The Advantages of Summer School vs Summer Tutoring

As parents prepare for the coming summer and consider their children’s needs, they may be pondering the advantages of summer school vs summer tutoring. Both have similar benefits, but also different structures and other distinctions that should be considered. Tutoring 4 Less offers insight into which academic programs you should opt to best advantage your children over the summer months!

Differences Between Summer School and Summer Tutoring

Some of the major differences between summer school and summer tutoring include:

Summer SchoolSummer Tutoring
The entire class receives the same lesson plan.Each student receives a different lesson plan.
Groups can be up to 35 in size.Small group settings or individual tutoring (2-4 maximum).
There is a set schedule for classes.Flexible schedule for classes.
Curriculum books are used.An online platform is used.
Teachers intermittently monitor progress.Progress is consistently checked via the online platform.
Must attend class at school.Can attend at home or at Tutoring 4 Less’ Tutoring Center.
The same program is taught to students regardless of learning style.Each tutoring program is tailored to a student’s learning style and academic need.
Parents discuss progress with teacher after summer school program ends.Parents discuss progress with tutor after each session.

Why Summer is the Best Time for Tutoring

Families most commonly turn to tutoring services because kids are struggling, even falling behind, during the school year. The issue is often a skills or knowledge gap. Kids working with a tutor benefit from the one-on-one focus, but in order to get caught up on the class material, focus often has to be split between new content and study skills. Summer is different, however. Not only are students fresher, because they are not at school for forty hours a week or longer, they have no new content to focus on (except high school students, who may have reading lists they are expected to start on over the summer break). That means that tutors over the summer can focus on providing their students with the skills they will need for the next year, whether those are:

  • Reading and writing
  • Number sense
  • Assignment planning
  • Time management/prioritization
  • Note taking
  • Researching/independent learning

As little as an hour or two of summer tutoring sessions a week can pay off massively when your child hits the ground running in the next academic year. It can also avert the summer slide: the atrophy of study skills through lack of use during a long break. Summer slide is a considerable issue that educators first identified decades ago, and can set students’ academic skills as far back as a month every summer. Over the course of a child’s academic development, that can add up significantly.

Taking Advantage of Summer School Tutoring

One of the main issues of summer break is that while students may be on break, parents are most likely not. It can be difficult to help your children prepare for the next academic year and get them in the right frame of mind for learning, especially elementary school-aged children. This is a major advantage of summer school tutoring: parents can have a professional prepare their kids for school. Tutors will expand children’s skillsets, particularly study skills. Some students might prefer if they spend their summer vacation at home, and simply have a tutor visit for several hours a week. The advantages of this approach include greater comfort levels for students, a better attitude (they don’t feel like summer is being taken away from them by more school), and greater receptiveness.

Additional Benefits of Summer Tutoring

Test prep, such as for the ACT and SAT, is a good choice for summer tutoring. Students can build confidence by working on their test skills outside of the standard school environment with its myriad distractions, steeling themselves for the test environment and coming up with strategies to avoid undue stress or fatigue.

Summer tutoring can even be a support option for summer school. Often summer school teachers are doing their best to compress months of coursework into weeks, and students can struggle to keep up with the relentless pace. A tutor who can hone in on a student’s learning style and address it directly can have an immense effort, not only on the student’s progress during summer but the rest of their academic career. Sometimes, all that is needed for a student to prosper is for a tutor to show them the way that they can leverage their learning style’s advantages for themselves.

Talk to us about arranging summer learning for your child!

Finding the Best Summer Program For Your Child In 2023

Chinese Elementary School Girl Sitting At Books Stack Posing On Yellow Background. Studio Shot, Free Space For Text

Summer 2023 is something we are all looking forward to and a summer program for your child is a big part of it. Whether your child is interested in STEM, art, sports, or a little bit of everything, Los Angeles has a program for everyone. But what should you choose if your child did not do as well as expected in the 2022-2023 school year? How can you help your son or daughter with an academic boost over the summer, to prepare them for the new school year? The “summer slump” is a well-documented phenomenon even for kids who meet or exceed academic standards during the school year. The summer slump, or summer regression, refers to students’ lower academic performance at the start of a new school year, caused by a lack of exposure to educational opportunities during the summer. Then, come fall, educators are required to spend time at the beginning of the year reviewing the material to get students back to their pre-summer levels.

At Tutoring4Less, we offer a summer tutoring program, otherwise known as Summer Intervention Program, with hands-on learning as well as fun activities. Our Summer 2023 program helps prevent the summer slump, so your child can start the new academic year on the right foot.

