Year: 2025

Kindergartners learn to recognize and name all 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase) and their matching sounds. They also start to read high-frequency words (also known as sight words) and begin learning basic addition and subtraction.

Physical development is also a big part of kindergarten. Activities like playing outside and working with clay help children build strong bones and muscles, focus better, and feel less stressed.

Social and Emotional Development

In kindergarten, kids begin to develop a stronger sense of self and learn how to interact with others. These skills can set them up for academic success in all subjects and lead to more confident learners in life.

Children will become accustomed to a structured classroom environment and following school-based schedules and routines. They’ll also learn about different cultures, religions and traditions.

While the ABCs and 1-2-3s may seem like baseline kindergarten readiness, educators note that these are “nice-to-haves.” What matters most is the ability to work toward goals, handle frustration and stay focused.

Kindergartners will also learn to recognize and name the letters of the alphabet (uppercase and lowercase), and they’ll start to read high-frequency words, such as and, in and on. These are called sight words. The curriculum also introduces basic math concepts, such as addition and subtraction.

Physical Skills Development

Children in kindergarten have greater opportunities to develop their gross motor skills, which involve whole body movement. They also build fine motor skills, which require the coordination of small muscle movements.

Fine motor development is essential for the ability to learn, which means kindergarteners need to be able to pick things up, draw and use tools. They must be able to hold items like crayons and pencils in their hands, thread objects with wool or string and button and unbutton clothes during dress-up play.

At this age, children also need to be able to move on their own and take the first steps toward running. In addition, they should be able to balance activities that include moving their bodies while hopping or throwing a ball. To help staff members meet these physical needs, see Lesson Three for resources and tips on strategies to support children and youth’s physical development by age group.

Language and Literacy Development

As children move into kindergarten, they transition from more play-focused environments to structured academic settings. They learn to engage in formal learning activities with increasing independence and focus on building the skills necessary for reading, writing, and math.

Kindergarten curriculum typically teaches the alphabet and phonics, basic math concepts, and beginning writing skills. Students begin to build a growing vocabulary, notice environmental print, and develop their phonological awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds of spoken words.

To ensure all children can access literacy instruction, teachers should offer children who have visual impairments Braille overlays for books and large-print materials, and provide slant boards or book stabilizers for learners with motor challenges. In addition, teachers should encourage parents to read to their children in their first language so they can experience the connection between written English and their home languages. This supports students’ literacy development by accelerating the speed at which they can decode English.

Independence and Self-Assurance

Children who feel self-assured and independent are more willing to take risks, try new things, and persist in tasks they find difficult. This confidence builds a strong sense of perseverance, and prepares them for life’s challenges.

Kindergarten teachers work to build independence in young children by encouraging them to perform daily tasks such as getting dressed and brushing their teeth. They also help them to complete classroom jobs, organize their school bag and belongings and to complete homework assignments on time.

Kindergarten curriculum also covers academic foundations such as learning letter sounds, recognizing numbers and beginning to read and write. Children also learn about science, nature and the five senses. In addition to all of this, kindergarteners are supported in social development by establishing friendships and working together with classmates. This helps them to manage their emotions and resolve disagreements in a healthy manner. Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns they may have with their child’s teacher.

Education support services are an important part of the education system. They provide teachers with the resources and tools they need to improve their teaching practices, student outcomes, and workplace satisfaction.

Some education support service companies offer employee benefits such as medical and dental insurance. Patriot Software can accurately calculate these types of payroll deductions.

What is ESP?

A sizable chunk of the world’s population believes in ESP, or extrasensory perception. ESP is thought to be a sixth sense that allows people to envision places and events beyond their own five physical senses of vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste.

ESP seems like it should be a natural phenomenon, but scientific studies have consistently failed to support its existence. The reason may be that ESP isn’t “natural” in the sense of being measurable with the methods of science, but rather an unconscious psychological response to a need to explain the inexplicable. For example, if you think of a song and then hear it on the radio or in a friend’s photo, is it a coincidence or ESP? Probably not. It’s just a little too familiar for that.

What are ESP’s responsibilities?

