Did you know that research indicates that students at risk of dropping out of school can be identified as early as sixth grade? In fact, research indicates that sixth-graders who display even one of the off-track indicators, such as a failing grade in mathematics or an unsatisfactory behavior mark in a core course, have only a 15 to 25 percent chance of graduating on time. This means, among other things, that middle school should be recognized as a critical transition period for your child from an academic and social-emotional standpoint.
In this brief article, we’ll review why middle school is so important for the development of your child in terms of academic achievement, emotional growth, and more. If you’re looking for a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, that will foster academic excellence, integrity, and empathy in your child, choose Lakeside Christian School.
Related: Choosing The Best Private Middle School
Early adolescence has long since been recognized as a critical stage for an individual’s development and learning, with positive effects lasting long into adulthood. However, recent research studies have identified adolescence as a second critical window for brain development as well. Changes in students’ bodies and brains during this period affect how they will learn for the rest of their lives.
What this means is that, during middle school, students must enjoy a wide variety of engaging and rigorous learning opportunities, or they may face restricted brain development down the line. The more students engage in these types of learning experiences, such as solving complex problems or connecting information learned in school with their own experiences, the more their brain cells will grow. These rich learning experiences should always connect academic learning to the student’s personal interests, prior knowledge, past experiences, and current events to capitalize on their increased ability to retain personally relevant information.
Related: Why Maintaining Your Child’s GPA in Middle School Is Vital to Their Development
Research findings consistently indicate that adolescents who can identify at least one positive role model in their lives have higher grades and self-esteem than those who cannot, particularly when the adolescent knows their role model on a personal level. In addition to these benefits, positive role models have also been shown to decrease adolescents’ risk for harmful behaviors, such as sexual intercourse, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and more. Unfortunately, only one-fourth of students report having a positive adult role model in their lives, either having no one to look up to or having to look up to someone making negative choices in their life.
As such, middle schools need to be places where students can be exposed to positive role models, whether it’s educators, administration, parent volunteers, or business and community leaders. At Lakeside Christian School, one of the private middle schools in Clearwater, FL, for example, each and every one of our educators is involved in teaching Bible studies and/or participating somewhere within the ministry in Christian education, and they are ACSI Certified. They’re willing to do whatever it takes to eliminate academic gaps, propel their students forward, and serve as a positive role model in the lives of their students.
Related: The Benefits of Mentorship in Middle School
Last but not least, middle schoolers need learning environments that will ignite their curiosity and empower them to be active participants in their school and community. Rather than listening to lectures or just doing worksheets, they should be performing hands-on activities that ensure they stay excited and enthusiastic about learning. This means stepping away from the middle school classrooms that emulate high school classrooms, elementary classrooms, or some haphazard combination. What these students will benefit most from is a place that has been specifically designed for their unique physical, social, emotional, and academic needs. For more information on the only private middle school in Clearwater, FL, that can meet your child’s developmental needs, contact Lakeside Christian School.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private middle schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
With smaller class sizes, more opportunities for one-on-one learning, and distinctive learning philosophy, there’s plenty of reasons why a private school may be better suited to your student’s needs than the local public school. Unlike public schools, however, private schools always require an application. Between school tours, interviews, and entrance examinations, it’s no wonder that the admissions process can quickly become taxing on your family. Fortunately, there is a way to make this process a bit easier for you and your student.
In this article, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about how the application process works, what the admissions committees will be expecting, and how you can position your child as a successful applicant. This will help you keep a clear and focused mind as you conduct research on the right school for your family and eventually submit your application. For a private high school in Clearwater, FL, that has been providing exceptional education to K-12 students since 1975, choose Lakeside Christian School.
Related: 3 Benefits of Touring Private Schools Before Enrollment
The private school admissions process varies greatly from one school to another; however, the interview is one critical requirement that is truly universal. Any private school you wish to apply to will always require you to meet with the principal, admissions officer, or another member of the administration in a one-on-one or small group setting. For Lakeside Christian School, whom you’ll be required to meet with varies depending on the age of your child. For parents with students from grades 6 to 12, you’ll be required to meet with the school administration and express your child’s desire to be at LCS and abide by the LCS rules of behavior and conduct.
