Isabela enrolled in fifth grade, trying to find her footing – adjusting to a new rhythm, learning Italian, and keeping up with lessons taught entirely in a language she did not yet understand.
The following year, she transitioned to middle school, a more demanding cycle with increasingly complex subjects.
It was her Italian teacher at the Crispi-Vetri comprehensive institute in Ragusa who first suggested the Compiti@Casa project to Maria Celeste and her husband.
“We had already realised she needed some extra support” , her mother explains. The issue was not Isabela’s motivation or ability – it was the language barrier, compounded by the fact that her parents could not provide the academic help she needed.
“We both work. We completed middle school ourselves, but we don’t have the Italian skills to support her as required".
Over the course of the first year, the support she received across both humanities and scientific subjects – proved crucial.
It helped Isabela strengthen her study methods and, most importantly, build her independence.
“She has become much more self-reliant; she now does her homework on her own", her mother says.
Isabela shows particular strengths in English, art, and even Italian – remarkable progress for a non-native speaker. Mathematics remains more challenging. “Her teacher told us that the second year of middle school becomes more difficult, so she will need to put in extra effort”.
This is where the tutors from Compiti@Casa continue to play a key role, supporting her as she overcomes obstacles and begins to think about her future. In less than a year, Isabela will have to choose her upper secondary school – a crucial decision in her educational path. “We care deeply about education” , Maria Celeste concludes. “That’s why we want to give her every tool she needs – to succeed, and to overcome any difficulty she may face”.