What Do They Need to Know BEFORE Starting School?

Many concerned parents ask me what their child really needs to know before starting school. When deciding what to teach, your child's teacher looks to three main sources to guide their lessons. First and foremost are the state standards. Every state has learning standards for grades 3 through 12. Many states have expanded those learning standards to the realm of early childhood, which includes learning standards for Birth through Grade 3. Yes, you read that right, from Birth. The second source your teacher and school district looks at is the curriculum they will be using. Many curricula include books and activities along with the scope and sequence in which they will teach themes throughout the year. The third source is the individual child. Lessons can be altered, supplemented, or adapted to fit individual children's needs. However, the state standards guide all of the above. State standards vary slightly from state to state, but for the most part they are very similar. I will be beginning a series covering The Pennsylvania State Early Learning Standards in which I will highlight a specific state standard and give you examples of what you can do at home to help your little develop the skills needed to meet each standard successfully and be prepared for that first day of Pre-K or Kindergarten!