Academic Summer Camp vs. Summer Intervention Program in Los Angeles

If your child needs academic support based on the year-end results of 2022-2023 school year, your first thought may be to sign them up for an academic summer camp. Many summer camps offer 1-week or 2-week programs specializing in math, reading, computer science, earth science, or STEM. These programs offer some hands-on learning and/or focus on a specific subject. And of course, summer camp includes fun activities, field trips, and opportunities to make new friends. In Los Angeles and Southern California, you can choose from hundreds of camps for summer 2023. With COVID restrictions mostly lifted, there are sleepaway camps, camps on college campuses, Parks & Recs camps, and online summer camps. There are plenty of academic summer camps, ranging from creative writing to coding. Some camps are very affordable, while others can cost thousands of dollars. The choice of a summer program is often limited only by your schedule and budget.

What may work for some families may not work for others. Often, when you review your chid’s report card for the spring term, you may decide that instead of summer camp, a summer intervention program focused on academic skills may be a better use of your child’s time and your family’s budget.  

What Should Los Angeles Parents Look for In a High-Quality Summer Intervention Program?

Many programs tout themselves as “the best” or “top-rated summer program in Los Angeles.” To help you cut through the noise, we recommend evaluating your options based on the following criteria:

  • Balanced programming with daily opportunities for reading, math, and recreation
  • Low student-to-staff ratios
  • High-interest, engaging activities
  • Positive interaction between kids and caring adults
  • A safe, structured learning environment
  • Personalized attention
  • Bilingual staff 
  • Convenient location and hours

What Questions Can Parents Ask Before Enrolling Their Child In A Los Angeles Summer Intervention Program?

With so many programs to choose from, you may be asking some questions to help you narrow down the list of summer options for your child. We suggest asking the following questions:

  • What is the summer program’s mission? 
  • How is a typical day/week organized? How will my child spend his/her time?
  • What are the program hours and dates? 
  • How much does the program cost?
  • Will my child be able to work on reading, math, and other skills? 
  • Will my child have an opportunity to choose some of his/her activities?
  • How does the program assess or track each child’s progress? 
  • How does the program promote positive interaction between students and staff?
  • Who are the staff and tutors? How many years of experience do they bring to the summer program?
  • What type of communication can families expect?
  • How much academic progress can I expect at the end of the summer? How prepared will my child be for the fall?

Summer Intervention Program at Tutoring4Less

Our summer learning programs are intervention programs that support accelerated learning during the summer months. Academically-focused summer learning programs differ from traditional summer school programs or academic summer camps in that they:

  •  integrate recreational, cultural, and/or enrichment activities
  •  blend remediation with enrichment activities and more advanced curriculum
  •  are attended by students of varied skill levels
  •  encourage positive relationships among peers and with adults

The Tutoring 4 Less Summer Tutoring Program is a readiness program for students from Pre-K to 12th grade that need to prepare for the academic challenges they face when entering a new grade level.  Our program focuses on addressing a student’s academic weaknesses and building a student’s confidence. Whether it’s math, science, or writing programs you need, our tutoring services can provide the academic support that will support your student’s continued academic development. We even provide test prep services.

During the Tutoring 4 Less summer tutoring program, a student won’t have the distractions of school or homework and can focus on addressing all of the academic content that they have been struggling with throughout the previous school year. With the support of a private tutor, whether in-person or via online tutoring, your student’s tutoring experience will lift your student’s academic abilities and get them closer to achieving their full potential.

Whether your child struggled in school this school year and needs to catch up, or you would like to help your child build new skills and confidence, our Summer Tutoring program is a great alternative to summer camps or summer school. Contact us today to learn more! 

Homework Help Resources

Do you or your child ever wish you could wave a magic wand and have homework done for you? Homework struggles are real, and a common source of frustration for both students and parents. The good news is that these days, there are plenty of online resources, including online math problem solvers and smartphone applications. Whether you are a parent or a student, you can leverage online math problem-solving websites and smartphone applications to find the step-by-step answer to a complex problem. While these tools are not a magic wand, and definitely not a substitute for learning, they can give you and your student a quick shortcut when you are stuck on a homework problem. At Tutoring4Less, we support Los Angeles students with a structured curriculum to help them master skills for each grade level. While we don’t use online math solvers or other shortcuts, we recognize that when you are helping your students with homework at home, they can be very helpful, particularly if it’s been a while since you studied math yourself.

What Is A Website That Can Help With Math Homework?

What do you do when you are stuck on a math question, with no one around to help with math homework? When you find a math problem that you don’t know how to solve, you can easily take a photo and upload it to an online math problem solver. You will get the answer in a few seconds. These websites can help with homework and also provide you with detailed explanations of the questions to help you learn math more thoroughly.