ESPs cultivate student learning and meet the educational needs of children, families and schools. They are also a vital part of the community.

Food Service ESPs provide nutritious meals that impact students’ energy levels, thinking, health and ability to learn. Security ESPs help protect students and school staff on campus. Custodians and janitors keep classrooms, offices, and cafeterias clean and safe for students and staff.

Educators can participate in a variety of career families, including paraeducators, secretaries, custodians, transportation workers and security guards. MTA has a track record of helping ESPs win decent wages, better working conditions and respect for the important role they play in our communities. ESPs can become members of a local union and attend professional development workshops and conferences to further their careers.

What are ESP’s career options?

Education support professionals need to be able to demonstrate that they can provide quality customer service in the face of a challenging economic situation. They also need to have good presentation, prospecting and customer service skills.

ESPs work in many different kinds of jobs. ESPs who work in food service help improve students’ eating habits, which influences their energy levels, thinking ability and overall health. ESPs who work in custodial and maintenance jobs keep buildings clean, safe and secure for students and staff. ESPs who work in administration and clerical services perform a variety of office duties. Limited judgment and decision-making is required within clearly defined procedures. Education support specialist I roles provide career paths for museum interpreters and demonstrators performing entry-level to journey-level specialists duties. Employees disseminate information to visitors, targeted audiences and/or program participants in designated agency programs or assigned areas.

What are ESP’s salary ranges?

ESP deserve decent wages, working conditions that are safe and healthy for all, and respect for their crucial role in the school system. They serve students in classrooms, office settings, cafeterias, and on buses every day. They are paraeducators, assistant teachers, bus drivers, custodians, and other education support professionals.

Using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, NEA reports average earnings for ESP in K-12 and higher education.

In a recent NEA member survey, 32% of ESP said they have a serious problem making a living wage. This number rises to 45% among ESP who work in schools that don’t negotiate their wages through a collective-bargaining process. ESP also need affordable health insurance. They should not have to receive the dreaded zero-dollar paycheck in order to pay for their insurance.

What are ESP’s benefits?

An ESP provides an all-in-one email marketing solution for businesses. They save marketers time and resources with automated marketing emails, improving their deliverability rates and engagement. They also provide essential insights into their email marketing campaigns.

ESPs are in a position to positively impact the quality of education and the community. However, they face a lack of recognition and respect by school boards, communities, and state officials. They are also underpaid for their critical contributions to students and the community.

High-profile skeptics, like James Randi, help steer public discussion away from emotional responses to paranormal phenomena by debunking false psychics. They use logical analysis and data to show that paranormal claims are just coincidences.

Schools are places for learning, but they also have other important functions. These include building community and preparing students for the future. These functions are not only necessary for students, but also for society as a whole.

In addition, the school experience teaches you to figure things out as you go. This is a valuable skill that you can apply to your professional life.

They teach students to learn for its own sake

School is a crucial time in children’s lives, where they take on serious responsibilities and stressful situations for the first time. They learn to cope with their stresses by developing a sense of self-worth and dignity. They also learn to respect other people’s opinions. These skills are important for students’ overall social growth.

Teachers and students are under pressure to cover the curriculum and compete with other schools. They must make sure that students understand the material and pass the exams. They must also avoid discipline strategies that undermine students’ dignity, such as controlling when they speak and imposing rules like raising hands to speak.

Students who learn to learn for its own sake do better in life. They are more likely to be interested in subjects that matter to them, and they will enjoy learning more than just memorization of dates and facts. They are also more likely to develop an intrinsic desire for mastery, rather than just making the grade.

They introduce students to a wide variety of subjects

A school is an organized space designed for teaching students by teachers. These spaces include classrooms, cafeterias, and schoolyards. In addition, schools may provide support services for students. These support services can help students overcome barriers that interfere with learning, such as adversity or mental illness. These support services may also help students develop critical life skills, such as time management and communication skills.

In addition to providing academic instruction, schools often offer a wide range of extracurricular activities. These activities can be a great way to learn new things and make friends. However, it is important to know the difference between extracurricular activities and education. While extracurricular activities can help a student become more well-rounded, educational activity is more essential to a students success. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to be exposed to different ideas and to interact with people from all backgrounds, which is an extremely valuable experience in the world today.

