Elementary Education

Elementary education is not exclusive to America. Most civilized countries offer an educational program to help shape young minds and teach them academics. Countries like the United Kingdom and Australia refer to this as primary school.

The majority of students learn in a classroom setting with 20 to 30 students per teacher. However, some parents choose alternative routes to educating their children.

Age Requirements

A child’s minimum age for beginning school is determined by his birthday. Every school district sets a cutoff date to determine eligibility to attend classes in the fall. This means your child must turn five on or before this date. September 1 and December 1 are the two most common dates. However, age is not the most important requirement for attending school.

Kindergarten Readiness

Approximately six months before a child is scheduled to begin kindergarten, many schools require an evaluation. Teachers and administrators are looking for indicators that your child is ready to begin his elementary education. In some cases, the school may recommend your child waits another year before starting school. The most common reason a child is asked to wait another year is maturity.

Before entering kindergarten, your child must demonstrate the ability to:

• Separate from his parents or guardians
• Express himself
• Demonstrate language skills
• Follow instructions
• Think logically
• Interact well with other children
• Be familiar with academic basics like the alphabet and counting
• Show an interest in learning
• Hold a pencil
• Use the bathroom independently

Some schools run full-day kindergarten classes while others offer half-day classes to help children adjust to a new schedule.

Teachers

An elementary education teacher is required to learn a “one room schoolhouse” approach to her classroom. She is responsible for teaching her students all the basic subjects during the year. In most schools, separate qualified instructors teach music and physical education. The requirements for teachers vary from state to state.

Subjects

Students in elementary school are taught numerous subjects throughout the school day including:

• Reading
• Writing
• Math
• Health & science
• Social Studies
• Music
• Physical Education
• Computer

Elementary schools focus on a well-rounded education. A child is required to pass all subjects to move on to the next grade level.

Middle School

In some school districts, grades seven and eight fall under the elementary education umbrella. Every school district is different. Some elementary schools house grades kindergarten through fourth grade, while others go all the way to eighth grade. Other school districts build a separate school called middle schools for grades fifth and sixth, or sixth through eighth. Often these decisions are based on space and student enrollment.

Alternative Education Programs

Some parents prefer an alternative education program for their children. They have various reasons for making this decision including:

• Concern of inadequate education at public schools
• Religious preferences
• Disagreement with the educational philosophy of the school
• Concern about student’s safety and/or peer pressure
• Frustration with corrupt schools
• Family bonding

Private Schools

Unlike public schools, private schools are funded by donations and tuition instead of the government. They are often associated with a religion. Families are required to pay for their children’s education (up to $40,000 for boarding schools). If you want to send your child to private school but cannot afford the tuition, ask about scholarships.

Private schools are often more strict in their policies than public schools and may endorse required religion classes and a strict dress code.

Homeschool Education

A student who is taught by his parents at home is considered homeschooled. Some families prefer to unschool. This term refers to "child led" learning where the students education is based on his interests, needs and goals. Though the parents or guardians are in charge of the student’s education, they follow government set academic standards. These include testing students to ensure they are on track with education requirements, which are different for each state. Associations and local groups provide support for homeschool parents.

Montessori Schools

Dr. Maria Montessori founded her Montessori education system in 1907. She based it on her philosophy that children learn through hands-on play. She based her approach from observing children and noting that they teach themselves. Her first school, located in Rome, was called Casa dei bambini ("children's house"). She designed a “prepared environment” with developmentally appropriate activities and let the children choose their own lessons. These lessons incorporate all five senses and allow children to learn at their own pace. This philosophy is taught in Montessori schools all over the world.

Elementary Education Goals

The government sets goals for all school systems to achieve. They track a school’s progress with annual state reading and math assessments in grades third through eighth.

President George W. Bush created the No Child Left Behind Act to help identify students who are failing and getting lost in the system. The terms of this legislation include:

• Higher accountability with required school district report cards
• Stronger success rates in academics
• More funding
• More flexibility for school districts
• Freedom to choose which school to send your child to
• Focus on reading first
• Teacher quality

The goal of No Child Left Behind is to ensure every child gets a well-rounded education.

Elementary education is a part of every child’s learning process. If you are unsure of which academic route to take, interview professionals from each field to help pick the best educational program for your child.