In this article, we have compiled a list of these websites that will help you to figure out the solution to any K-12 math problem. From beginner arithmetic to algebra, geometry, statistics, and even calculus, no problem is too hard for these online tools. 

Khan Academy: Khan Academy is an online, free and non-profit provider of education. Students can choose from an impressive list of subjects that span from all levels, including early math to AP Biology and more. The site even offers help with test prep for the SAT, ACT, MCAT, GMAT and other college-level entrance exams.

Mathway is a smart math problem solver which gives you a step-by-step solution to any math problem. Just type your question and press enter to reveal a detailed answer to your math problem

Chegg Math Solver gives you full-time access to an online calculator or math solver where you can type any math question and get a detailed explanation along with the final answer.

CameraMath is a simple and efficient tool application for math problem solvers. It is an essential learning and problem-solving tool for students! Just snap a picture of the homework question and CameraMath will show you the step-by-step solution with detailed explanations. CameraMath covers all levels of math including Arithmetic, Algebra I, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and more.

Photomath is a smartphone application which is also known as a camera calculator. All you have to do is take a picture of a math problem and upload it. This math app will scan the problem, solve it, and will display a detailed solution on your screen.

Microsoft Math Solver provides you a free platform where you can not only get detailed solutions to your questions, but also other supporting materials such as interactive graphs, relevant practice problems, and online videos.

Snapcalc is another tool that does the math for you. Just snap a picture of a math problem, and voila — the answer is displayed on your screen. From algebra to calculus, the app has solutions to a wide range of topics. Handwritten problem? No worries – SnapCalc recognizes both handwritten problems as well as printed ones. Just snap a problem or upload one from your photo gallery.

What You Should Know About Online Homework Help

When seeking help online for homework or writing assignments, you may be tempted to let someone else do the work. However, that is considered cheating and/or plagiarism, and it results in serious consequences. It is important to remember that math requires critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and logical deduction. By relying on online math problem solvers, students miss out on the opportunity to develop these skills. While online math problem solvers can be convenient and quick, they are not a substitute for developing problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of math concepts. Finally, keep in mind that online math problem solvers are not perfect and can make mistakes. Students who rely on them may not realize when the answer is incorrect, leading to further confusion and a setback to their learning process.

Help Your Child With Math: Alternatives To Online Math Problem Solvers

Some students need extra help and encouragement to get better at math. As a parent, you may feel that helping with math isn’t always easy, especially since the way they teach math is different than it used to be “back in your day.” If you feel lost or frustrated trying to help your child with math, you are definitely not alone. Most parents and caregivers haven’t taken math classes in a while. But even if you’re not the best at math, there are many ways you and the school can help your child improve.

Here are some tips for parents and caregivers to help their child with math:

  • Talk about math: Use sports, like football, to reinforce math concepts.
  • Avoid saying you’re bad at math: saying we aren’t good at math erodes any remaining confidence, and it gives our kids permission to not be good at it, either – that is not an option we can afford to take. When kids hear you say that you’re bad at math, they believe you. And consequently, they often conclude that they also will inevitably be bad at math.
  • Have your child teach you math: teaching a concept is a great way to learn it and to feel more confident about your own math skills. When faced with a question that you can’t answer, explain that you’re stuck too, and challenge your kids to figure it out just well enough that they can try to explain it to you.
  • Play board games that help young kids build math skills.
  • Ask your child’s teacher for tips you can try at home.

Homework Help and More at Tutoring4Less in Los Angeles

It is completely normal to need homework help at any grade level. While some students may leverage their family or friends for help, others need more in-depth assistance. At Tutoring4Less, we support K-12 students of all abilities with regular tutoring sessions, to encourage learning and understanding math, rather than quick shortcuts such as online math solvers. We help our students develop confidence and study habits that will last them a lifetime, not just help them pass the next test. Our students improve by an entire grade level on average. So next time you or your student is tempted to upload a picture of a difficult math problem to an online solver, schedule an assessment at Tutoring4Less and get them started on a path to becoming a more confident and successful student. We are here to help!

Study Habits For Elementary School Success

Study Habits To Help Your Child Succeed In Elementary School and Beyond

As parents, we have a lot on our plates. When a child asks for help with homework, or when you find that their report card is not looking as good as it could, the idea of sitting down to help your child with homework after a long day may sound daunting. But a few simple study habits can go a long way to helping your child succeed. You don’t need to spend hours doing homework with your grade-schooler every night. Instead, you can help them develop strong study habits that will come in handy not just this school year, but for many years to come, even in your child’s professional life. 