They build community

A community is a supportive social group in which members share a common interest or experience. Specifically, classrooms can function as communities when students and instructors collaborate frequently in learning activities (Berry, 2017; Brown, 2001; McMillan & Chavis, 1986). Creating a sense of community in a classroom requires specific pedagogical choices.

Moreover, schools have the responsibility to create a safe environment in which all children can learn. This requires teaching students how to interact with one another and to respect different perspectives. Schools also need to teach students how to deal with conflict and resolve problems.

Ultimately, students learn to interact with their peers in healthy ways and develop their own personal relationships. These skills can help them become successful adults and contribute to their communities. Schools should work to build these relationships through various means, including community engagement strategies and student-centered pedagogies. Schoolwide community-building activities can be as simple as Family Film Night, where families invite each other to watch a movie at school together.

They prepare students for the future

Students learn to work in teams and develop their creativity. They also learn how to use new digital tools and become literate in these areas, which will be important for future jobs. Schools can offer these skills in a variety of ways, from coding classes to internships and cooperative education programs.

School teaches students how to interact with people who are different from themselves, which will be helpful no matter what they do as adults. Students also spend a lot of time around their peers, which can help them build interpersonal relationships that are important for their careers and civic life.

Schools vary in how they teach students, including how they organize their curriculum and policies. For example, some public schools are run by state and local governments, while private schools may be supervised by boards or organizations. Additionally, some schools focus on a specific part of their curriculum, like language immersion or religion. Others are specialized in their subject area, such as science or art.

A quality kindergarten provides kids with the foundation for learning and development. It teaches them to focus, follow directions and work in groups.

They learn about math and science. They are taught to question, experiment and discover.

Kids are naturally curious about the world around them. Foster that curiosity by introducing them to hands-on science activities and counting games.

Language

Oral Language—Speaking and listening to others—is a key aspect of kindergarten. Children build their literacy skills through the lively back-and-forth of conversation, building with blocks, playing with dolls and stuffed animals and using pretend play.

Kindergartners learn the difference between upper and lowercase letters, begin to name letters and their sounds, blend sounds to form words, read simple sentences and use the word parts of a book. They also develop a love of print that will last a lifetime.

Children need to be intellectually, physically and socially ready for kindergarten. Teachers support this development by enabling students to follow oral directions, get along with others and understand their own feelings and those of others. This helps them become responsible learners in later school years.

Math

Children develop a deep understanding of math concepts by practicing them over and over again (also called mastery learning). This helps them form lasting connections that help them solve problems, even when they make mistakes.

In kindergarten, teachers teach basic counting and number recognition skills along with more complex addition and subtraction. They also help children develop “number sense,” or an intuitive understanding of how numbers relate to each other.

Early childhood math experiences have a direct impact on later math achievement. For example, a study found that kindergarten number competence predicts first-grade mathematics achievement and achievement growth—and that the relationship is mediated by gender and family income. It’s important that classrooms have high-quality math materials that progress students through skills in an orderly way.

Social Studies

Young children need experiences that help them build a social world that incorporates family and classroom relationships as well as what might be called civic responsibilities. They also need to understand the nonverbal yet observable social cues that reflect subtle forms of bias and discrimination.

Kindergarten students explore four major social studies conceptual strands: culture, citizenship, geography and financial literacy. The study of culture teaches students about the differences and similarities among people and encourages respect for diverse cultures and traditions.

Geography teaches students about the environment in their community and school locales. They learn about national symbols and how to identify landforms. They also learn to distinguish past, present and future time and practice their map skills. They are introduced to history, simplified for their age level, through stories of courageous heroes and historical events.

Science

Kindergartners become junior scientists, exploring the world around them by asking questions and planning experiments to answer them. They learn about the similarities and differences of plants and animals, their identifying characteristics (birds have feathers, plants grow roots) and how the weather changes day to day and across seasons.

They also learn how matter can change from liquid to solid and back again, and that the same object can have different properties at the same time. For example, a pillow may be soft and heavy at the same time.

