KIDS TALK BACK

o7 We asked fourth- and fifth-graders at Rea Elementary School in Costa

Mesa what they thought about a proposed after-school program that would

allow their teacher to tutor them at home.

f7

“It would be good because you feel better at home. And maybe your parents

would be able to help, too. I think my teacher could help me better with

long division. My parents went to school in Mexico and I think they do

long division differently there.”

LAURA TERRIQUEZ, 10

Fourth-grader

Costa Mesa

“I would like it because you would be more comfortable with your teachers

and your parents. Spelling is my toughest subject. It would be good if my

teacher could be there to help me after school.”

ALFREDO SORIANO, 11

Fifth-grader

Costa Mesa

“I would like the program because it sounds interesting. My parents are

from El Salvador. I think a teacher could help me with word problems in

math. I think that I would do better. But I don’t know if it would be OK

with my parents.”

WALTER CARCAMO, 10

Fourth-grader

Costa Mesa

“I think it’s a good idea because your teacher can learn more about your

family and yourself. They would also be able to help you with your

homework so that you don’t have to come to class the next day and be

bored because you don’t know what’s going on. My hardest subject is

finding the percentage and circumference of circles.”

NIKKI VEGA, 11

Fifth-grader

Costa Mesa

“I wouldn’t like it because sometimes I have different strategies of

finding out the answer and my teacher always wants me to do it a specific

way. And I come up with the same answer. Sometimes I have trouble with

spelling and my brothers and sisters help me. We speak Spanish and

English at home. And sometimes they get confused with words because it’s

been a long time since they learned those words. They are good with

English but sometimes they forget some words.”

ERIK MARTINEZ, 11

Fifth-grader

Costa Mesa