Good study habits don’t come naturally to grade-schoolers. As a leading tutoring service in Los Angeles, we work with students to develop study skills while they gain mastery of the material for each subject. Today we are sharing a few tips for helping your child develop strong, effective study habits. With these tips, your child will be more able to effectively use their study time, minimize homework frustration, and enjoy more free time to play or do what they love.

Time management, focus, and balancing self-care are essential skills in the real world. Helping your child thrive in school prepares them for all of life’s demands. Perhaps you can even learn a thing or two about managing your own time! 

Set A Fixed Time For Homework

Most elementary school age kids in Los Angeles have busy schedules. After a long day at school, there are sports, extracurricular activities, playdates, or after-school care. In Southern California, we also have extra time in traffic to contend with. By the time you get dinner on the table, homework may be the last thing on your child’s mind. The key to avoiding late-night meltdowns over homework is to officially put homework on your child’s daily schedule. 

In general, it is recommended to get homework done either before dinner or as early in the evening as possible with your child’s schedule and family commitments. The later it gets, the more tired the child becomes and the more slowly the homework gets done.

Sit down with your child and schedule homework time together. Set a start and end time, and be sure to plan for study breaks. Then, help your child stick to their new schedule. It may take a couple of weeks to find a groove, as interruptions or distractions come up. Stay consistent with the schedule and remind the entire family that homework time is a priority. You can use technology to help you: set reminders on your phone to make sure time doesn’t get away from everyone. After a while, study time will become a regular and expected part of the day. And studies show that children with a structured routine tend to feel more secure and less stressed

Teach Your Child To Create A Dedicated Study Space

As parents, we picture our children doing homework in a quiet room with perfect lighting and no distractions. In the real world, that is not always possible. No dedicated room for homework? No problem. You can create a portable “homework station” to keep all of your child’s school and homework supplies handy.

Furthermore, some kids can actually focus better when surrounded by other people. Left alone in their room, they may easily become distracted. Good news is, a student can make just about any study space more productive. The key to a dedicated homework space is consistency and boundaries. If your child loves doing homework at the kitchen table, perhaps you can set aside an area where they can set up a “pop-up” homework station. Then, during dinner time, it gets cleaned up.

The kitchen table can be a great space for younger children to work. But as your child moves into middle and high school, they may crave more privacy and a larger dedicated space for their textbooks and devices. If it’s time to upgrade their desk, one way to encourage a dedicated homework space is to allow them to decorate their new space. When their study space fits their style, they will be more likely to enjoy using it. You may need to experiment with a few different types of homework setups before you arrive at the optimal solution for this school year. Then, you can start over next year. 

Set Regular But Short Breaks

Research shows that taking purposeful breaks from studying to refresh your brain and body increases your energy, productivity, and ability to focus.

Many professionals use the Pomodoro Technique to increase productivity — working for 25 minutes, then taking a five-minute break. This is a great place to start when planning study breaks as well. Depending on the age of your child, even 25 minutes can be too long to sit still and focus on homework. Try out a few options, see what works best for your child, and be flexible. Once you settle on a study break schedule, plan some simple activities that can help your child relax, but not be so distracted that it is difficult to regain focus. 

Here are some ideas for fun short study breaks:

  • Stretch
  • Go for a walk
  • Take a dance break
  • Grab a snack or a glass of water
  • Do 10 jumping jacks
  • Play with building blocks, play dough or a similar fine-motor activity

Try to avoid screen time and TV, which can be very addicting and hard to end after just a few minutes. Save those activities for when homework time is done for the day. 

Prioritize Regular Exercise and Sleep

We know that physical activity has great health benefits for our children. But did you know that children who are more physically active have better academic performance, memory, and attention? Daily exercise will keep the brain active. During study breaks, or before and after study sessions, encourage your child to get outside. 

Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that children and adolescents age 6 and older get at least an hour a day of moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. Children should do vigorous activities, such as running or biking, at least three days a week.

If that transition from school to home to studying is difficult, try exercise to move the mind forward. You don’t have to spend a lot of time here. A 10-minute bike ride or a 5-minute yoga session may be just the trick to moving on to the next phase of the day.

Now, let’s talk about sleep and homework. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours. According to the CDC, Children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, and problems with attention and behavior. 

Children who experienced sleep problems had lower performance outcomes on tests of reading than their peers who slept well. New research published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology suggests that sleep problems may negatively affect children’s reading ability.

Parents can support good sleep habits by sticking to a consistent sleep schedule during the school week and on weekends. This means going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. Create a relaxing sleep environment for your child. Make sure the bedroom is clutter-free, dark and conducive to great sleep. A cool bedroom, between 65 and 67 degrees, is ideal to help kids sleep.