Children’s science learning is affected by many factors, including family SES, gender, cognitive ability and math and language skills. One study using a quasi-experimental design found that a project approach-based science “education program” significantly increased preschool children’s problem-solving skills.

Art

Kindergartners explore a variety of art materials and subjects, from line and color to shape and texture. Their artworks also serve as a visual representation of their feelings, providing a channel for emotions that are difficult to articulate verbally.

Educators should help children expand their artistic capabilities through guided participation that is not overly controlling or obstructive of their creative explorations (MoE, 2017). Having them try new techniques without a goal in mind allows them to gain confidence in their ability and learn from mistakes—and it teaches them to be resilient when something doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Encourage kids to use recycled materials to make unique artworks like this cardboard tube dinosaur. They can also practice fine motor skills as they cut shapes from craft foam or paint with sponges.

Reading intervention is intensive instruction that aims to accelerate the reading skills of students who are below grade level. It is often implemented in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, like Tier 2.

Individual reading interventions offer many benefits for students who struggle with reading. Teachers can tailor their instruction to address specific learning needs, such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension.

Individual

Individual reading intervention programs are designed to bridge the gap between students’ current reading skills and grade-level expectations. They provide intensive instructional support by focusing on the foundational skills of decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

In general, if kids are allowed to read books that appeal to them and at levels that challenge them without being penalized they become excited about reading and show much more improvement than kids forced to do required self-selected reading. This is likely due to the fact that reading for fun is a very low-stress activity that also reduces stress in children.

Beanstack removes all limitations from the way kids engage with books, which allows them to explore more complex texts and build their reading confidence without being penalized for doing so. This nonjudgmental approach helps them build empathy for characters and internalize their emotions, which can help them to be more understanding of the world around them. These are all important aspects of a strong, healthy reader.

Group

Group reading intervention offers a more structured, focused learning environment than whole-class instruction. This type of instruction also allows for differentiated teaching methods to address the varied needs of students in a small group. Research shows that effective group reading instruction requires consistency and frequency, as well as highly engaging materials. This includes a mix of fiction and nonfiction texts that are appropriate for students’ reading levels, challenging yet accessible, and interesting to the group members.

For tier 3 instruction to be effective, it should include targeted instruction addressing the five core elements of reading proficiency: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It should also incorporate writing to support the development of students’ comprehension skills. One of the challenges in implementing these intensive instructional practices is limited school and staff resources. Educators may need to seek creative alternatives such as community tutoring programs and/or parent volunteers. Alternatively, teachers could consider using online group-based instruction to supplement classroom reading instruction.

School-Based

Reading intervention is a critical component of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. It is an intensive, targeted reading instruction offered to students who perform below grade level on state tests and universal screening measures.

To provide effective reading intervention, it’s important to incorporate a variety of research-based strategies and programs. These reading programs can be used to differentiate literacy instruction and ensure every student receives the individualized support they need. Some programs, such as Lexia(r) Core5(r), offer a push-in model where teachers can deliver reading intervention in the classroom while others, like Let’s Go Learn, are web-based and give educators real-time data to make actionable decisions.

Using a structured literacy approach, these reading programs teach essential skills and strategies that can help students succeed with the curriculum. For example, these programs include phonological awareness lessons to develop the ability to recognize and manipulate the smallest units of sound in spoken language, known as phonemes. They also emphasize vocabulary development, morphological awareness, and the ability to relate text to self.

Online

Online reading intervention programs offer a range of benefits. For example, students are able to progress at their own pace, and teachers can focus on the skills that need to be developed. Online programs also help support social-emotional learning, which is critical to a student’s success in school and beyond.

These online programs offer diagnostic assessments, individualized instruction using Specially Designed Instruction and real-time tracking and progress monitoring. They can be used in conjunction with the RTI and MTSS frameworks to improve reading outcomes for all students.

For example, Fusion Academy uses a patented online platform that provides comprehensive student data to educators and parents. The data includes the student’s reading level, reading fluency, time spent on Lexia and other indicators of progress. Additionally, the program addresses soft skills such as self-awareness, motivation, metacognition and time management. These are essential to helping students build a solid foundation for academic achievement and lifelong literacy skills. In addition, the program offers professional development for teachers and instructional aides.

