When Should I Get Help?

Worries That Kindergarten Parents Have..

Late one afternoon, I was talking to one of my clients that sent her son to Kindergarten just a few weeks ago. She told me to call her so that we can catch up and also, to find out the secret language of "educationalese" she was now hearing as parent of a primary school student.

I realized that this conversation would be a very delicate one because I normally have to sit on two sides of the coin - one side being "for the teacher" and the other side being "for the parent". It is hard to wear these two hats, but at least it will give her (and hopefully you) a better understanding of what is happening both in and out of the classroom. I called her right before she picked up her son from school so that we could actually talk. Some of the highlights of the conversation are listed below.

This is some of the information that she had shared with me:

"I've had my student in a pre-k program and they told me that my son has learned everything that he needs to learn for Kindergarten. But when he started kindergarten, they put him in the Early Intervention Program. What does that mean?"

My response to her is that it would be very difficult to see how prepared a child would be for kindergarten unless they were evaluated right in front of me. Not all pre-kindergarten programs are made equal. Some of them do a fairly nice job preparing students for kindergarten while others may not adequately prepare students for what they need to know for that first year. The bottom line is, just because a student has spent an entire year singing the alphabet song does not automatically mean that he or she knows how to read. The expectations for a kindergarten student is beyond identifying letters and numbers. If that were the case, then we would have kindergarten begin at 2 years old. Think about what you want your child to know before they walk into school. Now multiply that time ten (it's so much more than what you would expect. Really -some of the kindergarteners are studying Algebra, some first graders are learning basic Economic concepts such as "Opportunity Cost". Okay, I think that is cool, but then again, I'm not your typical educator...).

"My son says that there are students in class that know things so much faster than he does."

True, in life there will always be individuals that are better than you, and those that you are better than. Your role as a parent is to ease the discomfort of your child that has made this observation and make him/her feel comfortable in their own skin. It's too early for a child to make these observations about the world. The first few years are essential in the learning and growth process and I would encourage you to make it one that is positive and filled with bliss. As a sidenote, I would also like to encourage you to help your student in realizing the importance of individual achievement and effort. They do not need to be the best in the classroom - they just always need to put forth their personal best!


"My son says that the class is too easy for him..."

Learning should be accessible, but not "too easy". Perhaps I would even venture to say that the process of learning be considered enjoyable or engaging for the student.  Sometimes when things are "too easy" for a student, negative behaviors appear and that may not be a good thing for the overall learning environment in the classroom.

My thoughts on the entire conversation is that when you notice that your student is struggling in their overall academic performance, please find a way to help them get back on track. Most students want to succeed and feel good about what they accomplish in life. If you, as a parent, are able to help them in achieving this goal, it will make both you and your child feel better in the long run.

If you are in the Kennesaw/East Cobb/Atlanta/Roswell/Cherokee/Alpharetta/Johns Creek/Dunwoody/Atlanta/Marietta/Kennesaw/Vinings/Sandy Springs/Buckhead area (Cobb County, Fulton County, Dekalb County, Gwinnett, Cherokee County) and have any questions about the JATP, CRCT, SSAT, SAT, GED, Summer Tutoring, Orton-Gillingham, Kindergarten Preparation, Handwriting Without Tears, Writing Strategies, or any methodologies or instructional methods that may help your child succeed, please contact me at christine@learningridge.com or visit my website at http://www.learningridge.com/.  If you need immediate assistance, you can call me at 404-964-8533.