Top 10 Goals to Reach in Elementary School
I think elementary school is the easiest level to teach. Of course, elementary school encompasses multiple sub levels.
Although I love the specifics you can get into in the upper grades, it is a satisfying thing to teach the basics and see children form a solid foundation for learning.
No matter what realm of schooling one chooses: public, private, or homeschool, there are certain things that ring true for the goals of elementary school. Sometimes, it is EASY TO GET SIDETRACKED (depending on testing, grades and curriculum).
Think with the end in mind:
What would it be nice for a child to have
or be able to do BEFORE middle school?
I have my opinions having been not only an elementary school teacher but middle school teacher as well.
In no particular order, here are some quick skills that come to mind:
As you go through each one, estimate how your child would do in each of these areas.
Able to read fluently and comprehend the reading.
If a chid is stumbling over too many words, we know that the book is too difficult. We also know that textbooks for science and social studies can have a tendency to be written a few grade levels above.
It is worth taking the extra time during your child’s elementary years to get his or her reading level brought up so that it’s not holding back learning in middle school (when one must “read to learn”).
A child can say they’ve read a book or a passage, but if they cannot retell it with detail or answer basic questions about what happened, it will be difficult to function in middle school.
Have a good handle on number sense.
Number sense is an awareness of how amounts work and how the numerals represent the amounts. A child with good number sense is able to estimate and see if an answer is reasonable, locate numbers on a number line, and work through common algorithms to solve math problems. A child with good number sense can understand what is needed in a math word problem.
Math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) memorized.
Sometimes it takes several years to truly grasp and commit the facts to memory. However, grades 1-2 should provide practice for learning the addition and subtraction facts so that grades 3-4 can focus more on the multiplication and division facts. There are even strategies such as skip counting or other memory tools that can help a child along the way.
Math builds on itself and it will NOT get better for your child in middle school and high school if math facts are not learned. If your child has special needs regarding memorizing, you might have to work out something else (such as how to use a multiplication chart).
Legible handwriting.
Some children can’t even read their own work. Holding children accountable for writing neatly is essential. Most of them won’t bother if no one helps them care about neat work. Many children I’ve met have never been taught proper letter formation. There are apps such as LetterSchool (watch a video I made about the app) that will remind your child of the letter formation. Sometimes children just need a refresher on how to form the letters or a just a chart to reference.
Stamina to complete a reading assignment.
Students in middle school are required to read chapter books and text books. If your child isn’t getting practice reading entire page after entire page, then middle school will be a struggle (for you both). Gradually build stamina with longer books or buddy reading—and don’t stop reading during the summer. Just don’t. Have protected time set aside for reading and interesting book choices.
Ability to study for a test or quiz.
I will admit that my children don’t get much practice with tests during elementary school (since we homeschool), but even giving spelling words is test practice. The studying element has been important to us with classical education and memorizing. We practice songs to help us remember material. We also practice simple games of asking one another questions. If your child attends a school, be bold and ask for study guides. Show your child how to study and then over the years you can offer less and less support to help build independence.
Can write a coherent paragraph (or short essay).
Short answer questions begin to appear on assignments more in middle school. A student must argue the point and write in complete sentences. My children keep a basic composition notebook journal which we write in daily (or mostly daily). Even though it’s not a perfect system, it does get in regular writing practice. Every time I read my children’s writing, it lets me know what I need to work on next (whether that be capitals and punctuation or writing a topic sentence and adding details). It can help by grade 3 to use a specific writing program to guide you in the writing process. For us, we used IEW in grades 4-6.
Understand how one learns best.
Does your child know how he or she learns best? Do songs and motions help? What about writing things down several times to remember or even listening something read aloud? How about flash cards? Experiment with different ways of sharing information and see what works best for your child. Whether your child is learning material for school or whether you homeschool, sit and practice with your child so that you can direct your child’s focus to how they respond to material.
Basic organization skills.
Are you asking that your child keep a backpack organized? Is your child making use of a planner and referring to it? Do you keep paper and pencils in a specific area in your house? What about books? Basic organization skills are crucial with the more work a student does and the more teachers to which a child is responsible.
Pride in work & Desire to Learn.
Wow! This last one is so important! If your child is not in an environment that helps develop pride in work and a desire to learn, you need to make a plan to move your child somewhere else. Some people actually MOVE and are therefore zoned for schools elsewhere. Some people take their children out of public schools and then put them in private schools. Others, bring their children home to homeschool. We keep work in a portfolio. We use stickers on work and even write notes of encouragement. Kids like that no matter what age they are. We take advantage of learning opportunities every chance we get. You can too—even if you don’t homeschool like we do. My parents had plenty of books in the house and allowed us to check out books from the library. That’s a wonderful start, as is sharing important facts and welcoming questions and conversations.
Did I leave anything out? Be sure to comment below!
Remember, you are your child’s most influential teacher.