Study Habits For Grade Schoolers and More at Tutoring4Less 

Developing good study habits can be tough, and your child needs your help to succeed. Good study habits are essential for developing children into lifelong learners. A lot of this list involves you, the parent, helping your child learn the dos and don’ts of studying. Looking for more ways to help your child succeed in school and beyond? At Tutoring4Less, our mission is to empower our students with the skills needed to become confident thinkers and independent learners that strive for academic success! Schedule a free assessment for your child, and learn how we can help them improve by as much as an entire grade level. 

How To Help Your Child Prepare For Third Grade

Did you know that the transition from second to third grade is often considered to be one of the most difficult years in your child’s education? Are you looking for ways to help your child prepare for third grade? By the third grade, children have spent two years mastering reading and doing basic math computations. In third grade, they are able to branch out in their studies and handle more complex material. These tips from our tutoring company in Los Angles can help prepare your child for success in third grade. 

Why Is Third Grade So Important?

Third grade signifies the transition to the final two years of elementary school, otherwise knows as the upper elementary school. Third grade has been identified as important to reading literacy because it is the final year children are learning to read, after which students are “reading to learn.” If they are not proficient readers when they begin fourth grade, as much as half of the curriculum they will be taught will be incomprehensible. This transition from lower elementary grades to upper is sometimes considered to be even more challenging than the transition to middle school. Students and their families often struggle with the many new expectations in third grade.

Reading to learn is one of the most valuable skills for students to develop and master for their future. Literacy and reading skills create the foundation for future academic success. Without these skills in place, students are far less likely to understand what they are learning at higher elementary grade levels into middle school. Not only can this hinder their knowledge, but it can also leave students struggling with anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. Although it may seem hard to believe that third-grade reading skills could have such a significant impact on a student’s future career, in fact, they do.

Another main change in third grade is the beginning of high-stakes standardized testing. In California, students take the Smarter Balanced tests starting in third grade. The Smarter Balanced English language arts assessment measures how well students have mastered English language arts skills including reading, writing, and critical thinking. The Smarter Balanced mathematics assessment measures how well students have mastered math skills and concepts.

Third graders are required to complete much more of their work independently. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop some new skills. Third-graders need to become more responsible, develop a strong work ethic, and be able to focus for extended periods of time. 

What Math Concepts Is My Child Expected To Know Before Third Grade?

While there is a multitude of third-grade math standards, you can expect a stronger emphasis on multiplication and division. It will be important that students learn their multiplication facts early, and have a deep understanding of how multiplication works. By the beginning of third grade, kids start using abstract thinking skills in math. They will be working with three-digit numbers and using their understanding of place value (for example, knowing that the “3” in “357” is in the hundreds place and means “300,” the “5” is in the tens place and means “50,” and so on).

Third-grade math expects students to know their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division fact families and use them in equations and two-step word problems

In addition, 3rd graders need to know how to

  • Read and write large numbers through the hundred thousands, knowing the place value for each digit.
  • Use number lines.
  • Round and compare numbers.
  • Understand equivalent fractions, be able to compare fractions and change mixed numbers to improper fractions.
  • Know decimals to the one-hundredth place.
  • Recognize and write patterns.
  • Do mental addition and subtraction.
  • Add four-digit numbers.
  • Subtract with regrouping.
  • Know time to minute and elapsed time in minutes.
  • Read and make graphs.
  • Determine a shape’s perimeter and area.
  • Recognize two-dimensional shapes.
  • Measure with both Customary and Metric systems – length, weight, volume and temperature.
  • Multiply three and four-digit numbers.
  • Divide two and three-digit dividends.
  • Divide circles, squares, and rectangles into equal portions (halves, thirds, quarters).
  • Measure and estimate length using inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.

English Language Arts and Literacy Expectations For Third Grade

Rising third graders are expected to know how to collect information about a single topic from a variety of sources and summarize it. They are also expected to use editing and revising skills in their writing. By the beginning of third grade, children have already started gaining vocabulary and fluency skills. Here are some of the ELA and literacy expectations for third-grade students:

  • Know how to collect information about a topic 
  • Be able to read different styles of text: articles, short stories, short chapters in a book
  • Ask appropriate questions and answer questions about a text (who, what, where, when, why, and how)
  • Read fables, folktales, and myths
  • Recall and retell events from a story in order
  • Tell how the author uses details to support their story or text
  • Compare and contrast elements in different stories (characters, settings, plot, and problems)
  • Discuss a story or topic with their classmates
  • Read grade-level assigned books

