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National Board Certified Teacher & Reading Specialist

Stop trying to fix summer

Published 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hi Reader,

We're well into summer now.

And if your house is anything like the ones I know best, the initial exhale has worn off — and the low-grade worry has moved back in. Is she reading enough? Should I be doing more? What if we fall behind?

The tutoring center emails keep coming. The summer workbooks are sitting on the counter, half-finished. And you're not sure if letting go of the structure is wise or irresponsible.

I want to offer you a different frame before you make any decisions. Summer for a neurodivergent child is not a gap. It is the most neurologically important window of the year. And you might be filling it with exactly the wrong things.

Recent articles

THIS WEEK ON THE CHANNEL

Why Your ADHD Child Can't Just "Catch Up" This Summer (And What Actually Helps)

The perfectionism loop that keeps ADHD brains stuck isn't just a school-year problem. It follows them into summer. Here's the neuroscience behind why rest is not wasted time — it's essential time.

FROM THE BLOG

Summer Slide With ADHD and Dyslexia: Your Child Isn't Losing Skills. Here's What's Really Happening.

The anxiety about summer slide is real — but the assumption underneath it isn't. Here's what the research actually shows, and what your child's brain is doing during the "quiet" weeks.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Talking Is Teaching: Reading Comprehension Strategies for ADHD and Dyslexia Families

Summer conversations count as reading instruction. Here's exactly how to use ordinary family talk to build the comprehension skills your child needs — without a workbook in sight.

ONE THING

One thing before the week starts.

Rest is not a reward for earned productivity. For a neurodivergent brain that has been white-knuckling it since September, rest is a neurological requirement.

The research on memory consolidation is clear: sleep and unstructured time are when the brain files what it learned. The summer "slide" that parents fear is often the opposite — it's the nervous system finally exhaling enough to integrate the year.

Let them breathe this week. Not because they earned it. Because their brain needs it to be ready for what comes next.

💟Kelly

Questions or thoughts? Just hit reply — I read every one.

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National Board Certified Teacher & Reading Specialist

Kelly Sutherland, NBCT, Ed.S

You've read the books. Tried the strategies. Wondered at midnight if you're the problem. I want you to know — you're not, and I'm not saying that from outside the storm.I'm a National Board Certified Teacher and Reading Specialist with 25 years in the classroom — currently teaching, not a former teacher watching from a distance. I also have ADHD myself, and I'm a bonus mom to a son with dyslexia. I'm not observing this from the outside. I'm in it with you.Here, you'll find research-backed strategies for ADHD and dyslexia families — built for real households, not Pinterest ones. If you're ready to stop guessing and start building a plan, you're in the right place.

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