Soar Educational Services

Third grade is an important transition year in reading. In the early grades, much of the reading instruction focuses on learning to read words. By third grade, students are expected to use reading to learn new information, understand vocabulary, make inferences, and explain what they have read.

Here are some signs a student may be ready for more focused reading instruction:
1. They can read a passage aloud but have trouble explaining what happened.
2. New vocabulary slows down their understanding.
3. They have difficulty finding evidence in the text.

I am looking for a small group of third-graders who are ready to strengthen their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and higher-order thinking skills.

If this sounds like your child--or someone you know--comment below and I will send you more information about the group.

As another school year begins, many parents wonder what they can do at home to help their children succeed. The good news is that small, consistent habits often make the biggest difference. Here are five simple strategies you can start using today to help your child have a successful school year.

Five Ways to Help Your Child Start the School Year Strong:

1. Read 20 minutes every day.

Reading builds vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence across every subject.

2. Review math a few times each week.

Just 10–15 minutes of practice helps students retain important skills.

3. Create a consistent homework routine.

A regular time and quiet place for homework can improve focus.

4. Ask questions beyond “How was school?”

Try asking:

What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
What was difficult today?
What are you proud of today?

5. Don’t wait until report cards.

If your child is struggling, getting help early is usually much more effective than waiting until grades fall. If your child needs extra support this school year, Soar Educational Services offers personalized tutoring in reading, math, SAT/ACT preparation, study skills, and college readiness.

The first few weeks of school set the tone for the entire year. Give your child the support they need from the very beginning. At Soar Educational Services, we help students strengthen reading and math skills, develop effective study habits, and prepare for standardized tests. Whether your child needs extra support or is ready to excel, we will create a plan that fits their goals.

Limited after-school appointments available. Message us today to schedule an assessment.

Lately I’ve seen countless posts about “college is a scam.” As an educator, I try not to base my opinions on anecdotes. Instead, I like to look at the research. Here’s what I found.

First, education is still associated with higher earnings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median earnings generally increase with each additional level of education. Individuals with bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees earn substantially more, on average, than those with only a high school diploma.

Second, higher education is associated with lower unemployment. The same Bureau of Labor Statistics data consistently show that unemployment rates are generally lower among individuals with higher levels of educational attainment.

Third, education affects lifetime financial outcomes. Research from the College Board has found that, on average, college graduates earn significantly more over the course of their careers than those whose education ends with high school. According to this data, the average age at which the cumulative earnings of a college graduate exceed those of a high school graduate, by degree and college cost, is 34.

The benefits extend beyond income. The College Board’s Education Pays report links higher levels of education with:
• better health outcomes,
• greater civic participation,
• higher rates of employment,
• and lower rates of childhood poverty.

That doesn’t mean college is for everyone. That doesn’t mean every degree is the same. That certainly doesn’t mean students shouldn’t compare costs, majors, graduation rates, and career outcomes. Not all degrees have the same return on investment. The major you choose, the amount you borrow, and the career you pursue all matter. But those are very different conversations from saying that college itself is a scam. There may be a discrepancy between what many college graduates expect to earn and what they actually earn. However, the overall research continues to show that, on average, college graduates enjoy higher earnings, lower unemployment, and stronger long-term economic outcomes than those without a college degree.



Sources

• College Board – Education Pays 2026
https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/education-pays

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Education Pays
https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm

Education pays Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment

“The value of an education… is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.” — Albert Einstein

Give your child the support they need to feel confident and succeed in school.

Soar Educational Services offers personalized tutoring, SAT prep, math support, reading and writing help, and college readiness services for students in Snellville and surrounding Gwinnett County areas.

Schedule an assessment today: https://soareducationalservices.com/

At Soar Educational Services, we provide personalized tutoring designed to meet each student where they are and help them reach their goals. Whether your child needs support in reading, math, or SAT/ACT preparation, we'd love to help.

Serving families in Snellville and surrounding communities.

Stop Expecting Struggling Readers to Figure It Out!

Children naturally learn to speak by being surrounded by language. Reading is different. Reading is not a natural process that most struggling readers simply “pick up” through exposure. It must be taught.

For many years, struggling readers were often expected to figure out word recognition, vocabulary, and comprehension on their own without explicit instruction. Decades of reading research have challenged many of the instructional practices commonly associated with balanced literacy, leading many schools to revise or replace those approaches.

The Science of Reading tells us that effective literacy instruction includes systematic, explicit instruction in:
• phonemic awareness
• phonics and word recognition
• fluency
• vocabulary
• oral language
• reading comprehension

Explicit instruction means teachers clearly model new skills, provide guided practice with feedback, and gradually release responsibility as students become proficient. Research also tells us that vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly. Students benefit from encountering words repeatedly in meaningful texts, but many words—especially academic vocabulary—must also be taught explicitly. The same is true for comprehension. Good readers don’t magically develop the ability to summarize, monitor their understanding, make inferences, or connect ideas. Those skills should be modeled and taught

Independent reading is valuable. Practice is valuable. Exposure is valuable. But none of those replace instruction.

If a student lacks the foundation, asking them to “figure it out” often leads to frustration instead of growth. Let’s stop assuming struggling readers will discover the missing pieces on their own. Let’s teach those missing pieces—explicitly, systematically, and with enough guided practice that students can eventually become confident, independent readers.

The goal isn’t dependence on the teacher. The goal is independence built on instruction.