In this article the author suggests that tutoring has helped students to become more organized, self-assured, and proficient at identifying relationships between ideas. Successful tutoring requires: (1) at least one attentive adult who has the time to speak with students about academic matters, personal problems, and the importance of performing well in school; and (2) tutors that are skillful communicators who do not have difficulty in expressing themselves or getting across points. Nelson-Royes states that tutors can reach students in ways that teachers cannot, partly because tutors can react during a one-on-one conference to the needs of the student in ways that are almost impossible for the classroom teacher. Nelson-Royes notes that after-school tutoring programs have been around for quite some time, and that they originally emerged from community centers for the purpose of enhancing the association between communities and schools. A special benefit arose for urban at-risk students, because after-school tutors gave students the chance to participate in programs created to enhance their academic achievement. When children learn to read well, they acquire the fundamentals to unlock the door to the knowledge of the world. Without this skill, they could be left behind. Nelson-Royes adds that one of the most important things that parents can do for their children is to connect them with tutors to help them develop their reading skills, as children are more inclined to succeed in learning when their families actively support them with good tutors.