A good education is essential for children to achieve their dreams. It helps them build skills and learn to be independent of their parents.

Educated individuals are more likely to find well-paying jobs, reducing poverty and improving health. They also drive innovation and societal progress. Investing in children’s education benefits society as a whole.

Social and Emotional Development

A child’s social-emotional health affects their capacity to learn. Children with positive social-emotional development tend to be more interested in learning and show greater academic achievement.

UNESCO works with Member States to support their efforts in this area through evidence-based advocacy and partnership, knowledge generation and sharing, capacity building and technical assistance. This includes activities like teacher training and parenting education.

Children need consistent experiences and nurturing to develop healthy self-esteem and emotional regulation. Educators can help by offering predictable and responsive interactions, such as small class sizes and frequent teacher-child interactions. In addition, educators can encourage parents to model and reinforce SEL competencies at home. Ultimately, a quality education promotes children’s social-emotional well-being and helps them become confident learners and responsible citizens. It also fosters open-mindedness by encouraging students to embrace different cultures, histories and perspectives. This is crucial for our increasingly global world. A good education provides career opportunities and improves a child’s quality of life in the long run.

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development describes long-term changes in a child’s thinking abilities. It is an important part of learning, and it happens in a variety of ways. One widely known perspective on cognitive development is a theory by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. He believed that children progress through four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational.

During the first stage, which lasts from birth to about 2 or 3 years of age, kids learn how objects can stand for other things. They also develop logic skills and become less egocentric, which means they start to consider how other people might view a situation.

During the preoperational stage, which occurs between ages 2 and 7 years of age, kids start to understand the concept of object permanence, meaning that an object continues to exist even when it is not visible. They also develop the ability to use language in their play. Children in this stage often ask “why” questions.

Physical Development

Children’s physical growth is a crucial aspect of their overall development. The physical needs of children vary by age, from infants to toddlers growing their muscles and learning to control their movements, to preschoolers developing a greater ability to move and navigate their environments independently. Providing children with spaces indoors and out that support their unique physical challenges allows for healthy, balanced growth.

Children who are physically active tend to have better cognition and a positive body image. Nurturing their physical abilities from a young age also helps children build a lifelong love of movement and fitness.

Provide infants and toddlers with opportunities to develop their motor skills through hands-on activities like sensory play and art projects that encourage exploration, creativity, and imagination. Incorporate games that help children improve their balance, coordination, and agility. Offer toddlers a variety of toys and materials to explore, including stacking cups, connecting toys, and wheeled riding toys. Encourage them to interact with these objects through their senses, and talk about what they see and hear.

Language Development

The development of speech and language in children is important for their socialization and ability to learn from the world around them. It can help with their short- and long-term memory functions and helps them be more creative. Language skills also enable them to interact more with peers and teachers.

The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget viewed language development as part of cognitive growth. He believed that children must grasp a concept mentally before they can translate it into spoken words.

Children develop strong language skills when they are given plenty of opportunities to hear and repeat sounds and words. This can be done through playing games, singing songs and reading aloud to them. It’s also a good idea to talk with children about the world around them and teach them how to properly address adults in different situations. This can include greetings like “hello” and “goodbye,” as well as the use of sir and ma’am when addressing an adult.

Education support services can help students with a variety of issues that may interfere with their learning or well-being. These services can include counseling, tutoring, and mentorship.

Education support services can also help students find jobs and improve their career prospects. They can also provide financial and emotional support to students.

1. Identify your needs and goals.

Students: Education support services can help students overcome academic, personal, and emotional challenges that may interfere with learning. These services can include counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and career guidance. They can also help students develop critical thinking, communication, and self-regulation skills.

Teachers: Education support services can help teachers enhance their teaching and student outcomes by providing them with training, coaching, and professional development opportunities. These services can also help teachers improve their pedagogical skills, update their content knowledge, and implement innovative teaching approaches.