The role of this interview in the admissions process is to offer the admissions committee and members of the administration conducting the interview a window into your child’s personality — their passions, extracurricular interests, academic strengths, and skills. Perhaps your child is on the soccer team or maybe they’ve completed an outstanding project at their school’s science fair. Any example you have of your child skills, interests, or strengths is going to be a great aspect to bring up during the interview.
This is also an opportunity for you and your child to get to know the admissions committee, faculty, and members of the administration. How do they talk about the students and teachers at their school? What does the curriculum look and feel like? This will help you get a better understanding of whether or not your child will be a great fit for the environment.
Related: Can Public School Students Adapt to a Clearwater, FL, Christian School?
If you’ve been doing your private school research, you’ve likely heard of a number of entrance examinations, including the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), Secondary School Admissions Exam (SSAT), and the High School Placement Test (HSPT). A Christian high school in Clearwater, FL, may use a school-specific entrance exam or admissions test as well. The most important thing to remember about these examinations, no matter which one your child ends up having to take, is that these tests are designed for the correct placement of your child by grade or course level.
Successful performance on these types of tests is strictly tied to your student’s academic foundation in school rather than an intensive test prep course or weeks of private tutoring. The reading comprehension portion of such an exam, for example, is designed to assess the student’s reading fluency and comprehension skills, which are developed over years of education. The only way you can and should prepare for your child to excel in this examination is to have them take a full-length practice test as early as possible. This will give your student an idea of how they would score if taking the test today and provide a roadmap that pinpoints their strengths and weaknesses.
Related: Is A Private Education Really Out Of Reach?
Finally, it’s important to recognize that the support of the student’s parents will always play a role in their child’s candidacy at a private school. Moreover, the admissions committee wants to know that you’re applying for the right reasons, share their educational philosophy, and are on the same team when it comes to your child’s education. Many private schools may choose to interview the parents as well as the student to ascertain the degree to which the parent is going to be involved with the child’s education and be supportive in terms of enforcing the school’s expectations.
Overall, a private high school in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School, are not seeking a perfect model of the ideal student. Instead, they’re seeking real students with a wealth of interests, passions, and perspectives who can enrich the school’s learning community.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, a Christian high school in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
If you’re looking to send your student to a private school for the 2020-2021 school year and are wondering how you’re going to pay for it, it may be time to look into Step Up For Students in Clearwater, FL. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program currently offers two scholarships for low-income students in Florida: the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship. Deciding which of these scholarships that you should apply for can be a difficult task, which is why we’ve taken this opportunity to outline what the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program is all about and the difference between these two scholarships.
Related: Why It’s So Important to Apply for Income-Based Scholarships for the 2020-21 School Year
The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC) was established in 2001 by the Florida Legislature in order to provide an income tax credit for corporations that contribute money to nonprofit Scholarship Funding-Organization (SFOs) — institutions that award scholarships to families with limited financial resources. The purpose of the tax credit was split off into three main goals: encourage private contributions to nonprofit SPOs, expand education opportunities for children in lower-income families, and enable children to achieve a higher level of excellence in their education.
Of America’s school choice programs, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship is one of the largest in terms of student participation. As of Fall 2019, there were 108,570 participating students with an average scholarship value of $6,195 and 1,836 participating schools. 50 percent of families with children in the State of Florida were income-eligible for this tax-credit scholarship program.
The one major difference is that the Family Empowerment Scholarship can only be used toward private school tuition and fees while the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship allows families to choose between financial assistance toward private school tuition and fees OR transportation costs to attend a public school other than the one the student is currently assigned to attend. Other minor differences do exist, such as that renewal students have first priority for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, but the majority of parents are going to be concerned with where these scholarship funds are able to be directed. Another important factor to consider is that, despite the fact that the eligibility criteria differs between the programs, the application is the same for both.
Related: Everything Parents Should Know About Florida’s New “Family Empowerment Scholarship”
Your child may income qualify for either one of these scholarships if your household meets any of these conditions:
For example, the Family Empowerment Scholarship income level is designed to serve students in households at $76,800 or below. Priority is given to students whose incomes are below $48,470. If your income is below the income criteria in the income priority chart, your student will be placed on a waiting list until all the renewal families and new families whose income falls under the priority table receive funds.
