Kindergarten and Elementary Issues

Weigh the pros and cons of preschool, full day kindergarten and other issues affecting our youngest learners. Learn what can be done to help your child prepare to enter school, boost confidence, and encourage reading at the grade school level.

View the most popular articles in Kindergarten and Elementary Issues:

Overcoming Common Reading Difficulties

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Overcoming Common Reading Difficulties
Follow the story of Sarah, a fictional character who overcame common reading difficulties with the help of the three cueing system. This blog post explores the advantages and disadvantages of the three cueing system and provides strategies for implementing it effectively.

Learning to read can be a challenging task for many children. Some children may struggle with decoding words, while others may have trouble with comprehension. Luckily, there are effective methods for teaching reading, such as the three-cueing system.

Sarah's Story

In this blog post, we will follow the fictional story of a young girl named Sarah, who overcame common reading difficulties with the help of the three cueing system. Sarah was a bright and curious child who loved to explore the world around her. However, when it came to reading, she struggled. She would often get frustrated when she couldn't decode a word or understand the meaning of a sentence. Finally, her parents and teachers noticed her difficulties and decided to seek help.

The Struggle to Read

Sarah's journey to learning to read was not an easy one. She struggled with decoding words and often guessed the meaning of sentences based on the context. Her parents and teachers tried various methods to help her, but nothing worked. As a result, Sarah became increasingly frustrated and started to lose confidence in herself. However, things began to change when Sarah's teacher introduced her to the three-cueing system.

A reading expert explains how we can help struggling readers.

The Three Cueing System

Sarah's teacher explained that the three cueing system was a method of teaching reading that focused on three types of cues: meaning, structure, and

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What Are the Top 5 Trends in Elementary School Education?

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What Are the Top 5 Trends in Elementary School Education?
Education is constantly growing, changing, and evolving. Keep reading to learn about five of the most current trends in elementary education.

Education is constantly evolving and being reformed. Over the centuries, as the world has changed, so has the focus of childhood education. Today, early childhood education is aimed at introducing key subjects and core concepts that will be developed later in the child’s educational career but there is always debate about which educational methods are the best. Keep reading to learn about some of the top current trends in elementary school education.

Trend #1: Promoting Inquiry-Based Learning to Develop a Love for Science

No matter where you send your child to school, you are probably familiar with STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and is it an active style of education that focuses particularly on creating a student-centered learning environment. As part of STEM education, students engage in hands-on activities that use and develop their skills for questioning, problem-solving, and teamwork all the while addressing relevant real-life issues. In a STEM educational environment, teachers fill the role of a classroom facilitator – they act as a guide to students, helping them through the problem-solving process and creating lessons and projects that guide students toward proficiency in the content of the curriculum. The goal of STEM education is to develop students into becoming effective communicators and logical thinkers – they should also be proficient and literate in science, mathematics, and technology.

This video explains inquiry-based learning.

There is a great deal of

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Gifted and Talented Kindergarteners: Right or Wrong?

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Gifted and Talented Kindergarteners: Right or Wrong?
Should kindergarteners take admission exams and IQ tests to demonstrate their "gifted" abilities? Learn about the growing trend and the ramifications of gifted early education.

Every parent believes his child is the smartest in the class, but what happens when you really do have a kid who is head-and-shoulders above the rest academically? Most teachers and parents believe that to adequately challenge these children, there must be accelerated programs to accommodate them. Hence, the gifted and talented program was born.

Children who belonged in this upper echelon were usually identified in the schools, by the teachers who worked with them every day. However, many parents also got quite busy behind the scenes, ensuring their children met the requirements for special programs that would increase their odds of success later in life. In fact, numerous children are receiving preparation for gifted and talented programs long before their feet even touch the hallowed halls of academia.

Track for Success

According to an article in New York Magazine, many residents of the Big Apple are whipping their children into academic shape as early as their preschool years. The competition for the limited number of slots in selective elementary schools across the city has led parents into a frenzy of preparation shortly after children learn to walk and talk. It is not unusual for parents to hire tutors and test their children's IQs long before enrolling them in New York schools.

Because the competition at many of these stellar schools is so stiff, few will look at children who

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Promoting Positive Behaviors in Elementary Ages

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Promoting Positive Behaviors in Elementary Ages
Learn how you and your child’s public school can foster positive behavior that will lead to long-term benefits, both academically and socially.

The elementary school ages are considered to be the fundamental grades and stages of development. With this in mind, it is important that children are taught positive behaviors and habits early in life. By teaching children positive behaviors at a young age, kids are more able to understand and engage in long-term attitudes and actions that will guide them toward future success. To encourage students, and to teach all kids positive behaviors, elementary schools across the country have implemented positive behavior programs to improve student awareness, knowledge, and development.

Positive Behavior Programs in Public Elementary Schools

Minnesota School-Wide Behavior Program

While many local schools and smaller communities have adopted behavior programs, the state of Minnesota has established a larger state-wide agenda to enhance the education of positive student behaviors. According to the Minnesota school records, the positive behavior program is used to help all students in all school environments, including behaviors in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, and so forth. As Minnesota school experts explain, “Schools that implement school-wide positive behavior interventions and support are schools that have decided that their current discipline process is not effective in helping students to change their behaviors.” To change and improve student behaviors, Minnesota schools identify specific behavioral problems, find ways to reinforce and reward positive behavior alternatives, and then consistently enforce meaningful consequences when students choose to misbehave.

This video looks at good and bad examples of positive behavior in school.

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Helping Children Adjust to the Beginning Years of Public School

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Helping Children Adjust to the Beginning Years of Public School
Learn how you can help your child to successfully adjust to the first years of public school instruction.

For parents who are, for the first time, introducing their young child into public school classes, or for parents who are helping their child to adjust to a new and/or different school, there are specific strategies and tips that can help students successfully adjust. As the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explains, “Back to school time often means changes for children and families: the first day of kindergarten or first grade; new preschools or child care settings; new classrooms and new teachers. Making smooth transitions between home, programs and schools can help children feel good about themselves and teach them to trust other adults and children.”

By helping kids adapt to new situations and settings, parents can engage in their child’s education and feel at ease regarding their son or daughter’s successful transition to a new school.

Helping Students Transition Successfully

For children who are naturally outgoing, these kids may face fewer issues and challenges at a new school; however, if children are shyer and reserved, it can take a few weeks for them to adjust before becoming comfortable in the new school environment.

As NAEYC explains, transitions established by parents can help students comfortably and confidently move into a new setting and social situation: “Transitions are exciting opportunities for children to learn and grow. Parents and early childhood professionals share a role in

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