As most of you know who frequent this board I have a 14 year old freshmen dx’d with ADD, inattentive type, CAPD, and receptive/expressive language d/o taking summer school classes this year. He opted to take his PE/health requirement over the summer so he could fit his resource room in his schedule this coming school year and still take what he wanted. He chose the health class because it is one of the most challenging acedemically for him. The class is taught by the kids working in groups reading together, discussing the questions, coming up with the best answer, watching movies, putting 3D puzzles together, ect. It is a very interactive class. My son has really learned a lot in this enviroment. Last year when the class was a “lecture” type class involving lecture and student reading he got a D, this year with this approach he is getting a B. On his last test which was on nutrition he scored 73, he read the test himself, studied for it himself, and only used notes he took—a very big step for him. But I think some of the most important lessons he learned in this class are not related to health. He has noted that the students in this class are their own worst enemies. The class has 20 students, 3 freshman, 2 seniors, and the rest a mix of sophmores and juniors, my son is the only LD student in the class. Health is a requirement for graduation so you MUST pass in order to graduate. My son has noted that these students don’t do their assignments, don’t come to class prepared, don’t study for tests. He said that these students feel the teacher will pass them just because it is a summer school class. He has noted the impact missing assignments has had on these students, he has noted the failure caused by their lack of being prepared and putting forth effort. He says he know realizes that he needs to get himself more organized, practice his reading, study skills, ect. He says he know realizes the importance of homework ect. The success he is having in this class is really motivaiting him to become a better student. He said we he starts school this fall HE is going to ask the resource teacher to help him learn to be a better reader and to become more organized. I do believe this was $95.00 well spent. Thought I would share this positive experience with others.
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
That is wonderful news!!!
>>I do believe this was $95.00 well spent.<<
ak! My daughter is taking a science class this summer
(making up credits she lost when ill her freshman year)
and the class costs $180!!!
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
Are these private schools or adult ed??? Why in the world are you guys paying for summer school?
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
My sons summer school is through the public school system. The reason a fee is charged is because these students take these courses by choice either to get ahead, because they are transfer students who need the course, or for some other reason they did not get it. This summer school is NOT intended for the LD students, it does not provide remediation or support. They do have LD summer school (free) for those students who need it and qualify. My son wanted to try and take the regular ed health to see if he could do it. It is a good opportunity for him since it is the only academic class he has and he can devote all of his energy to it. He has become much more confident since taking the class. It was kinda llike starting over, most the students did not know him and are unaware of his “deficits”. The high school has 8 “feeder ” schools so all students in 9th grade feel like new students. My son has seen this as a chance to start with a clean slate. The teachers don’t know him, most the students, ect. He truly has done this class mainly on his own with only minor assistance here and there with rewording. He was very proud of himself today when he bought his grade sheet home (they provide one weekly) and it showed him with a 86 average in the class! This is the 1st time he has taken a regular ed class and done most the work himself and maintained such a good grade—the grin reminded why it was worth the money. I think if he could take classes 1 at a time he woud do well but unfortunately it would mean he would be going to school forever!
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
My daughter still had enough ‘float’ in her requirements
that she could still graduate, despite dropping two full
year classes the year earlier.
We chose not to do that as my daughter wants to take
everything!! She loves school and wants to be able to
take some of the advanced classes as a senior, and choir
and photography and art and more art ;-)
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
It’s great that he’s taking responsibility with such maturity and experiencing success from doing so. He will no doubt do really well in college.
It still doesn’t seem right though (or legal) for a public school to charge for summer school class, expecially when one or more period has to be reserved for resource during his academic year. An LD summer school class surely can’t be the only alternative in light of least restrictive.
Re summer school
well the other alternative is what our school district is doing: no summer school unless, 1. you flunked a required class (many of my kid’s friends flunked algebra) or 2. you have extended school year in your iep or 3. you pay for the few accelerated classes available. in the past, high school kids could sign up for summer school just to get through classes like pe, or health or drivers ed or to retake classes to bring up grades. Not this year—lots of kids home and bored.
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
Lisa,
I have a son who is also going into 9th grade. I sent him to an expensive 10-day camp on a big name University campus in hopes he would learn what your son learned from attending summer school. Your son has learned ownership. He is owning his responsibility to see that he gets the education he needs. He knows he needs to advocate for himself. Many teens have a turbulant 9th grade year; my older son did. Your son’s insight will ensure a successful year for him.
I highly recommend that you sign up with the Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. Web site: http://www.rfbd.org/
You can print the application from the site. You take it to the school and have them sign that your son has an LD and FAX in the application. They will send you information letting you know that you can ask the school to pay for this. I declined and paid for it myself. You then can find out what textbooks your son will be using next year and order them before schools starts. You also have to buy a portable tape player from them (about $99). I think the tapes would bridge the gap in reading for your son though he has the right idea of asking for remediation.
I would be honored to have your son as a friend of my son!
Helen
Re: unintended benefit of summer school
Thanks Helen! I am sure our boys would make good friends. How did the 10 day course work out for your son? did he learn anything? Does he feel prepared for the 9th grade? I hope he got something out of the course. I am sure with his supportive family he will do well. Good luck to you and your son this coming school year.
This is one of those really important lessons of *life* :) :)
That these acts of “rebellion” (or just lack of self-discipline) don’t hurt the teacher one whit… just you. (It will be interesting to find out whether or not hte teacher *does*just pass ‘em anyway.)
I suspect he’s seen the difference in *knowledge* from doing the assignments — in a large part because he has been doing them in a way that helps him *learn* the stuff (the reading & discussing vs. wading thru the book on his own). ONe of the big issues for LD kids is that if the assignments are inappropriate then whether they do ‘em or not doesn’t mean the tests are really any easier, it’s all a wild guessing game. And having some idea what it’s like to understand the stuff means he’s going to do better when he has to read stuff on his own, too.