Should Kids with Learning Disabilities Take a Summer Break or Continue Tutoring? A Parent’s Guide Backed by Research
- Monarch
- Jun 2
- 4 min read
As summer approaches, many parents of children with learning disabilities face a tough question: Should I give my student a break or continue tutoring during the summer months? It's a valid question—summer can be a time of both growth and regression, especially for kids who work extra hard during the school year. The good news? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. What your family decides to do over the summer depends on a number of different factors, including how your student is feeling about tutoring as summer approaches, what growth have they made over the school year, and how equipped do you feel to support them during the summer. In addition, recent research can help guide your decision.
Why Continuing Summer Tutoring May Help
1. Preventing the Summer Slide
Research repeatedly shows that many students lose academic ground over the summer—known as the “summer slide”—and this can be even more pronounced in children with learning disabilities. Research articles highlight how structured summer learning programs can effectively maintain, or even improve, academic skills for these students. A couple of sessions per week can make a difference in helping these students retain hard-earned knowledge.
In addition, a study published in Frontiers in Psychology examined a group of 31 children aged 6–12 with reading difficulties, including 21 diagnosed with dyslexia. Over an 8-week period, students received 160 hours of intensive tutoring, 2 hours per week. The results suggested a positive relationship between the number of hours spent in tutoring and the reading gains. This research suggests that longer, more intensive tutoring sessions can lead to greater academic gains.
2. Customized, Stress-Free Learning
Summer tutoring is typically more relaxed and individualized. Without the pressure of grades or tests, children can work on foundational skills at their own pace. This type of one-on-one attention allows educators to focus specifically on the child’s unique learning needs, helping fill in gaps that might have been missed during the school year
3. Confidence Boosting
Tutoring in a supportive environment can lead to small but meaningful victories, which build self-esteem and motivation. When students feel successful, especially outside the traditional classroom setting, it can completely change their attitude toward learning. Research and anecdotal reports both point to increased confidence as a key benefit of summer intervention.
4. Getting Ahead for the School Year
A gentle summer learning plan can also help kids feel more prepared and less anxious when school starts again. Previewing next year's curriculum or reviewing last year's work in a low-stakes setting can ease the transition back to school in the fall
Adjusting Intervention for the Summer
While some families view summer and the flexibility that can come along with it as a time to seek intensive intervention, others may consider taking a different approach that includes exposure to reading or topics of interest in different ways. While continued learning has its advantages, for some kids, an adjustment to the level of support or the type of support may be helpful. However, The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity suggests that a total break from learning or support over the summer months can be harmful for students with learning disabilities or differences. While continued support, as described above, is a very helpful option, there are other ways to add reading into the summer months.
Consider asking your child’s school what books they will be reading next year. You could then preview these books during the summer months or consider watching a related movie to get your student ready.
Summer can also be a great time to help your child explore topics of interest that they may not have had the opportunity to explore during the school year. Are they interested in dragons or baseball? Find books that are at their level and include these interests. Need some help with ideas? While Google is great for suggestions, your local librarian likely has a wealth of knowledge about these topics and ideas about other books that might be interesting.
NPR also offers amazing programs and stories that take children into words of information and ideas. Because radio tends to be a shared experience, children have the opportunity to ask questions about what they heard. Radiolab, a nationally syndicated public radio show and podcast, offers radio documentaries that focus on science and philosophy.
When a Pause Might Be Helpful
While continued reading support is helpful, there could be times when, at least for a period of time, it’s helpful to take a break. Here’s some reasons why:
1. Avoiding Burnout
Kids with learning differences often work harder than their peers just to keep up. If your child seems exhausted or overwhelmed, pressing pause for a couple of weeks over the summer might help them recharge mentally and emotionally. This can prevent burnout and support better long-term outcomes. This may naturally occur between the end of the school year and the start of tutoring or a more intensive program. In addition, breaks likely happen when vacations are planned.
2. Social and Emotional Growth
Learning isn’t just about academics. Summer offers the chance to build social skills, explore new interests, and engage in creative or physical activities that promote holistic development. These experiences are just as important, especially for children who struggle in traditional classroom environments.
3. Every Child Is Different
Understanding your child’s personality, learning profile, and emotional state is essential. If they are overwhelmed, it is going to be difficult for them to make progress and improve any skills. This could also suggest that some sort of a change would make sense. Additionally, what worked for one summer might not be ideal the next.
In summary, summer tutoring and other academic interventions are vital tools in supporting students with learning disabilities, helping them maintain and even enhance their academic skills during the summer months. This can prevent skill loss over the summer and ease the transition back to school in the fall. However you choose to continue to support your child’s reading over the summer the most important thing is to meet your child where they are now.
ADHD - Autism - Executive Functioning - Learning Disorders
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