School today looks much different than what you would have experienced as a child.  Did you have a smart board, quiet room or media lessons when you were a student in middle or high school?  Like most parents, the answer is probably “No”. Well, today there are different emphases on learning outcomes and your child may be expected to know how to understand and manipulate technology, on top of the things that you would have learned as a child.  In a modern world, “new” subjects may be important but, it is very important that your child conquers the academic basics in order to have a strong foundation, confidence, and ingrained knowledge that they can apply to a vast array of circumstances in and out of the classroom.

There are statistics that show that there is a declining functional literacy rate in this country.  That is not to say your child is at risk for functional illiteracy, but it is important that they are able to function in today’s modern society. A child who has difficulty reading will have difficulty in all subjects.  If they cannot read the instructions in their math book or cannot read what the teacher has written on the board, it will be very difficult for them to keep up.   A child that can read can learn anything. Being able to read and read well is powerful and a necessity.

Reading is important; but comprehension is just as important.  We often hear that children are sponges and soak up information; but that information is not so good if they only parrot back what they have heard.  Comprehension is important as it is the basic ability to understand and take that info and apply it to a relevant, real-life scenario.  Being able to comprehend and follow through with real world applications at the core is what education is about.  In life, the people who do well in their chosen field are the ones who know, understand and apply knowledge.  The comprehension piece is important to problem solving which we all need at home, school, and at work.

The academic basics apply to other areas too such as writing.  Your child should be able to express his or herself clearly (as is appropriate for their age level). Writing is a powerful memory aid and reinforces reading skills.  Students and adults alike do a lot of writing, in school, at home, at work, and life in general.  Writing is an important educational and communication tool that your child will need to master to be able to function at a reasonable level in everyday life.

Numeracy is also important, from the grocery store to the pay check.  Even though we are in a digital age with less counting of money and more swipes of a debit card, mathematical problems exist everywhere in our daily lives. Your child will need to use math to figure out how much time they have from the moment they wake up until the first bell at school.  They will mathematics to estimate how much a desired item is after tax so that they can be sure to have enough funds to cover the cost.  There are many more scenarios where the basic usage of mathematics is critical, both in and out of school; and virtually every job out there will require a basic proficiency in math.

In short, the “basics” are fundamental to virtually all areas of life. Without a solid construction foundation, a house cannot be built and the same is true in terms of a solid academic foundation and your child’s likelihood of having a successful lifetime career.

Have questions about what the academic basics are or what your child should be achieving?  Do you have concerns that they may not be well-grounded in the academic basics?  You can refer to other blogs by clicking here. We have many articles to help and, of course, you can always contact your tutor for insights and directions. Our Chelsea Tutors are certified teachers and professors with many, many years of experience in their chosen subject, as well as mentoring of thousands of students, just like yours.

The academic basics are the foundation of future learning and application. Once they are mastered and ingrained, future skills and more complex concepts can be added. Academic basics are needed for sure footing so that your child’s mind can be stretched to learn challenging subjects and be capable of adapting to new ideas and topics. In other words, they simply need to be ready for real-life and the everyday challenges that come along with it.