Concerning: Teachers believe students are not arriving prepared for first grade

A survey by CET among 158 teachers and educators ahead of the school year shows that 97% believe children entering first grade are insufficiently prepared or not prepared at all, with only 3% thinking they are fully ready. 60% defined emotional and social skills as the most important foundation for success. The article also details the costs of private preparation lessons, ranging from 300 to 5,000 shekels.

A survey by CET (Center for Educational Technology), conducted among 158 teachers and educators who teach or are expected to teach first grade, reveals that 97% of respondents claim that children entering first grade arrive insufficiently prepared or not prepared at all. Only 3% believe the children are fully prepared. Nearly half (49%) estimate they arrive partially prepared, 37% claim they are not sufficiently prepared, and 11% believe they are not prepared at all. The survey was conducted ahead of the school year to understand the degree of readiness for the transition from kindergarten to school. When asked who bears responsibility for preparation, 77% responded that it is a shared and equal responsibility of parents and kindergarten staff, while only 4% thought that first grade itself should absorb the child and adapt to him. In teachers' eyes, readiness is broader than familiarity with letters, writing, or arithmetic: 60% defined emotional and social skills, including emotional regulation, delayed gratification, and cooperation, as the most important foundation for success. Only 27% chose academic and cognitive skills. The difficulty, they say, does not stem from a lack of parental desire but from a lack of tools and time: 54% noted that parents struggle to find time and patience for practice at home, 25% pointed to power struggles with children, and 16% to a lack of knowledge. Irit Twito, CEO of CET, said the survey sharpened the need for broader preparation. Against this backdrop, CET developed a digital space for first-grade preparation. The article also includes data on private lesson costs: a group session package or digital course will cost between 300 and 1,500 shekels, while individual tutoring by a private teacher climbs to 1,500 to 5,000 shekels per series. Data from the 'Limud Na'im' website show that preparation lessons can reach 200 shekels per lesson, with regional differences. Ro'i Na'im, the site's founder, noted that about 90% of first-grade preparation lessons are frontal, unlike the general market.