Here are some ways kids build skills in reading comprehension and literacy areas and get ready for third grade:

  • Read fables and folktales from different cultures and identify the central message, lesson, or moral in the stories
  • Read about science, social studies, and history and determine the purpose and main idea of these texts
  • Answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions about stories (both in writing and when speaking), using the rules of standard English
  • Describe how an author uses detail to support an idea
  • Gather facts about a topic and describe what was learned (Watch a video on how third graders do research for an essay.)
  • Write about an event with a beginning, middle, and end
  • Write about books using details and examples to back up opinions

Simple Steps To Help Your Child Prepare for Third Grade

By now, you know that getting your child ready for third grade is important. But it does not have to be very difficult. There are several steps parents can take in order to make this transitional year go smoothly for students:

  1. Be aware of the expected changes in third grade, and help your child understand the new expectations. 
  2. Have your child complete their homework independently. Then, look over their assignments, and provide any needed assistance. 
  3. Work with your child to make sure multiplication facts are mastered early in the school year.
  4. Don’t hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or questions.

As at any age, read with your child daily. The US Department of Education suggests 20 minutes every day. Reading aloud can start well before children understand the words you say. The sound of your voice coupled with a warm snuggle and a good book can ignite a love of reading very early on, and continue into their elementary years and even beyond. If you find that your kids are not very interested in reading with you, find books your third grader will love, even if you don’t. 

Tutoring4Less Prepares Students for third grade in Los Angeles

The transition to third grade is an important milestone, and at Tutoring4Less we see dozens of students make this transition every fall. Now you know what third graders are supposed to know, it’s time to ask yourself: Are your child’s skills on par with his or her grade level? Do they need additional support from a structured program and a qualified tutor? 

If you would like assistance with helping your child prepare for third grade, our Los Angeles tutoring program may be right for you. While traditionally many parents associate the word “tutoring” with subject-specific help after school, our Los Angeles tutoring program provides strong foundational skills for students of all ages, including those entering third grade in the fall. Contact us for a free assessment and to discuss whether your rising third-grader would benefit from our services. 

How To Help Your Child Prepare For Kindergarten

Are you looking for ways to help your child prepare for kindergarten? The transition to kindergarten can be a big change for parents and children. From the daily routine, to the social interactions, to the academic skills, your child will have many “firsts” to learn and adjust to. Some parents worry about their child’s academic readiness, while others are concerned that their child may not be quite ready for kindergarten in a social-emotional sense. Some children are excited to start kindergarten, and others may be apprehensive as they don’t quite know what to expect. Not to worry, we are here to help! These helpful tips from our tutoring company in Los Angles can help prepare both you and your child for kindergarten. 

When Can My Child Start Kindergarten?

In California, districts must admit children to kindergarten at the beginning of the school year (or whenever they move into a district) if they will be five years of age on or before September 1. Children who are age-eligible for kindergarten may attend any pre-kindergarten summer program maintained by the school district. 

Private schools in California are not required to comply with the California statutes defining kindergarten. However, the California Association of Private Schools Organizations (CAPSO) indicates that many private schools do voluntarily the same kindergarten age cutoff as public schools. Public school officials may not automatically enroll those students, who attended a private school kindergarten, to first grade. It is always best to ask your school and/or school district if your child’s birthday is in the fall. 

What is Transitional Kindergarten (TK)?

Transitional kindergarten (TK) is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. In California, each elementary or unified school district must offer TK classes for all children eligible to attend. A child who completes one year in a TK program, may continue in a kindergarten program for one additional year. A child is eligible for TK if they have their fifth birthday between September 2 and December 2 (inclusive) and each school year thereafter.

Transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten (K) may be your child’s first-ever experience in a school setting – or it may be a time of transition, moving up from preschool to elementary school. Regardless, it’s an exciting and memorable milestone.

What Is My Child Expected To Know Before Kindergarten?

If you search online for “kindergarten readiness checklist California” you’ll likely find a long document describing the standards for entering kindergarten in your area. Below are sample skills that an incoming kindergarten student is expected to have:

  • Recognize and name basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle.
  • Recognize and name numbers 1-10, even when they are out of order.
  • Recognize the letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase (even out of order)
  • Sort items by size, color, or shape
  • Count 10 objects, pointing to each one as she counts
  • Identify some letters of the alphabet
  • Know if two words rhyme
  • Grip a pencil, crayon, or marker correctly
  • Be able to use scissors and glue
  • Hold a book and turn pages
  • Write their first name using upper- and lowercase letters, if possible
  • Learn sounds corresponding to vowels and consonants
  • Be independent in the bathroom
  • Get themselves dressed

In addition to this checklist, you may want to contact your child’s future school and ask for a specific list of expectations, to prepare your child for a smooth transition in the fall. 

