While summer is a time for “fun in the sun,” without regular practice and reinforcement, academic content knowledge and skill application are susceptible to regression. A plethora of research cites the importance of instruction over the summer months in order to prevent the “summer slide.” While some regression is expected for all children over the summer months, children with learning differences are often profoundly affected by the lapse in instruction. The best remedy for regression is to prevent it, and summer programs focusing on remedial, accelerated, or enriched learning have been shown to have a positive effect on students’ content and skill retention. (Cooper et al., 2000) Cambridge School’s Summer Program offers a unique opportunity for students to continue receiving academic instruction in the morning and to participate in a variety of enrichment activities in the afternoon.
The Morning Program will run from Monday, July 1, through Friday, July 26 (four weeks), 8:45 a.m. to noon. The Afternoon Enrichment and Intensives will be held Monday, July 1, through Thursday, July 25 (four weeks), 1-3 p.m.
1. Morning Academics (Grades K-12): This morning program consists of research based academic taught by trained and certified language and reading specialists. Students will learn a variety of new tools and strategies through multi-sensory and direct explicit instruction to increase their ability to spell, read and write with greater confidence.
2. Reading Intensive (Grades 3-6): The focus of this Intensive is to guide the students in the application of practical strategies to broaden their reading comprehension. The executive function skills of planning, organization, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control will be highlighted in our work together. The program will also work on building four important elements of text analysis and comprehension: sequencing, characterization, cause/effect, and summarization.
3. Executive Function Intensive for Teens (Grades 7-12): This program is designed for older students who would benefit from strategies aimed at developing higher order thinking skills with a strong emphasis on the development of executive function skills needed for academics and planning multi-step projects. Students will work on skills such as time-management, task-initiation, sequencing, organization of materials, metacognition, prioritization and cognitive flexibility when working both independently and in groups.
4. Adventure and Exploration (Grades K-4): Student will take day trips and explore local attractions. Trips include: games, and scavenger hunts at local parks, indoor rock climbing, water and stream exploration, and local museum visits, including the renowned Grounds for Sculpture. Adventure Club strives to promote teamwork, curiosity, self-confidence, and learning through fun and engaging summer activities.
For more information please visit our website at www.thecambridgeschool.org.
