Thursday, January 8, 2009

Academic Summer Camps Increase Student Achievement

By Courtney Pollock

Every summer, parents send their children to summer camp so they have a chance to be out in the sun or learn new things. Today, academic summer camps enable kids to have fun and learn at the same time. An academic summer camp is a place where a student in middle school or high school can prepare for their next grade level or college. Some camps teach courses for college credit and others provide broad-based learning skills. Bottom line, teens and pre-teens can learn everything from diving to literature.

In many cases, parents are looking for help with student achievement. The best way to attain this objective is to send them to a learning skills camp, which can benefit a student in such areas as:

- Increasing reading speed and comprehension

- Helping them add creativity, power and meaning to their writing

- Teaching them valuable memory techniques to aid in remembering important information

- Preparing them for college prep tests such as the SAT, ACT or PSAT

- Learning study techniques to help them prepare more effectively for tests

Academic summer camps also help students learn how to think more critically, solve problems easier and set and achieve goals in ways that complement their unique learning style. This allows them to be more effective and successful in the classroom as well as in life. Most academic summer camps have programs for specific age groups and grade levels, ensuring that each student learns the specific skills they will need to succeed in their particular grade level.

There are several different summer camps that offer academic and life skills programs and its important to choose the one that most benefits your teen. The best way to do this is to discover the skills in which he or she has trouble with, research online the various academic summer camps available, and then enroll him or her in the summer camp that best fits those needs. For example, if your student is getting below average grades in English class, look at camps that improve reading and writing skills. If your high school student is preparing to take the ACT or SAT, it would benefit them to attend a summer camp that offers college test preparation.

An academic summer camp is a great way to get your child started on an interest in music or to get them to explore specific subjects. Because of the fun atmosphere it will not feel like school so they will be more willing to participate and gain new learning skills.

Your student does not have to be failing in school in order to attend an academic summer camp. Even if your son or daughter is a straight-A student, an academic summer camp can teach them important life skills such as leadership and communication. One academic summer camp, SuperCamp, teaches life skills as well as learning skills, integrating them into fun activities that engage students and help them break out of their comfort zone. Many students with a 4.0 GPA get a lot out of SuperCamp because they gain social skills, confidence, and new friends, in addition to polishing their already solid learning skills.

No matter what level your student is at when he or she enters an academic summer camp, they will come out better prepared to take on the challenges of school and life. When you want to send your child to summer camp as well as positively impact their student achievement over the summer, then consider enrolling him or her in an academic summer camp to get the best of both worlds. - 14915

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