In terms of other eligibility requirements, you’ll want to make sure that your student has spent the prior school year in attendance at a Florida public school for the Family Empowerment Scholarship. This means that your student was enrolled and attended a Florida public school for both the October and February student counts. The only exception applies for a dependent child of a member of the military transferring from another state or a foreign country due to a change of station. If you are interested in applying for either of these scholarships and are looking for one of the best Step Up For Students participating schools, choose Lakeside Christian School.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the Step Up For Students participating schools, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
The college application season is upon us! With college tuition at a record high and national student loan debt at a crisis level, scholarships are an ideal way to get ahead of the game when it comes to funding your child’s education. Parents of upcoming graduates across the globe are now wondering what can be done to improve their child’s chance of winning one (or a few) of these top scholarships.
While attending one of the best private high schools in Clearwater, FL isn’t a surefire guarantee that you’ll receive a college scholarship, many of the aspects of these schools like smaller class sizes and close relationships with faculty can ensure that your student has the best opportunity to discover the areas in which they excel. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about how attending a private high school may help your child discover activities that interest them most and win that college scholarship.
It’s important to remember that there’s a scholarship out there for almost everything, including GPA, languages spoken, extracurricular activities, and more. Whether your child is a first-generation college student, captain of the swim team, or both, there’s a scholarship out there that’s tailored exactly to their individual skills and qualities. The key to winning these highly-specialized scholarships is developing these personal interests and passions. A private high school can offer all the athletic, artistic, and service-based opportunities your child needs to develop their hobbies into passions and career interests. For example, Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, has a stunning fine arts and athletic program, including a varsity football team and drama department.
Related: LCS Fine Arts Quick Facts
Another important factor to take into consideration is class size. A number of private high schools in Clearwater, FL including Lakeside Christian School, benefit from a small school setting that affords their students with greater one-on-one time with their teachers. This is relevant to winning college scholarships because studies show a clear relationship between small class size and increased student achievement. For example, a high school English teacher with 4 or more classes of 20 students or more would not be able to give lengthy, in-depth writing assignments because there’s simply not enough time to evaluate each of these student’s essays on an individual level. By receiving this individualized attention that allows your child to forge closer relationships with faculty and staff and develop higher-level thinking skills, your child is more likely to earn a college scholarship.
Related: How Does a Small School Setting Help My Child Succeed?
Finally, it’s worth noting that a great deal of college scholarships are targeted towards student leaders or students who have exhibited leadership qualities throughout their careers. The best of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, are designed to build student leaders just like these. For example, Lakeside Christian School prepares their students for college all throughout the K-12 grades, providing them with ample opportunities to develop the skills they need to prosper in higher education and beyond. Combine this with the smaller class sizes, and you have a school capable of spotlighting your child’s talents, elevating them to their fullest potential, and shaping them into a student worthy of a hefty college scholarship.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the top private high schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
School is an environment designed to help your child learn, grow, and thrive. If your child is struggling academically, socially, or mentally in their current school, it may be time to consider switching to a school that can better accommodate their learning needs. Common reasons why many parents decide to pull their child out of their current school include everything from class size to inflexible curriculum that doesn’t match their child’s learning style.
These examples, however, only scratch the surface of the possible reasons why you’d want to change your child’s school. No matter what your reasons are, we’ve compiled several factors to weigh in before deciding which private middle school in Clearwater, FL is best for your child.
The ultimate dream of any parent is to provide their child with a high-quality education. It’s important to be mindful of the quality of education your child will be receiving when switching schools because different schools have varying levels of rigor related to academic curriculum and extracurricular activities. If your child is currently experiencing a tremendous amount of stress related to their workload, it may be worth looking into a school with a more relaxed curriculum. On the other hand, if your child is growing bored or soaring above their classmates, it may be time to switch to a school with a more rigorous approach.
Some great questions you should be asking both the administration and faculty of your prospective Clearwater private school are:
Each of these questions is directly linked to creating an environment where a high-quality education can be cultivated and nourished.
Related: Why Middle School Students Benefit From A Private Education
The term “quality” in regards to educators encompasses the qualification of your child’s teachers, their experience, their professional training, and their capacity to communicate with both the students and the parents. A quality educator, in simplest terms, is someone who is properly trained, certified, experienced in their subject matter, and accessible to both students and parents when either or both is in need of assistance. They are patient and creative in their teaching style, meaning that all students in the classroom are able to learn rather than just those who respond to a traditional learning style.
