Q: Our daughter, Meghan, starts kindergarten in August. She was excited after orientation, but now she's so anxious about it. She cries that she wants to stay home with her little sister. She's one of the youngest in her class, so maybe she's not ready. Should we hold her back a year?

A: Wanting to stay home with her younger sister isn't a good reason to hold your daughter back a year. Unless there's something that educators didn't pick up during her kindergarten screening, stick with your plan.

"Kids pick up on parents' feelings, so show enthusiasm and stay positive," says North Bellmore, New York, kindergarten teacher Robin Obey. "Questioning Meghan's readiness will only reinforce her own hesitancy."

Kindergarten jitters are completely natural, says Obey. She suggests the following activities to help Meghan overcome her worries:

-- Share books about starting kindergarten: There are many great "first day" stories that capture the feelings Meghan might be having. Bookstores, online vendors and libraries feature them this time of year. Reading and discussing them with Meghan can help allay her jitters.

Obey suggests these classics: "Kindergarten Rocks!" by Katie Davis (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2008); "First Day Jitters," by Julie Danneberg (Charlesbridge, 2000); "Timothy Goes to School," by Rosemary Wells (Puffin, 2000); "Will I Have a Friend?" by Miriam Cohen (Star Bright, 2009); "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten," by Joseph Slate (Puffin, 2001); "The Night Before Kindergarten," Natasha Wing (Scholastic, 2001); "Countdown to Kindergarten," by Allison McGhee (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006); "Wemberly Worried," by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, 2010); "The Kissing Hand," by Audrey Penn (Tanglewood Press, 2007); and "Tiptoe Into Kindergarten," by Jacqueline Rogers (Cartwheel, 2003).

Address her concerns. Meghan may worry about something that you assume she already knows, such as, "How will I get to school?" or "How long do I stay?" or "Will I be able to play?" and so on. The more details you provide -- such as driving the school route and showing her how long the trip takes -- the better.

Visit her new school if possible. Some schools allow short visits prior to the first day. If yours does, show Meghan her classroom, cafeteria and gym, and check out the bathrooms. (Show her how to flush those noisy toilets!) If you can't get into the building, visit the playground.

Polish her kindergarten skills: Find opportunities to model and describe problem solving, resilience and independence, says Obey. Look for things Meghan can do to assume new responsibilities, such as helping set the table, unpacking groceries and laying out clothes. Give positive reinforcement when she seeks attention appropriately and waits patiently.

Remember, it's a transition: If Meghan is still apprehensive when school starts, let her teacher know her concerns and what you're doing to ease them, but don't hover at school. Avoid overscheduling Meghan during the first few months. Make sure she gets enough rest and free play to balance the structure of kindergarten.

Be sure to ask those all-important questions: What did you learn today? Who did you meet today? What questions did you ask your teacher? You'll build Meghan's language skills, along with her confidence as a learner.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My son just finished middle school and got a notice from his high school encouraging him to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes this fall. I was shocked. He's smart, but he's just leaving eighth grade. This is so much pressure! Why are schools pushing freshmen to take AP courses?

A: Advanced Placement courses, essentially first-year college courses, are offered in almost 60 percent of the nation's high schools, according to the College Board, which administers them and oversees their academic standards. Courses are given in subject areas ranging from English language to statistics.

The number of students taking AP classes has more than doubled in the last decade. Currently, more than a million students take AP exams each May. Good scores mean that students can "place out" of certain college courses, which is why they are called Advanced Placement tests.

Increasingly, high school teachers encourage enrollment among students whose records suggest that they're capable of succeeding in AP classes.

There are good reasons, says Lindsay Cohen, who heads up precollege programs for The Princeton Review: "AP classes offer four key benefits."

One, they prepare students for college.

"AP courses are more similar to college courses than regular high school classes," she says. "Exposure to the next phase of a student's educational journey as early as possible helps a student get ready for what awaits in four short years."

Two, they can help your son stand out in college applications.

