Elementary

First grade marks an important milestone for young children who finally feel like part of a “big” school. They may now eat in the cafeteria and play outside during recess without the direct supervision of their own teacher, experiences that help them feel more independent. They now have to use the social skills they developed in preschool and kindergarten in more mature ways. By now they can read and write at a basic level.

In second grade most children practice the skills learned in earlier grades and begin to use them with ease. Some children who were not completely ready to understand all the material introduced in first grade may now be ready to master it. Second graders learn what it takes to be a good reader. Mathematics concepts become more complex in second grade.

In third grade, children start putting the learning pieces together to take on more complicated assignments. As they continue to apply the basic skills they learned in first and second grade, they begin to do some work independently rather than with the explicit directions given in earlier grade levels. Books, books, and more books fill the curriculum as third graders become sophisticated readers.

In fourth grade children take on new types of work and social experiences, and for some. Fourth graders learn to follow the many directions and long-range planning that their school assignments require. They have to collaborate with their peers on group projects, which they have prepared for since first grade, yet new social dynamics emerge in fourth grade. They are asked to read in a variety of subject areas.

Fifth graders work hard on projects and tasks that require them to draw on the skills and strategies they have been learning in elementary school. Teachers challenge students with long-term projects that require planning and organization. Fifth graders have become skillful writers with their own individual styles. They’ll learn to analyze characters, plot, and settings, as well as to recognize an author’s purpose for writing.

Sixth grade students are often required to produce more extensive independent work, specifically in writing, as they will write formal essays. This calls for greater independence and organizational skills, and it may certainly require some adjustment and practice. Students read a variety of texts and different genres, including fiction, drama, poetry, and non-fiction. There is a specific emphasis on and increase in the reading of non-fiction texts in order to prepare students to read, write, and research across subjects.