Q: At the last grading period, my son Jamal's third-grade teacher was concerned about his reading. She suggested home activities and summer school. I think he'll catch up on his own. Kids don't all learn to read at the same time, so why is this a problem?

A: It may not be a problem, but the data doesn't favor Jamal. Many studies show that being able to read well by the end of third grade means that children do much better in all subjects from fourth grade onward.

There's a saying in education circles, says Kristin Calder, CEO of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County (Florida): "'In the first three grades, children learn to read. In fourth grade, they read to learn.' Students need strong vocabulary and comprehension skills to read science, math and social studies texts. How can you attack a word problem if you can't read the words? Or understand a science lesson on weather if you struggle (to read the word) lightning? Not being able to keep up with subject matter accelerates a cycle of failure that can lead to dropping out."

Cracking the code by the time a student enters fourth grade is so important that many U.S. cities have joined with school districts in a formal Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, says Calder. "Third grade is a pivot point. In Palm Beach County, we make achieving this literacy milestone a major part of our work."

Take your son's teacher's concerns to heart. Carve out time each day to focus on reading at home. Divide it into independent reading and reading to him.

-- Read a few pages of a compelling book, such as a "Harry Potter" novel, to Jamal each night. Stop at a spellbinding spot guaranteed to make him eager to hear more.

-- Get him a library card and work with the librarian to find titles that match his interests. What topics get Jamal excited? Football? Animals? Humor? Check out a stack each week.

-- Try humor. Don't worry if he's still stuck on "Captain Underpants" books. At least he's reading. Find lots of books he might like on guysread.com, a site founded by best-selling children's book author Jon Scieszka that is dedicated to encouraging boys to read.

-- Access digital resources. Most libraries offer Internet access to their collections to download on a tablet or phone. Check out podcasts, too. Favorites include TED Talks for kids and family, and PBS Kids. Find educational games and apps reviewed at Common Sense Media's graphite.org.

-- Add a dose of nonfiction. Atlases, children's almanacs, field guides and other "fun facts" books are easy for readers to get into. Consider subscriptions to magazines such as Popular Science, National Geographic Kids or Sports Illustrated for Kids.

-- Enroll Jamal in summer classes. "There's so much evidence of learning loss during vacation, that many schools welcome kids -- whether they are struggling or not -- into summer classes," says Calder. "The program should give him even more opportunities to practice his reading skills."

-- Keep up the family reading time at home. As summer approaches, it's tempting to let it go. Don't. Jamal needs this "power assist" to do well in fourth grade. Be sure to also monitor his use of video games and other non-reading-related digital media, so he doesn't get distracted.

(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: Since spring break, my fourth-grade son seems to have "checked out." His teacher emailed that he participates less and pays less attention in class. He didn't turn in a report that was completed. He seemed more organized at the beginning of the school year. Do you think he's depressed?

A: No, unless there's something huge in his life you're not mentioning. I think he's a fourth-grader with spring fever.

"With the warm spring weather arriving, daylight savings time in effect and only a few months of school remaining, it's not uncommon for kids to lose motivation," notes Virginia educator Ann Dolin in a recent blog post at ectutoring.com.

"Motivation will ebb and flow during the school year," writes Dolin, who taught in the Fairfax, Virginia, schools for several years prior to founding Educational Connections Inc., a tutoring service. "This is a time when students are more focused in counting the days until summer than studying; parents are losing steam as well."

Dolin offers these tips to help your students get to the end of the school year:

-- Re-establish old routines. "If routines have gone by the wayside, it's not too late to put them back in place," suggests Dolin. "They foster a sense of order and can greatly reduce procrastination."

Ask yourself: What worked well in the fall? Does your son still have a set schedule for homework, dinner and bedtime? Does he still place his backpack in one spot, so he can grab it for school the next morning?

-- Reset a study time. Spring sports, school events and summer plans are distracting. "They're also more likely to be distracted by social media," says Dolin. "You really have to limit their choices. ... Set up a routine for a block of time, say 8 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., where social media is turned off and everyone in the family is device-free."

-- Monitor assignments (but don't do them). If homework isn't turned in, Dolin says to determine if your son is writing them down. Find out how your son's teacher gives homework. Does he or she post to Blackboard or your school's homework portal? Can your son take a picture of his homework with his phone? Some students never use their assignment book, no matter how much they're encouraged to.

Once you know what the assignments are, spend five minutes to list what needs to be done. Have him do them in order. "Maybe even watch him do the first problem or question, and then walk away," says Dolin.

If he gets stuck, Dolin suggests asking him, "Do you have notes on this? Where do you think you can find the information? Have you done a problem similar to this?"

-- Schedule long-range assignments: Spring fever can make a student forget assignments that aren't completed daily. Dolin says to ask your son what reports or projects he has and when he is going to do them. Have him plot key dates on a calendar (setting alerts if he uses a smartphone). If the plan seems reasonable, she says you should ask him, "When should we check in with each other?"

Dolin says this technique puts the responsibility for longer-term planning on your son's shoulders and teaches him how to hold himself accountable.

For more advice from Dolin, download her free ebook, "Help Your Disorganized Student," at ectutoring.com.

(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, a junior, didn't take the new SAT. Do colleges still value it, even though it has changed a lot? Should he take both the SAT and the ACT, or does one substitute for another with colleges? This process seems like such a grind!

A: The path to college can seem like a rocky road, says Sally Reed, editor of College Bound, a newsletter for high-school guidance counselors. "To make it easier, plot a reasonable timeline for the 'must-do' list -- including college visits -- so that important dates don't creep up on you," Reed advises. "Take a deep breath and ask your son to take the lead. You can advise, but he needs to own the process and preparations and make the decisions on where to apply."

When it comes to the new SAT versus the ACT, "either test is fine," says Jonathan Chiu, national SAT/ACT content director at the Princeton Review. "Colleges are accepting the new SAT as willingly as they are the ACT. There is no bias for or against one test or the other."

Coming up, the SAT is offered on May 7 and June 4. Deciding to take the SAT on either -- or both -- of those dates depends on a few factors, says Chiu:

-- Is he an AP student currently being crushed with AP prep? If so, he'd be better off preparing for the June SAT or ACT instead of the May SAT.

-- Is he carrying a heavy academic load? He may want to focus on great grades through the academic year for the best transcript, skip the May test, and sign up for the June SAT.

-- Do his prospective colleges require SAT Subject Tests? If so, Chiu advises taking Subject Tests in May and/or June. Between the two test dates, May could be more advantageous for students who have a number of AP tests to take mid-May. "The two-week time frame between AP tests in May and the first June Saturday SAT test administration can be a real disadvantage to those students. It's extremely challenging to retain information (like U.S. history) in that lull, when students may be watching movies every day in class post-AP test instead of covering content."

-- If he's applying for Early Decision or Early Action and has the resources to take the SAT multiple times, have him take the test in both May and June -- and possibly even October of his senior year -- to take advantage of colleges that will "superscore." (Superscoring is when a school accepts your highest score for each SAT section, regardless of the date you took the test.)

-- If he isn't comfortable doing math without a calculator, he should take the ACT. And students who feel time-pressured on tests should know that the SAT gives students, on average, 39 percent more time to answer questions, notes Chiu.

Chiu says many students who aren't sure whether they would do better on the SAT or ACT make their decisions after taking free practice tests of each, which are offered by the Princeton Review. The experience of taking each full-length test helps them determine which one suits them best. "Our score reports can help him identify where his strengths and weaknesses lie in each," he says.

To find practice tests, go to: princetonreview.com/events.

(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.)