Policymakers: Policymakers are important influencers and regulators of education support services. They can shape the legal, ethical, and social frameworks that guide these services, as well as provide funding and resources for them. They can also use research and evaluation to measure the effectiveness and impact of education support services on learners and educators. They can also use design thinking to experiment with and develop new models, methods, and practices for education support services.

2. Research your options.

There are many different options when it comes to education support. It’s important to research your options and find the one that best meets your needs. There are also many online resources that can help you find the right option for you.

Education support services are a vital component of the education system and can address challenges, opportunities, and gaps. They can be delivered by a variety of actors, including learners, educators, and communities. They can be adapted to the specific needs and contexts of each group, and they can provide a range of benefits, including improving learning outcomes, increasing access and equity, and fostering innovation and collaboration.

Employees in the Education Support Services industry are typically offered comprehensive healthcare plans that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as disability coverage and life insurance options, a retirement savings plan, and paid time off. They can also access professional development and training opportunities. In addition, they can benefit from company-sponsored social events.

3. Ask for help.

Teaching students and children the right way to ask for help is an important social skill. Whether it’s asking for extra credit as a high school student or for help with a project as an intern, it’s important to know how to request the assistance you need.

The In-Person Ask

Whenever possible, try to ask for help in person. This makes the request more personal and is more likely to result in a positive response.

If you have to ask for help over the phone or through email, make sure you’re polite and respectful. Remember, the old saying is true: “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Plus, it’s always nice to show appreciation when you receive help!

4. Get support when you need it.

Education support services help students succeed in school and reach their full potential. They can help students with academic and non-academic needs, including social and emotional well-being, mental health, and family problems. They can also help with coping, resilience, and self-regulation.

-Empowering learners: Education support services can provide personalized and customized assistance for different learning needs, preferences, and contexts. However, many schools and programs lack the resources to provide these services effectively.

Another type of education support is called accommodations, which are small changes that can make a classroom or lesson more accessible for learners with disabilities. For example, a student with a physical disability might be allowed to use a wheelchair during class or take notes from a classmate. Another type of education support is called modifications, which are more involved and individualized. This includes things like providing additional time to complete assignments or giving students access to the teacher’s lecture slides and handouts.

Schools are places that provide students with an education in a variety of subjects. They also help them develop social skills that will be useful in their future careers. Students who regularly attend school are more likely to succeed in life than those who miss class often.

To keep kids interested in reading, start them with books at their level and gradually move them up to more challenging books. This will encourage them to read more and become better readers.

Education

Schools play a key role in the process of political socialization by teaching students about government structures and civic responsibilities. Students also learn about the history of their communities through lessons and interactions with peers. This enables them to understand diverse viewpoints on political issues and foster a sense of civic engagement.

Schools should help students understand their own cultures and promote cultural tolerance, a fundamental principle of global citizenship. This can be done by encouraging students to celebrate the traditions of different communities, by helping them learn about other cultures and by promoting intercultural dialogue.

Schools should also be a place where students learn about the world of work and how it can be integrated into their education. This can be achieved by fostering practical partnerships between schools and the workplace, and by ensuring that young people have opportunities to experience working environments as part of their education. This will enable them to develop the skills needed for success in a changing economic landscape.

Discipline

School discipline aims to foster a high-quality learning environment by maintaining safe classrooms. This is done through a variety of techniques, including rewarding students for adherence to rules and punishing those who break them. In addition, schools apply various strategies to address students’ social and emotional needs while maintaining a positive academic atmosphere.

Discipline instills a sense of responsibility in students, enabling them to navigate distractions and pursue their goals. It also helps them improve focus and concentration, leading to better academic performance.

Teachers may use a variety of discipline methods, including verbal warnings and time-outs. They may also set up a meeting or conference with the student and parent to discuss the situation and hear both sides of the story. If the behavior is serious, they may also impose sanctions like suspension or expulsion. However, schools should ensure that disciplinary procedures are applied consistently and fairly. This way, they can avoid inadvertently excluding minority groups or harming students’ mental health.

