Should My Child Get Tutoring Over the Summer?
By Julie Diamond, Founder & CEO, Diamond Teachers Group
After a long school year, many families are craving a break from routines, homework battles, packed lunches, extracurriculars, and the constant rush from one thing to the next. And honestly, I completely understand that. Summer should absolutely include rest, fun, downtime, and opportunities for kids to just be kids.
But over the years, both as a teacher and through my work with families at Diamond Teachers Group, I’ve also seen how powerful the summer months can be for learning, especially when the pressure of the school year is gone.
Even just one or two hours a week over the summer can make a huge difference for a child academically, emotionally, and boost to their confidence.
1. Summer Gives Kids Time to Learn Without Pressure
During the school year, many students are simply trying to keep up. There often isn’t enough time to truly slow down, revisit concepts they didn’t fully understand, or develop the learning skills that would actually help them feel more successful in school. Teachers are doing their best to support a wide range of learners while continuing to move through curriculum expectations, and for some students, that pace can feel overwhelming.
Summer offers something different.
Without the stress of tests, homework deadlines, report cards, and busy evenings, students are often much more open to learning. They can finally take a breath. In my experience, this is when some of the most meaningful growth happens.
I’ve seen students who spent the school year feeling defeated suddenly begin to understand concepts that once felt impossible to them simply because they finally had the time, space, and individualized support they needed.
2. It Helps Close Learning Gaps
One of the biggest benefits of summer tutoring is the opportunity to revisit areas of difficulty without pressure. Sometimes children carry learning gaps from one grade into the next because there simply wasn’t enough time during the school year to fully master certain skills. Over time, those gaps can begin affecting confidence and make school feel increasingly frustrating.
Summer allows us to slow things down and meet students exactly where they are.
Whether a child struggles with reading comprehension, writing organization, math problem-solving, multiplication facts, fractions, or executive functioning skills, summer gives them the opportunity to strengthen those foundations in a calm and supportive environment.
And often, what changes first isn’t even the academic skill itself, it’s the child’s confidence.
3. Confidence Often Improves Before Academics Do
As a teacher, one of the hardest things to watch is when children start believing they are “bad” at school or “not smart.” Many students begin attaching their self-worth to their struggles in certain subjects. They become hesitant to participate, afraid to make mistakes, or anxious about trying something new.
What I love about summer tutoring is that it removes so much of that pressure.
Without the distractions of a busy classroom or the fear of falling behind peers, students often become more willing to ask questions, take risks, and try new strategies. They experience success in smaller, manageable steps, and those small wins start rebuilding their confidence.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen a child start summer sessions feeling defeated and finish in August feeling proud of themselves again.
That confidence carries into September in such a meaningful way.
4. Summer Is a Great Time to Build Executive Functioning Skills
Another thing I really value about summer tutoring is that it gives tutors the chance to teach skills that often don’t get enough attention during the school year. Many students don’t just struggle with academics. They may also struggle with the skills needed to manage learning itself.
Things like:
Planning ahead
Staying organized
Taking notes
Studying effectively
Managing time
Breaking large tasks into smaller steps
Preparing for tests
Self-advocating when they need help
These executive functioning skills are incredibly important, especially as students move into older grades where independence increases significantly.
During the school year, students are often too overwhelmed to properly build these habits. Summer provides a calmer environment where we can intentionally teach and practice these strategies without added stress.
For students transitioning into middle school or high school, this can be especially impactful. Sometimes learning how to organize a binder, manage assignments, or plan ahead reduces more anxiety than the academic content itself.
5. It Helps Prevent the “Summer Slide”
Summer tutoring can also help prevent what many educators call the “summer slide,” where students lose some of the literacy and math skills they worked so hard to build throughout the school year.
For some children, especially students who already struggle academically, September can feel discouraging because they spend the first couple of months trying to regain skills they lost over the summer. Consistent practice, even in small amounts, can help students maintain momentum and return to school feeling more prepared.
6. Students Can Get a Head Start on Next Year
Once students are feeling confident with this year’s material, or if they already are, summer becomes an amazing opportunity to preview concepts they’ll see in the upcoming school year.
I’ve found this to be especially helpful for students with anxiety, learning differences, or transitions into new grades or schools.
There’s something incredibly powerful about a child walking into class in September and thinking, “I’ve seen this before.”
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by unfamiliar material, they feel capable and prepared. That head start can completely change how a child experiences school.
7. Online Tutoring Makes Summer Learning Flexible
One of the things families love most about online tutoring is the flexibility it provides during the summer months.
Because sessions can happen anywhere with a reliable WiFi connection, tutoring doesn’t have to interrupt:
Family vacations
Cottage trips
Camp schedules
Weekends away
Visits with family and friends
Students can continue receiving consistent support while still enjoying all the fun and freedom summer brings.
Online tutoring also allows children to learn from the comfort of their own home or wherever they feel most comfortable, which can help many students feel more relaxed and focused during sessions.
8. The Right Tutor Makes a Huge Difference
One thing I always encourage families to consider is the importance of finding the right tutor.
Not all tutoring is the same, and when you’re investing in specialized support for your child, the quality and experience of the tutor matters greatly, especially if your child has exceptional learning needs.
A tutor who is also a certified teacher brings knowledge of:
Curriculum expectations
Teaching strategies
Assessment practices
Child development
How skills build from one grade to the next
This becomes even more important for students with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, executive functioning challenges, or other exceptionalities.
These students often need individualized approaches, accommodations, flexibility, and teaching strategies tailored specifically to how they learn best.
In my experience, the most effective tutoring happens when children feel understood, supported, and emotionally safe.
Tutoring should never feel one-size-fits-all.
Every child learns differently, and the best tutoring programs adapt to the individual child, their strengths, challenges, interests, pacing, and learning style.
At the end of the day, summer tutoring is not about taking away a child’s summer. It’s about using a small amount of time intentionally to help them feel more confident, capable, and prepared going into the next school year.
And truly, there is nothing better than watching a child head into September believing in themselves again.
That confidence changes everything.
Learn more about our summer tutoring and our Summer Prize Draw by clicking the button below.