Simple Steps To Help Your Child Prepare for Kindergarten

Getting your child ready for TK/kindergarten is important – and chances are you have already been doing it all along! Talking, reading, and singing with your child are three simple, free ways to prepare your child for school. If you want to take specific steps to prepare your child for kindergarten this summer, here are some simple suggestions:

  1. Plan a visit to the new school and talk with your child about the things they will do at school.
  1. Read to your child every day.
  1. Explore and introduce basic concepts, such as letters, numbers, shapes and colors. For example, you might count the number of plates needed for dinner, or talk about different colors while sorting laundry.
  1. Provide plenty of play opportunities with other children. This will help your child learn to get along with others, to share toys and take turns.
  1. Play games that teach your child how to wait or take turns, such as “London Bridge” or “Duck, Duck, Goose.”
  1. Encourage your child to clean their own room and help with simple chores around the house. 
  1. Encourage independence and self-care: show your child how to get dressed, wash hands, put away their backpack or lunchbox, and perform similar daily tasks. 
  1. Give your child time to play. All children need free time to simply play. Giving your child time to play is very valuable, as playing provides children with many developmental benefits
  1. If possible, provide experiences away from you. Enroll your child in preschool or another activity, such as soccer, swimming lessons or storytime at your local library. 
  1. Make sure your child is in good health: physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually. Schedule regular wellness visits and immunizations, provide a variety of nutritious foods and be sure your child is getting enough sleep and exercise.
  1. Make a plan for before- and after-school. Make sure you and your child know the routine for before- and after-school care if that applies. Discuss where he/she will go, how he/she will get between school and child care, how he/she will get home, etc. Have a back-up plan for what to do in case you are late.

Tutoring4Less Prepares Students for Kindergarten in Los Angeles

The transition to kindergarten is an important milestone, and at Tutoring4Less we see dozens of students make this transition every fall. If you would like assistance with helping your child prepare for kindergarten academically, as well as to practice independence, organizational skills and social interaction, our Los Angeles tutoring program may be right for you. Although many parents associate the word “tutoring” with subject-specific help after school, our program provides strong foundational skills for students of all ages, as well as those entering kindergarten in the fall. Contact us for a free assessment and to discuss whether your rising kindergarten student would benefit from our services. 

LAUSD Calendar For the 2022-2023 School Year

Los Angeles County District Calendars for 2022-2023

Here are all the dates you need to know for the school year 2022-2023 for LAUSD students.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL – LAUSD

The first day of school for the 2022-2023 school year for LAUSD is Monday, August 15, 2022.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL – LAUSD

The last day of school for the 2022-2023 school year for LAUSD is Thursday, June 15, 2023.

2022-2023 LAUSD School Holidays

Thanksgiving Break 2022

Thanksgiving Break is from November 21, 2022, and November 25, 2022.

Winter Break 2022-2023

The 2022 Winter Break will start on December 19, 2022, and run through January 6, 2023. The kids will return to school on January 9, 2023.

Spring Break 2023

Spring Break is from April 3, 2023, through April 7, 2023. The kids will return to school on April 10, 2023. 

2022-2023 LAUSD School Calendar

Here is the list of all the dates you need to know for the school year 2022-2023: 

First Day of School – August 15, 2022

Admission Day – September 2, 2022

Labor Day (no school) – September 5, 2022 Unassigned Day (no school) – September 26, 2022

Unassigned Day (no school) – October 5, 2022

Veterans Day (no school) – November 11, 2022 Thanksgiving Holiday (no school)- November 21-25, 2022 Winter Recess (no school) – December 19, 2022 – January 6, 2023 Second Semester Begins – January 9, 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (no school) – January 16, 2023 Presidents Day (no school) – February 20, 2023 Cesar Chavez Day (no school) – March 31, 2023 Spring Recess (no school) –  April 3-7, 2023

Unassigned Day (no school) – April 24, 2023 Memorial Day (no school) – May 29, 2023 Last Day of School – June 15, 2023


Calendars 2022-2023: Start & End Dates For All Other LA County Districts: 