Authority

Teachers have a form of authority in the classroom that they gain from their formal, legal status as educators. Levin and Nolan (2014) suggest that students generally behave because they perceive the teacher as a decent person who likes them and has the students’ best interest in mind, as conveyed by positive non-verbal gestures, verbal and written comments, extra attention and time.

Other forms of authority may exist based on the school’s policies and management. For example, Title 1 campuses earn the majority of their yearly funding measures from the Federal government and therefore have a degree of institutional authority over other schools in the district.

Yet even this kind of authority can be undermined by red tape and union controls that corrode school cultures, replacing energy and mutual commitment with rote compliance and entitlement. Students also can lose their respect for teacher authority by the way they are scolded or punished, and by a reluctance to challenge the latest central office ‘gimmick’ intended to eliminate the so-called achievement gap.

Safety

Educating students on safe and responsible online behaviors, monitoring cyber threats, implementing emergency response protocols and training staff in school threat assessment and prevention are all essential steps to creating safer schools. In addition, balancing physical security measures with efforts to foster safe school environments and support emotional well-being can help to prevent violence in the first place.

Having policies in place that strictly prohibit violence is one of the most important things a school can do to keep students safe. But teaching the community at large about warning signs, and encouraging them to reach out to authorities if they see or hear something that could be concerning, is equally as vital.

Having control access systems in place, such as surveillance cameras and key card entry, can also help to keep buildings secure and prevent unauthorized people from entering. Finally, ensuring that first aid kits are properly stocked is another simple way to make sure a school stays safe.

In kindergarten, children build on their preschool skills in all areas of learning, including social and emotional, language and literacy, physical development and cognitive growth. High-quality kindergarten programs nurture young students and prepare them for future academic success.

By the end of kindergarten, kids should recognize and name each letter of the alphabet and know its sound. They will also learn to read short, high-frequency words (also known as sight words).

Social and Emotional Development

Children in kindergarten learn how to interact with their peers, and gain confidence and a sense of self-awareness in a new environment. These skills are essential for future success in school and life.

Teachers and researchers have found that positive social-emotional development has a direct impact on children’s learning. It influences their motivation, persistence, empathy and ability to develop meaningful relationships and friendships. It also supports their self-regulation, which is critical for academic learning.

The authors of this study used participant observations and informal, semistructured interviews with teachers to gather data on the learning that takes place in kindergarten classrooms. This enabled them to better understand the guided participation that is seen during play and allows teachers to observe interactions, which can be a more authentic measure of how kindergarten children are developing socially and emotionally (Rogoff, Citation 2008). The researchers were able to cross-reference the data and identify areas of synchronicity and contradiction. This enhanced the validity of their findings.

Language and Literacy Development

In kindergarten, students learn to read and write. They also build their math skills, including counting and understanding the size of objects and groups. This is an important time for kids to develop their socialization and collaboration skills too.

In addition to the listening and speaking standards outlined in the Preschool Learning Foundations, kindergarten includes language arts standards such as grammar and vocabulary. These are different from the reading and writing Common Core standards that children start to master in first grade.

A child’s oral language and early literacy development provide a strong foundation for later academic success. This is why it’s crucial to invest in high-quality programs and policies that promote young children’s healthy development, especially for those from low-income families. This is particularly true for dual language learners (DLLs) – children who speak both English and another language at home and in the community. Research shows they have lower levels of academic achievement and graduate high school at lower rates than their monolingual peers.

Cognitive Development

Children’s cognitive development involves how they learn and understand. They begin to recognize patterns in nature, and develop the ability to reason logically. They also begin to learn how to categorize objects and events, such as sorting blocks by size or color.

They are able to follow one-step directions and use their hands for simple tasks such as opening doors or turning pages in a book. They can play games that require the use of small motor skills, such as putting puzzles together and playing with clay.

In kindergarten, students will spend a lot of time working with stories and learning to distinguish between factual and fictional information. It’s important for them to be able to think logically and make their own decisions. They need to understand that not all stories are true and can be biased by their authors and publishers. In addition, they need to know that not all cultures value the same things in terms of intelligence.

