A little push

While I was ecstatic at my daughter's kindergarten graduation, I felt sad for the parents of three children in her class that will not be going on to first grade next year. Kindergarten is such an important year in school, where children experience many "firsts" and some find it hard to keep up. In addition to all the learning that happens, children are still becoming acclimated to school life in general and being away from home for the whole day. That is a lot of pressure for a five year old. And with the standardized testing starting in kindergarten, teachers must be brutally honest about which children should repeat the year until they are truly ready for the first grade.

Parents and students alike can benefit from reading tutors to give them the one on one attention that lacks in most public schools. Although tutors are an added cost, many parents find it worth the extra money for their children to feel more comfortable with learning and their school environment.