Once again, setting up a meeting with your child’s future teacher and administration is a great first step in deciding whether your prospective school employs the quality educators you’re searching for. Some possible questions to ask include:
Related: Superb Teachers Showcase These 3 Qualities
Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to consider the class size of your child’s prospective school. When classes are larger (20+ students), it’s much easier for your child to be left behind, especially if the majority of the class understands a new concept.
Smaller class sizes, on the other hand, like those offered by a private middle school in Clearwater, FL are typically more attractive to parents because they offer specialized attention and feedback for their child. Better yet, your child has a greater chance of enjoying closer relationships with their teacher and peers, deeper class discussions, and an enriched learning experience. For a Clearwater private school that values quality education, quality educators, and small class sizes, choose Lakeside Christian School.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
As the pandemic continues on, more and more families are seeking out schools that are fully in-person rather than remote. In many cases, this means switching from public to private schools, despite the additional cost. Take, for example, the millions of parents working at 9-5 jobs. When their local public schools went online in the spring, managing their child’s school day meant they would not be able to go to work without additional help or some type of child care. Now, between a combination of public schools operating under hybrid instructional models and those which have transitioned to full-time remote learning, parents are panicking as to how they’re going to make it through the end of the school year. More often than not, these are the parents who don’t have the luxury of hiring a private tutor for their child to ensure they stay on track amid all this certainty. They need their children in school, rather than at home.
The solution: more than 22 percent of respondents with K-12 students in a study conducted by the University of Southern California said they would change schools for the upcoming school year. In this brief article, we’ll review just a few of the key benefits of sending your child to an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, for the 2021-2022 school year over a public elementary school.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, elementary schools across the country have implemented a number of safety precautions, including limiting class sizes, staggering schedules, and cleaning surfaces often. However, these safety precautions can only go so far, given the 2.7 million students enrolled in only 4,517 Florida public schools. In contrast, many of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, are at a competitive advantage over these schools due to their small classes and large classroom spaces that make social distancing much easier. If that alone wasn’t convincing, many private schools have also received endowments to upgrade air filtration systems, set up tented classrooms, and revamp nurses’ offices.
A study released this week by American management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that the shift to remote school back in the spring set white students back by one to three months and students of color back by three to five months. Not only did these students begin the academic year behind, but now experts fear that these losses will escalate as the pandemic persists into the next school year. What we’re going to be looking at, essentially, is a lost generation of students.
To mitigate this education gap, parents need to consider how they’re going to provide remediation to their children at a time when school districts are struggling to pay for their basic needs like teachers’ salaries. The answer just may be sending your child to an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, like Lakeside Christian School. Our Mastery Learning Division is proud to provide all students in grades K to 5 with the solid academic foundation in math and language arts that they need to be prepared for success in secondary grades.
If this year has proved anything, it’s that we can’t predict the future. Now more than ever, you want to have confidence in the fact that your child is going to be ready for anything these next couple of years could throw at them. This means you need to send your student to one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, that incorporates an academically rigorous curriculum with real-world skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. For example, the faculty and staff at Lakeside Christian School help to personally shape each of their students into purpose-driven leaders that are prepared to shape their world for good.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
As a parent, you know that selecting a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever have to make. In the State of Florida, we recognize that school choice is a crucial component to ensuring that all parents have the opportunity to provide their children with access to an outstanding education. That’s why our state is the national leader in providing a wide variety of school options to meet the unique educational needs of each family.
One of the options you have for your child is religious and other nonpublic schools through Florida’s scholarship programs, including the John M. McKay Scholarship for Students With Disabilities, the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship, and the Opportunity Scholarship Program. In this brief article, we’ll discuss how Step Up For Students in Clearwater, FL can provide your student with more school options.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Step Up For Students In Florida
Step Up for Students is a state-approved nonprofit scholarship funding organization founded in 1998 by Tampa venture capitalist John Kirtley as a solution to the lack of educational options available for low-income students. Today, the organization manages multiple scholarship programs offering five separate scholarships to thousands of Florida schoolchildren: the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTC), the Gardiner Scholarship, the Hope Scholarship, the Reading Scholarship, and the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES). The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, on its own, is the largest scholarship program of its kind in the nation and offers scholarships to more than 100,000 low-income students.
