. Have you looked into any of those other places that advertise like Sylvan Learning Centers? I don't know how costly those establishments are, but it might be worth looking into. Maybe they have some sort of summer special that they offer that might be more affordable.
I called the district office
I called the district office and when I told the receptionist that he attends the traditional school in the district she paused, and reminded me that the children that attend the traditional school are way far left compared to the other children in the district. (I rolled my eyes and thanked God that he does not attend the schools in the district). I don't live in the best of neighborhoods.
The Sylvan learning program charges $150 an hour!!
The 'high school kids' idea is great!! I'll try anything shy of having a car wash at a Circle K to pay for the tuition. ; )
Thanks for the advice.
Anna - mama of Joshua, Isabella, Sofia and Israel
You should call your son's
You should call your son's teacher. s/he should be able to lead you in the right direction. Your childs school should have a handful of nontuition summer classes available. I am however not sure what you mean by traditional school. Is that public?private? charter? Anyhow even if your childs school does not have any summer programs they are usually student aides or even sometimes teachers who will tutor in a subject for around $15 an hour. I four children as well and a few have needed tutoring in my opinion so I have checked into a few things and Sylvan, Mathnasium and other places like that can be pricey!
Jennifer is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com and mommy to four beautiful girls who range from 9 to 4 years of age.
Do you live in a community
Do you live in a community that offers a monthly news letter? I know some communites that have these letters a lot of times the teachers who are off are offering tutoring sessions. You should check it out.
Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette
There are reasonabley priced
There are reasonabley priced tutors for like $40/hour that come to your house, when you want as many times as you want. Check them out!
ClubZ Tutoring
There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!
Wow, $150/session at Sylvan
Wow, $150/session at Sylvan is steep (especially when you realize they are being tutored with other children, not one-on-one)! I am really lucky that I found a reasonably priced tutor who was also wonderful with my daughter. You should check out a local tutor - they usually range from $30-40/hour. They can assess your son, and determine if he actually has an issue with a particular area of reading (vocabulary, fluency, decoding) and work on that area. A high school student might cost less then a real teacher, but your son will probably also need more hours!
The tutor I used was Debra at www.sharpenuptutoring.com when my daughter Hayden was having difficulty with reading. It made all the difference!
Hope your son does better soon!
Michelle