Physical Development

At this age, children are developing their overall physical health and ability to use and control their bodies. Physical development includes advancements in the large muscles of their arms and legs (gross motor skills) and the small muscles of their hands and fingers (fine motor skills).

A child’s gross and fine motor skills improve through active play. At a nature kindergarten, for example, children are provided opportunities to develop fine and gross motor skills through activities such as wood chopping, bark whittling, balancing on wobble boards, or catching and throwing a ball.

However, it is important to remember that every child’s physical growth and development is unique. They all reach milestones at their own pace and some children excel in certain areas more than others. In addition, some children have specific developmental challenges that need to be addressed with a more tailored approach. This is particularly true in early childhood. The impact of a range of external factors including nutrition, access to healthcare and healthy living environments also impacts a child’s physical development.

Reading intervention involves providing students with additional instruction to improve their reading skills. This instruction includes decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.

Intervention studies varied in the number of hours of instruction, group size, and whether individualized instruction was provided. In general, interventions that were not individualized predicted smaller effects on foundational and comprehension outcomes.

Comprehension

Good comprehension is vital if a reader wants to understand what they read, learn from it and enjoy it. It is an essential skill for reading and learning and can be enhanced through explicit instruction.

Strategies for teaching comprehension include modeling and practicing predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarizing. Teachers can also help students visualize what they read by asking them to sketch a picture of what they read in a short story or poem. This allows students to see their mental image and compare it to the author’s use of descriptive and figurative language.

The literature on reading interventions predicts small, positive effects for both foundational skills and comprehension outcomes. However, intervention effect sizes vary across the literature. Group size was a key moderator of the effect sizes for comprehension outcomes, with interventions that were implemented in smaller groups predicting larger mean effects. Additionally, some studies indicated that individualized instruction may improve both comprehension and foundational skills.

Phonics

The ability to blend sounds together and break spoken words into their constituent parts is essential for reading. When children have an understanding of the letter-sound relationship, they can decode words and read at grade level.

Teaching phonics is an integral component of literacy instruction for all learners. Research has shown that explicit and systematic phonics instruction improves the quality of children’s word reading and spelling.

Systematic synthetic phonics instruction also has a strong effect on the ability of low-achieving students with disabilities to read. These students made larger gains in their alphabetic knowledge and word reading than children who received instruction that was less focused on phonics.

If you have identified students who are below benchmark on tier 1 universal literacy screening assessments like FastBridge or DIBELS, a phonics intervention is a great place to start. Education to the Core Premium includes a research validated program that provides explicit, teacher-directed instruction to teach students the skills needed for reading success. These lessons can be delivered in small groups or to an entire classroom and are appropriate for ages 8-adult.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to a reader’s store of words and their meanings. It is one of the most important aspects of reading and is a critical predictor of reading comprehension. Children who have a good vocabulary are able to visualize a story, anticipate what will happen next, and understand the context of a passage.

The research on vocabulary development and reading has shown a strong and significant correlation between the two. In fact, researchers have found that a student’s vocabulary knowledge accounts for a large amount of the variance in reading comprehension (Kamil and Hiebert, 2005).

To develop students’ vocabulary, it is important to explicitly teach individual words and their meanings with repetition and multiple exposure over time. This can be done through read alouds, discussion, and word-learning activities. It is also helpful to expose students to words in a variety of contexts and through the teaching of word parts such as roots, prefixes, suffixes, and morphology.

Fluency

As children advance through school and into higher grades they encounter more advanced content-rich texts. To be academically successful, they must be able to read and understand these texts quickly and accurately. This is referred to as reading fluency.

When students are not fluent, they need to spend more cognitive energy on decoding each word. This can make them feel overwhelmed and less motivated to practice reading. Children who are fluent enjoy reading and have a greater sense of confidence in their abilities, making them more willing to keep practicing.

Teaching strategies to improve fluency is important for children with reading disabilities. The most effective method is modeled reading, repeated reading, and rereading with appropriate prosody. Prosody is the intonation, stress, volume, smoothness and phrasing that comes with reading aloud. It can be taught by using a variety of materials such as chapter books, comics and poetry. It is also important to teach and reinforce sight words, spelling lists and new vocabulary.