School Prep Debate: Teacher With 20 Years' Experience Weighs In

Arguments over preparation for the first grade have been raging for years. Opinions vary, and there is no clear answer to whether it«s needed at all if school will teach anyway. Some adults are sure that such preparation robs children of their childhood, while others hire tutors for four-year-olds and plunge kids into serious study. Yelena Igoryevna Shutikova, a teacher who has been preparing children for school for over 20 years, helped to sort the issue out.

She is an elementary school teacher by training and has worked with children for over 20 years. Yelena knows what awaits a child in the first grade in 2026.

— These days, as they say, no one owes anyone anything — schools expect prepared children. If a child hasn«t mastered the curriculum by the end of the first grade, there may be several reasons. One of them is insufficient psychological readiness for school. Unfortunately, such children are becoming more common, — notes the experienced teacher.

Not all kindergartens offer school-prep classes. A preschool teacher is not obliged to sit with kids and teach them to read and write — that«s the parents» task, who can enroll children in specialized school-prep courses. Schools no longer expect kids with zero preparation. They want to see first-graders who can sit at a desk, listen, count, and read at least a little.

Yelena Igoryevna gives a simple example: a child arrives in the first grade, the teacher asks them to do a simple task or answer a general-knowledge question, and the student is lost. It«s immediately clear that the child will fall behind the program. Parents hire a tutor and spend more money and time. But it»s hard to catch up with the first-grade program when it«s already in full swing.

— It is much easier to spend one year (for children aged 6) or two years (for toddlers from age 5) before school and come prepared. That way the child will feel confident. Preparation is not about grades; it«s about making sure a first-grader isn»t afraid of school and is psychologically ready to learn.

Enrollment for school-prep classes at Yelena Shutikova«s studio is already open. To sign up, call: +7 914 497-97-77.

Classes at Yelena Shutikova«s studio are held twice a week in groups of up to twelve people. The concept is based on a comprehensive approach and game-like lessons. Children aren»t forced to memorize; instead, they develop interest in subjects, learn to sit at a desk, listen, raise their hand, ask questions, and go up to the board.

Over a year, they master math, speech development, writing, and the world around them, learn poems, and do crafts. But the main thing is they develop a habit of studying and gain psychological readiness for the school routine.

— Sometimes a child can read and count, but is not psychologically ready for school. They want to play, can«t sit still, and don»t understand why all this is needed. In my prep courses, they acquire these skills easily and gradually.

Parents often worry: will the child be bored in the first grade if they already know everything? Yelena Igoryevna says there«s no need to worry — it won»t be boring. A good teacher will always find something to engage a student, and if there«s a foundation, the child picks up new material faster and integrates more easily.

Enrollment in groups for the new school year is already open. Classes will start on September 2. Spots are still available, but as Yelena Igoryevna says, «Whoever comes first gets to choose a convenient time.» For details, call: +7 914 497-97-77. Better to find out now — it will be harder in the fall.