"Taking AP courses as early as freshman year opens up a student's high school schedule to additional AP courses in subsequent years, allowing him or her to display an additional level of mastery to colleges," notes Cohen. "Universities look closely at a high school student's 'strength of schedule' when making admissions decisions. Taking AP courses shows admissions committees that a student is committed to a rigorous course of study and is a strong candidate for college success."

Three -- and this is a biggie for families taking out college loans -- AP courses allow students to earn credit at many colleges, resulting in substantial tuition savings.

"Students who earn scores of three or higher (on a scale of one to five) on AP exams can place out of certain college courses," Cohen explains. "High scores can save as much as a semester of college tuition costs."

Four, taking AP courses in high school allows a student to look into college electives that interest them.

Cohen says that there's "no compelling research suggesting that there's a benefit in waiting to take an AP course." While AP courses are more rigorous, the growth in enrollment among freshmen shows that many rise to the challenge.

Research AP courses with your son before making a decision. Check out apstudent.collegeboard.org. Browse AP guidebooks. Talk with students who have taken the classes. Meet with his high school counselor.

No one knows your son better than you, says Cohen, who advises, "If you feel like he isn't ready, or you would rather have him ease into the high school experience, that is a decision for you and your family to make. If he decides to pursue the AP path, there's lots of help available along the way."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: Our school district is offering a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) summer camp for students. I didn't enroll our kids due to the camp schedule. What are they missing? Can we do STEM activities at home?

A: Are you ready to unleash your imagination, embrace trial-and-error problem solving and tolerate the wonderful mess of making stuff? Then set up a STEM camp at home, says Nancy Bourne, a STEM resource teacher in the Palm Beach County (Florida) School District.

"The STEM movement is all about encouraging kids to see these subjects as fun tools that help them make sense of the world," she says. "Kids are extraordinary thinkers and doers. Good STEM activities encourage kids to think, ask 'what if,' use their creativity and enjoy learning.

"STEM projects should be about delight and discovery. You want kids to develop a positive mindset about these subjects that will carry thoughout their lives."

Let these rules guide kids, Bourne advises:

-- Dream big. Ask questions. Take notes. Write down what you want to know more about.

-- Try new things. "Remember, failure is OK!" she urges. "I tell kids that FAIL stands for 'First Attempt In Learning.' You want them to venture their ideas."

-- Be open to what is around you. Observe carefully. "Wonder how to fly? Look at a bird. That is what the Wright brothers did and they invented the airplane," says Bourne.

She further suggests organizing three types of STEM activities:

-- Make and do. Plenty of websites support the "maker movement," an initiative to stimulate kids' imaginations with more hands-on activities.

"Find a space at home to invent, construct and get messy," Bourne advises. One of her favorite sites is Design Squad Nation at pbskids.org: "The directions are good. In no time, kids start creating their own engineered fun."

Other sites she likes that you might want to browse for more resources include edutopia.org, drawastickman.com, abcya.com/animate.htm and makesomething365.blogspot.com.

-- Explore STEM resources nearby. Check out free and inexpensive offerings at science centers, parks, children's museums and the like. Go geocaching and search for hidden caches using GPS. Try a variation called EarthCaching, where kids learn about unique geologic features. (For more information, go to schoolfamily.com and search "geocaching.")

-- Read for knowledge and inspiration. "Kids build knowledge in STEM subjects by reading a lot," says Bourne. "There are many excellent nonfiction books in STEM areas that librarians can help you locate."

In addition, the Children's Book Council lists the best science titles at cbcbooks.org. Go to ReadingRockets.org to check out science and math titles and author videos. Kids are encouraged to read such nonfiction magazines as Wired, Popular Science, National Geographic, Time For Kids, SuperScience and DynaMath.

Biographies can also inspire kids to make their mark on the world, says Bourne. There are many excellent series featuring innovators from Albert Einstein to Sally Ride to Steve Jobs. Share videos and TV programs, too.

"Kids need to see people exploring this great globe, solving problems and making new things," she says.

She also suggests watching TED Talks that are appropriate for kids (ted.com). There, Bourne says you can listen to a 2006 talk by English writer Ken Robinson. He calls creativity "as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status."

Make that your STEM camp theme.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)