It’s no secret that students lose much of their school progress (20% for reading and 27% for math) over the summer, which educators refer to as the “summer slide” or “summer loss.” The Key Summer Program is designed to help students who are struggling in core content areas and want to fill academic gaps or strengthen their skills for the upcoming school year.
The solution is simple: The Key School & Training Center.
The Key Summer Program focuses heavily on reinforcing math, reading, and writing concepts while learning new skills. Classes are categorized into three major categories: hallmark, enrichment, and fun! Keep reading to learn more.
What is the Key School?
For nearly 60 years, the Key Summer Program has been a game-changer for students who learn differently. What started as a small initiative back in 1966 has grown into a well-loved tradition in Tarrant County, helping kids strengthen their academic skills and build confidence before heading into a new school year.
At the heart of it all is the legacy of Mary Ann Key, whose vision continues to shape the program today. Whether your child needs extra support in reading and math or is looking for an academic head start, the Key Summer Program has a variety of classes designed to meet students where they are. New this year is Key Start, an enrichment class for incoming Pre-K students.
With a specialized curriculum, highly trained teachers, and a proven approach to instruction, the Key Summer Program is built to give students from Pre-K through 12th grade the tools they need to succeed.
What is the Key Summer Program?
The Key School Summer Program is a three-week initiative designed for students entering grades K–12 who either struggle academically or seek an educational boost for the upcoming school year.
Reading, phonics, and spelling are our most popular classes and are the hallmark of the Key Summer program. There’s also a variety of “fun” classes students can take to boost their creativity and develop social skills and hobbies.
With the fun classes at Key Summer Program, children can really shine in classes like Digital Production, Coding, Animation, and more! Social and life skills can be achieved by attending the Connections classes taught by our Licensed Practitioner Counselor.
The newest addition to the Key Summer Program is the Key Start Pre-K program. Early identification and early exposure (to schooling systems) are crucial for supporting students with learning differences, and this class is a stepping stone to aiding those students. Key Start is targeted skill development for students ages 4-5 years old, exhibiting characteristics of a learning difference.
What Is a Certified Academic Language Therapist?
One of the Key Summer Program’s standout features is that Reading, Phonics, & Spelling classes are taught by Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTS).
If you have a child with dyslexia or another written-language disorder, you may have heard of Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs). These specialists provide structured, research-backed interventions to help students build accuracy, confidence, and independence in reading and writing.
CALTs don’t use a one-size-fits-all method. They review evaluation reports, analyze academic work, and conduct skills assessments to create a custom learning plan.
For children who struggle with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences, Certified Academic Language Therapists make a world of difference.
What kind of Classes are offered at the Key School?
Hallmark Classes
Key School’s Hallmark Classes, inspired by founder Mary Ann Key, focus on Reading, Phonics & Spelling, and Math Fundamentals for grades 1-12. Taught by Certified Academic Language Therapists, these structured, research-based courses help close learning gaps and boost academic success.
Hallmark Classes Available:
- Reading, Phonics & Spelling (1-12)
- Math Fundamentals (1-12)
Enrichment Classes
Beyond the core subjects, the Key Summer Program offers enrichment classes designed to boost academic skills and prepare students for the next school year.
Enrichment Classes Available:
- Key Start (Pre-K)
- Kindergarten Academic Readiness (K)
- Comprehension & Paragraph Writing (Grades 3-8)
- Reading Comprehension Strategies (Grades 9-12)
- Keyboarding (Grades 5-12)
- Pre-Algebra (Grades 7-12)
- Algebra I (Grades 7-12)
- Financial Literacy (Grades 7-12)
- Geometry (Grades 9-12)
Fun Classes
Learning can (and should) be fun, too.
The Key Summer Program also offers exciting extracurricular classes that encourage creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning. From digital art, coding, or photography, the fun classes are, well, fun!
Fun Classes Available:
- Connections I, II, III (Grades 3-12)
- Art (Grades 6-12)
- Digital Art & Animation Studio (Grades 6-12)
- Coding 101 (Grades 5-8)
- Digital Video Production (Grades 6-12)
- Creative Digital Photography (Grades 6-12)
Between Class Childcare
If your child has a break between classes and needs supervision, the Key Summer Program now offers between-class childcare.
Rates:
- $40 per week
- $120 for the full program (June 9-27, 2025)
Follow Up
Don’t let your kiddos turn off their brains when on summer break. Learn more about the Key School here.
