Addressing Weaknesses over The Summer

How do I make sure that my children are ready to succeed when they go back to school in the fall? -- Looking for Suggestions
Answer: Carefully study each child's final report card to look for any telltale signs of weakness that need to be addressed this summer. Your children will need special help from you, tutors or a learning center if you answer yes to any of the questions below.
--Is your child reading on grade level? If not, it is very important to narrow the gap before school resumes. This is true at every grade level and especially in grades 1-3. Children who are not reading on grade level by third grade are likely to have continuing problems in reading.
--Is your child working on grade level in mathematics? Success in this subject is built upon mastery of each year's skills before beginning to learn new skills.
--Did your child receive a below-average grade in spelling or handwriting? These are also important skills for all children to master at each grade level.
--Did your child receive any check marks for failing to pay attention, talking too much in class or disturbing other students? Misconduct in any of these areas establishes a pattern that can affect academic progress.
--In the teacher comment section, was there any mention of areas that need to be addressed this summer? Teachers have worked with your children for a full year; you must take their comments very seriously and try to improve any academic or behavior issues.
Reminder: Many schools will allow parents to check out textbooks for the summer. Investigate this if your children need to review some of this past year's work or want to get an early exposure to next year's work.