Parents' Column | Lessons & Parenting
Lessons for Working Families:
The “First-Grade Wall” and Pick-ups
Once children start elementary school, they come home earlier, and juggling after-school care, lessons and work suddenly gets much harder — the so-called “first-grade wall.” From our experience in the classroom, here are the points for choosing lessons that a working family can keep up without strain.
At daycare, children could stay until evening and pick-up times were fixed. But once elementary school starts, school ends earlier, and the schedule suddenly gets complicated: days with and without after-school care, long holidays, weekday school events. Add lessons on top, and “who does the drop-off and pick-up?” becomes a real headache.
What is the “first-grade wall”?
The “first-grade wall” (shoichi no kabe) is the way a child starting elementary school suddenly makes it harder for working parents to balance work and family life.
| At daycare | Grade 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Going home | Can stay until evening or night | School ends early in the afternoon; after-school care hours are also limited |
| Long holidays | As usual | Summer, winter and spring breaks |
| Weekday events | Few | Class observation days, parent-teacher meetings, school events |
| Time at home | — | Homework, preparing for the next day, reading-aloud cards |
Lessons are precious time when a child’s “I did it!” moments grow. That is exactly why the best way to keep going for a long time is to choose a lesson that fits into the family’s everyday life without strain.
Six points for choosing lessons you can keep up
- Are the arrival times flexible?
A class where “you can come any time within these hours” is easier to fit around after-school care and dismissal times than one that says “every Tuesday at 4:00 sharp.”
- Is it close to home, school or after-school care?
The closer it is, the lighter the drop-off and pick-up burden. Also check whether your child could go alone when older, and whether the way home is well lit in the evening.
- Who does the drop-off and pick-up, and when?
Deciding in advance “who goes” for each day of the week makes it easier to keep going. Grandparents or a neighboring friend’s family may be able to help.
- Hassle of contact and payments
Do you need to report absences? How is tuition paid (direct debit, card, etc.)? Do messages from the class come by LINE or similar? Even small chores matter, because they come up every month.
- Homework and the load at home
If a lesson has a lot of homework on top of school homework, the evening disappears. Ask about the amount of homework at the trial lesson.
- Rules for absences
Are make-up lessons possible? Can your child take a longer break? Check these with seasonal events and illness in mind.
After-school care and lessons: how to combine them
- Can your child leave after-school care for a lesson?: rules differ on whether children may leave partway through for a lesson. Check with the after-school care first.
- Choose a class near the after-school care: if the two are close, it is easier for a parent to pick the child up at the class on the way home from work.
- Start with once a week: it is also important not to add too many lessons or sessions at first. We recommend starting with one lesson, two at most.
- Think about the long holidays too: it is reassuring to check in advance what happens to after-school care hours and class lessons during summer break and so on.
When to start
If you start a new lesson about six months before school entry, your child can get used to the rhythm of the lesson before school life begins. After entry, another good approach is to wait a little until your child is used to school and start after the summer break, for example. For how to choose lessons for kindergarten children, see Lessons in the final kindergarten year: what, and when to start?.
Frequently asked questions
There are days when I can’t bring my child during lesson hours because of work.
Kodomo School’s soroban and Kakikata Shodo classes use a free-time system: children come at any time within the lesson hours, basically 16:10–18:30. Your child can come at whatever time suits that day. And if your child can’t come, basically there is no need to tell us.
Is it OK to let my child go from after-school care to the classroom alone?
It depends on the after-school care, the classroom location and the route. At the trial lesson, ask the teacher about the way to the classroom and how other students get there. Check the after-school care’s rules in advance too.
Can brothers and sisters attend on the same day?
Many classrooms hold soroban and calligraphy at the same community center, so siblings can attend their own classes on the same day. When siblings attend, the enrollment fee is free from the second child.
How many lessons are a good number?
Right after starting elementary school, we recommend one lesson, two at most. What matters most is that your child finds it fun and that it fits into family life without strain.
Can the trial lesson be scheduled around my work?
When you apply, let us know the days and times that suit you. Even if you haven’t chosen a classroom yet, our head office staff will help you find one and tell you the exact date, time and location. Trial lessons for soroban and Kakikata Shodo are free (about 20 minutes; just bring writing supplies).
Being able to keep going without strain is what matters most!
About the author
Taito MoritaFounder & principal of Kodomo School (Morita Group Co., Ltd.)
He carries on the Morita Juku founded in Toyohashi in 1972. Through soroban, calligraphy and art at about 90 classrooms in Aichi and Shizuoka and at our Hanoi school in Vietnam, he helps children build the strength to believe in themselves. He also gives talks and seminars on education.
Message from our founderTalks & seminarsUpdated: October 12, 2026
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