Kindergarten introduces young children to a school environment. It teaches them to sit and listen, to obey teachers, and to cooperate with fellow students. These skills help kindergartners to adjust more quickly to elementary school. Kindergartners begin to feel comfortable in the classroom so that, by first grade, they are acclimated to the school setting and prepared to focus on learning. Kindergarten learning also lays the groundwork for learning in later grades. For instance, a 2010 study by the Minnesota Department of Education found that kindergartners who attained overall proficiency were twice as likely as those who did not attain proficiency to exceed both reading and math standards on third grade state standardized tests.