There are two income-based scholarships offered to low-income students through Step For Students — the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship. The only major difference between the two is that while the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship allows families to choose between financial assistance toward private school OR transportation costs to a public school other than the one the student is assigned to attend, the Family Empowerment Scholarship is only to be used towards private school tuition and fees. Your student will not be found eligible for either scholarship if your family’s income is found to be between 261% – 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Applications are processed in the order that they are received, and the available scholarships are awarded with a priority given to renewal families and those with the greatest financial need. That’s why it’s important to submit your application as soon as possible, ensuring that all of your financial information is accurate. For the Family Empowerment Scholarship, your child must also be either able to enroll in kindergarten or have spent the last school year in attendance at a Florida public school.
Related: Does My Child Qualify For A Step Up For Students Scholarship?
Once you’ve received your scholarship, your next step is to select one of the Step Up For Students participating schools. While there are a wide variety of participating schools in the region, you’ll want to select a school that can help your student achieve their academic, social, and career-minded goals like Lakeside Christian School. With small class sizes and a plethora of opportunities for individualized education, our students are able to grow connected with their fellow students, develop academically and spiritually, and prepare themselves for college and beyond.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the Step Up For Students participating schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Approximately 5.7 million students out of the 56.4 million students in the United States were projected to attend private schools in Fall 2020. If you’re looking to send your child to a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, you want to be sure that the school you choose will support your child’s social and emotional development and provide them with a comfortable learning environment where they can succeed. The middle school years are especially difficult for students, which means it’s incredibly important to find a school that will assist your child throughout the process academically, socially, and emotionally.
With the right school, this transition period between elementary and high school can be the perfect opportunity for your child to develop lifelong skills, a love for learning, and the ability to advocate for themselves. In this brief article, we’ll review a few questions you should ask yourself when choosing the best Clearwater private school for your child.
Related: Why Middle School Students Benefit From A Private Education
This question encompasses everything the private middle school does when it comes to academics, including the standards, curriculum, instructional strategies, and college readiness. At Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, this comes in the form of our high school prep program, complete with our algebra preparation curriculum, our study skills division, and our writing prep program — all of which serve to provide our students with the foundational skills and academic confidence they need to succeed in high school and beyond. Each of our students benefits from daily structured homework assistance and tutoring time as well as accelerated writing instruction.
You’ll also want to get an idea of how your child’s school aligns their educational programs, classes, and units with their strategically designed curriculum. Lakeside Christian School uses data-driven instruction, which means that your child receives an entirely customized educational plan that will work to either propel them forward or eliminate academic gaps.
This question refers to the environment or culture of the school in which learning takes place and includes a number of factors, such as class size, the emotional and physical safety provided to students, involvement with the local community, administration, and diversity. You want to know that the private middle school you’ve chosen is capable of handling disruptive behavioral incidents, bullying, and other threats to your child’s education. This means finding an environment where your child can be accepted, valued, and supported by their teachers and peers.
At Lakeside Christian School, we provide a safe place for your child to learn and demonstrate the biblical principles of loving God by fostering warm and respectful relationships among our staff members and between staff members and students. We’re constantly seeking to give back and strengthen our relationship with the community that God has given us, and we believe in providing a healthy environment where your child can feel accepted by their community.
Related: Social Benefits Of A Small School Environment
Private middle schools do much more than develop the academic abilities of their students; they also provide extensive opportunities for students to pursue their passions, broaden their horizons, and showcase their skills. You’ll want your student to be exposed to a wide variety of these opportunities for development, including athletic programs, fine arts programs, and extracurricular activities. Lakeside Christian School offers a number of athletic programs to this end, including junior high football, volleyball, cross county, cheerleading, softball, and more.
Learn more about the top Clearwater private school and the importance of choosing the best private middle school for your child by talking with an administrator from Lakeside Christian School.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, a private middle school in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Applying to college is already a stressful experience for many high school students and their parents. Throw in a global pandemic, and you’ve got a recipe for frustration unlike any other. Between unprecedented financial situations to campuses that can’t be toured, almost every key aspect of the college admissions process has been turned on its end. Fortunately, one of the best private high schools in Clearwater, FL, Lakeside Christian School, has compiled a comprehensive list of ways you can assist your child with applying to college during COVID-19.
