MAY 10 - Is Your Elementary Child’s Education on Track?
Local Tutoring Options to Address Skill Gaps
CF Special Report
If you have a child in elementary school, the fundamentals of their education are being learned in these critical early years – or not.
A new book has been published that aims to gives parents guidelines to keep their kids on track, written by Danita Smith, and entitled “Ten Things Your Child Should Know about Reading, Writing, and Math (Pre-K-5th Grade).”
Smith offers lists of skills and activities by grade level which can be used by parents to help avoid "social promotion," and to assess their child's actual development of fundamental skills. There are clear guidelines and expectations for each grade level. along with tips and exercises for improving skills.
"There is a clear need for parents to find time in their day to work on their child's educational development and to make sure their child is progressing properly through school. My book was written for parents as a guide which includes simple tips and techniques to address these issues," she explains.
The inspiration for the book came out of her desire to insure that her son was gaining necessary skills as her family moved, and he was in different school districts.
She holds both a BS and MBA in Business Administration from Florida A&M University and has spent years studying academic standards and ways to effectively implement educational techniques with children.
If you conclude that your child’s falling behind, there are a number of options in our area to pursue. First, set up a meeting with your child’s teacher and ask for assistance.
Remember that if your family has changed school districts during the K-5 grades, there is a good chance that fundamentals have been missed. Some systems focus on drilling grammar fundamentals in 3rd grade; other systems focus on this in the 4th.
The summer is a good time to identify gaps that have developed, such as math skills, sentence structure, vocabulary or creative writing skills, and use fun workbooks that can be purchased inexpensively to use at home during summer mornings before they go out to play.
And, Savannah has several professional companies that offer tutoring assistance, such as Sylvan Learning, Kumon, the Royce Learning Center and Club Z Home Tutoring.
According to Janese Cooper, director of Savannah’s Kumon Math and Reading Center located at Picadilly Shopper Center, 10010Abercorn St., “Parents are the best advocates for their children.” Kumon offers a complimentary assessment of a child’s skill level. They then work to fill in any learning gaps, “and we then start preparing our students for advanced study work,” Cooper explains. “We’re also working on developing concentration and good study skills, which are life skills that parents are seeking for their children.”
At Royce Learning Center, which offers programs 12 months a year, there will also be special summer programs this year for 5th through 12th graders to work on study skills. Two different sessions are available. The courses include organizational, note taking and test taking skills, all of which become increasingly important as students progress into higher grades.
Royce also offers one-on-one tutoring, individualized by what the student needs, and the instructors communicate directly with the child’s school to coordinate needed instruction, as well as with the parents. Individualized rates run from $45 to $50 a hour. Royce receives support from the United Way in order to offer reduced rates, based on need, according to Sally Greenberg, program coordinator at the tutoring center.
Local Tutoring Resources
• Kumon Math & Reading Center (912) 920-8899
• Sylvan Learning Center (912) 355-2267
• Royce Learning Center 912- 354-4047
• Club Z Home Tutoring (912) 351-9644
Comments