The school year is nearly upon us, and in some parts of the country, schools will be starting next week already! Parents may be excited and children may be groaning about the impending New Year. Whatever your feelings about the return to school, it is a great idea for parents to understand what their children should be learning during the school year. I have found a series of books titled: What Your (insert appropriate grade here) Grader Needs to know by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. and the Core Knowledge Foundation.
This wonderful series utilizes a comprehensive view to hone in by subject area what each child should know in each grade level in order to receive a well-rounded education. These books are a wonderful supplement to working with your student’s teachers and being involved as much as possible at your child’s school. With that in mind, over the week I will offer individual grade level reviews of knowledge and competencies (abilities) that each grade level should expect to learn utilizing the Core Knowledge Foundation information and the State of Texas Essential Skills and Knowledge. I will post a new article each day focusing on one grade level per day from Kindergarten through 8th grades. For information about pre-school levels, please see Kaye Siders wonderful article titled Academic Preparedness for Kindergarten that details the skills pre-schoolers should have in order to enter Kindergarten.
Each State has a varying curriculum and knowledge expectations for each grade level. Knowing and understanding this information could be very helpful in making sure that your child has learned and understands everything that is expected of him or her. You should be able to obtain either a curriculum map and/or scope and sequence from your State Department of Education which will list (typically in sequential order) what will be taught to your child during that school year. This information can also be useful for homeschooling families to use as a resource. In addition, in many states homeschooling parents are expected to follow the same or similar type of curriculum used in public schools. Some states have aligned their curriculum with the Core Knowledge series, so utilizing one or both of those tools can help you and your student to have a successful year.
The Core Knowledge series is available for purchase at the Core Knowledge website, at most major bookstores, and is typically available in your city’s library.