Related: What Colleges Look For in Your Child’s School
Nationwide bans on large campus gatherings have forced many colleges to cancel in-person campus tours and admission events. To compensate for the lack of admission visits, a number of colleges have begun using virtual webinars, tours, and events to allow prospective students to get a feel for the school during the admissions process. You can find a number of these tours and virtual webinars on the college’s website. For example, if your student wanted to attend Harvard, they’re welcome to attend a student-led Virtual Historical Tour of Harvard via Zoom for a history of the university, general information, and a unique perspective of the student’s individual experience. If your student is deciding between several options, you could also use CampusTours — the leading provider of video tours, photorealistic interactive campus maps, and compelling walking tours. No matter which college your student is interested in, there’s sure to be a virtual component available for them to get a better understanding of what it’s like on campus and in the classroom.
More than ever, U.S. universities are seeing a surge in interest from in-state students looking to stay closer to home amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students may want to be closer to home in case the pandemic once again forces classes online, while others are looking to benefit from the in-state tuition rates. If your child was only applying to out-of-state schools with one safety school in their home state, now would be the time to broaden their application net, applying both to high-range and safety schools. We also recommend spending time with your child to re-identify schools that are the best fit for them based on academics, financial aid, campus culture, and, now, distance from home.
Related: 3 Qualities College Admissions Offices Look For In Applicants
There was already a trend in place of colleges moving away from requiring the SAT or ACT and, because of the pandemic, nearly two-thirds of colleges in the United States have gone test-optional as thousands of students had their tests canceled due to COVID-19-related safety concerns. If your child has already taken the SAT or ACT, the decision whether or not to submit these scores for their college application can be a difficult one. To have the best chance of getting accepted into the university of their choice, we recommend that your child only submit their scores under two conditions:
For example, if the university’s SAT average is 1400, and your child earned a 1250 on the SAT, it may prove detrimental to submit their SAT scores in their application. For a high school that knows exactly what colleges are looking for in your child’s education and will work with them every step of the way to properly prepare them well in advance of the college application process, choose Lakeside Christian School — one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the top private schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
The holiday season is upon us. It’s time for students to take a well-deserved break from school, enjoy the cooler weather of the winter months, and spend quality time with their loved ones. Unfortunately, even Thanksgiving Break, which is typically only a week off from school, can have a negative impact on your child’s academic achievement levels. In what’s known as winter learning loss or “winter slide,” students experience significant setbacks in their math and reading skills as a result of not engaging in any acts of meaningful learning during the break.
Thankfully, incorporating meaningful learning into your child’s Thanksgiving or Christmas break doesn’t mean sending them off to summer school or forcing them to spend each day practicing their multiplication tables. In this brief article, Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, goes over three methods parents can use to keep their child’s mind sharp over a holiday break.
Related: 3 Important Ways To Foster Your Child’s Development In Elementary School
Keeping your child reading is by far the most important method on this list. It’s incredibly tempting for elementary students to spend their winter break glued to a screen somewhere in their home like a television, video game console, or tablet. One of the best ways to stimulate their brain and make sure that their reading skills continue to strengthen is to motivate them to continue reading throughout winter break. Below, we’ve compiled some easy tips to do just that:
Fortunately, if you find your child inevitably drawn to technology like a mobile phone or tablet, there are thousands of online educational resources available at the click of a button. A quick Google search reveals a whole host of great websites and applications that combine fun and games with valuable learning opportunities. To help you select the best option for your child, we’ve compiled a list of websites and apps below based on teaching value, reliability, and ability to engage students.
The truth is that we’re always learning, even if we don’t notice it. One way to keep your child engaged in learning is by taking advantage of teachable moments. For example, you could make a habit of asking your child to read license plates, road signs, and restaurant menus. Any little bit helps toward the progression of your child’s reading skills. For math, we’d recommend asking your child to perform basic math problems like counting the number of commercials that come on during a television show. This will also help to show your child to realize that the skills they’re learning in school have real-world applicability.
All of these steps, however, are virtually useless if your child is not returning from their winter break to an elementary school that best fits their needs. If you want your student to benefit from the best possible education, smaller class sizes, and individual attention, it’s time to consider enrolling him or her in Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL.
If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the best private schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.
Are you ready to join the Lakeside Christian School community? Contact us, and schedule a tour today.
Parents of Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, Click Here.