Elementary school has changed a lot since the parents of today were kindergartners, playing with blocks and drawing crude approximations of letters in crayon. With the application of national standards such as No Child Left Behind, language arts and math placement tests can start as early as kindergarten and be administered multiple times over the year. For late-birthday or late-blooming children, the results of these tests in the early grades can make it seem like they’re miles behind.
Fortunately, tutoring can help.
The Right Help At The Right Time
The problem with one-size-fits-all academic standards is that they don’t always take into account that children hit developmental milestones at different rates, all within normal ranges. This span is particularly wide amid younger children when the difference in maturity, small-motor skills, and cognitive advancement between a just-five-year-old and an almost-six-year-old can be marked.
However, the top-down pressure to have every child read and figure by the third grade can cause anxiety among parents as well as the children who may be just a step behind. Since this is your child’s first exposure to school academics, their experience can color their attitudes for years to come. A little confidence can go a long way. That’s why a child is never too young to benefit from tutoring.
It’s Not All About Worksheets And Drills
Tutoring doesn’t have to be about countless worksheets and rote memorization. Although such tactics may work for older students, they don’t always benefit younger kids.
Memorizing multiplication tables is meaningless for preschoolers who can’t yet grasp the math basics to comprehend what the tables mean. But having a firm understanding of counting, grouping, and pattern recognition is a great start. Preschoolers aren’t always ready to read, but recognizing letters as well as an ever-growing list of sight words is a step in the right direction. And trying to get a young child to sit still for drills is an exercise in futility when all they really want to do is run around and play.
That’s why it’s so important to choose your child’s tutor wisely.
If you’re looking for a tutor for your young child, consider a Montessori-certified teacher. Montessori-trained tutors understand that a child learns best when he’s playfully engaged. Encouraging guided exploration helps children advance academically on their own terms. Most importantly, fanning the flames of a child’s innate curiosity will help them sail past these early academic shoals into a lifelong love of learning.