ABC Unified School District: August 22, 2022 – June 8, 2023 

Alhambra Unified School District: August 9, 2022 – May 26, 2023

Arcadia Unified School District: August 17/18, 2022 – June 7, 2023 

Antelope Valley Union High School District: August 8, 2022 – June 1, 2023 

Baldwin Park Unified School District: August 18, 2022 – June 8, 2023 

Bellflower Unified School District: August 11, 2022 – June 1, 2023 

Beverly Hills Unified School District: August 15, 2022 – June 1, 2023 

Burbank Unified School District: August 15, 2022 – May 25, 2023

Compton Unified School District: August 18, 2022 – June 9, 2023 

Conejo Valley Unified School District: August 24, 2022 – June 15/16, 2023

Culver CityUnified School District:  August 18, 2022- June 9, 2023

Downey Unified School District: August 17, 2022 – June 7, 2023 

Duarte Unified School District: August 12, 2022 – May 27, 2022

El Segundo Unified School District August 23, 2022 – June 9, 2023

Glendale Unified School District: August 17, 2022 – June 7, 2023 

Hermosa Beach City School District: September 6, 2022 – June 22, 2023 

Inglewood School District: August 22, 2022 – June 8, 2023

La Canada Unified School District: August 15, 2022 – June 2, 2023 

Las Virgenes Unified School District: August 24, 2022 – June 14, 2023

Long Beach Unified School District: August 31, 2022 – June 15, 2023 

Manhattan Beach Unified School District: August 24, 2022 – June 15, 2023

Monrovia Unified School District: August 17, 2022 – June 7, 2023

Montebello Unified School District: August 15, 2022 – June 9, 2023

Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District August 11, 2022 – May 31, 2023

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: August 24, 2022 – June 8, 2023

Paramount Unified School District: August 17, 2022 – June 8, 2023 

Pasadena Unified School District: August 11, 2022 – June 1, 2023 

Pomona Unified School District: August 11, 2022 – May 31, 2023

Redondo Beach Unified School District: August 17, 2022 – June 8, 2023 

Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District: August 18, 2022 – June 9, 2023

South Pasadena Unified School District: August 11, 2022 – June 1, 2023

Torrance Unified School District: August 25, 2022 – June 15, 2023

West Covina Unified School District: August 18, 2022 – June 9, 2023

William S. Hart Union High School District: August 9, 2022 – June 1, 2023



The Pros and Cons of Los Angeles Public Library Tutoring

Did you know that the Los Angeles Public Library has free tutoring options available for students in grades K-12 and even adult learners? They have volunteer homework helpers to provide online assistance with math, science, English, social studies, and AP and introductory college classes. The goal of the free tutoring program is to provide the students in Los Angeles County with critical educational and career preparedness support. Tutoring 4 Less also offers online tutoring and homework support services for a huge range of subjects. What are the advantages of both?

Homework Help from the Los Angeles Public Library or Tutoring 4 Less

With a free option available at the library, you may be wondering how  a professional tutoring center is different and whether it’s worth the price. The main difference between the services offered by the LAPL and Tutoring 4 Less is that the Library offers a free service staffed by volunteers, while Tutoring 4 Less is a professional tutoring center with years of experience providing tutoring for Los Angeles students. This difference manifests in several key ways.

  • Structure: All Tutoring 4 Less tutoring sessions, while adapted to a student’s particular needs, follow a particular structure, a lesson plan to ensure that the standards of our organization are upheld. LAPL works with volunteers, so there is not as cohesive a structure as you may find elsewhere.
  • Consistency: The LAPL offers virtual tutors who volunteer, meaning that they are not beholden to consistent schedules. Your child may have an amazing tutor that really works with their particular learning style one week, but the next week struggles with another tutor who has not yet built that rapport. Tutoring 4 Less offers in-person or online tutoring with one of our professional, credentialed tutors assigned to support your student and build an effective rapport with them over the course of their sessions.
  • Credentials: While the LAPL sources tutors that are professionally trained and experienced, their credentials might be from different areas of the United States and not current or applicable to California. Tutoring 4 Less’ tutors are all qualified and up-to-date with their professional and safety certifications.
  • Availability: The LAPL program offers tutoring help 12 hours a day between 11am and 11pm. Students are required to have a Los Angeles library card and a computer or mobile device with internet access. Tutoring 4 Less offers online tutoring but also has a homework center where students can work, in South Gate. 
  • Versatility: While the LAPL program can help students with homework, professional tutors such as Tutoring 4 Less can assist with test preparation and academic intervention.
  • Accountability: Working through Tutoring 4 Less’ specific program, our tutors monitor a student’s progress consistently and discuss said progress with the student’s parents. This is not a system that the LAPL program can emulate.

While the LAPL offers a great program for those in need of free tutoring, a professional tutoring center such as Tutoring 4 Less will get better results for your young academic by developing a long-term relationship in order to best support their learning style and round out their study skills.

Find out how our 100% bilingual tutors and staff can support your child’s learning today. 

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