Typical Course of Study - Kindergarten

Typical Course of Study - Kindergarten The elementary years lay the foundation for learning throughout a students educational career (and beyond). Childrens abilities undergo dramatic changes from kindergarten through 5th grade.   While public and private schools set the standards for their students,  homeschooling parents  may be unsure what to teach at each grade level. Thats where a typical course of study comes in handy.   A typical course of study provides a general framework for introducing appropriate skills and concepts for each subject at each grade level. Parents may notice that some skills and topics are repeated in multiple grade levels. This repetition is normal because the complexity of skills and depth of topics increases as a students ability and maturity increases. Kindergarten Kindergarten is a highly-anticipated time of transition for most children. Learning through play starts to give way to more formal lessons. (Though play remains an essential part of education through the elementary years.) For most young children, this first foray into formal learning will include pre-reading and early math activities. It is also a time for children to begin understanding their role and the roles of others in the community.   Language Arts A typical course of study for kindergarten language arts includes pre-reading activities such as learning to recognize upper- and lower-case letters of the alphabet and the sounds of each. Children enjoy looking at picture books and pretending to read. Its crucial to read to kindergarten students on a regular basis. Not only does reading aloud help children make connections between written and spoken words, but it also helps them acquire new vocabulary skills. Students should practice writing the letters of the alphabet and learn to write their name. Children may use drawings or invented spelling to tell stories.   Science Science helps kindergarten students begin to understand the world around them. It is essential to provide opportunities for them to explore science-related topics through observation and investigation. Ask students questions such as how, why, what if, and what do you think. Use nature study to help young students explore earth science and physical science. Common topics for kindergarten science include insects, animals, plants, weather, soil, and rocks.   Social Studies In kindergarten, social studies focus on exploring the world through the local community. Provide opportunities for children to  learn about themselves and their role in their family and community. Teach them about community helpers such as police officers and firefighters.   Introduce them to basic facts about their country, such as its president, its capital city, and some of its national holidays. Help them explore basic geography with simple maps of their home, city, state, and country. Math A typical course of study for kindergarten math includes topics such as counting, number recognition, one-to-one correspondence, sorting and categorizing, learning basic shapes, and pattern recognition. Children will learn to recognize numbers 1 through 100 and count by ones to 20. They will learn to describe the position of an object such as in, beside, behind, and between.   They will learn to recognize simple patterns such as A-B (red/blue/red/blue), complete a pattern that has been started for them, and create their own simple patterns. First Grade Children in first grade are starting to acquire more abstract thinking skills. Some begin to move toward reading fluency. They can understand more abstract math concepts and can complete simple addition and subtraction problems. They are becoming more independent and self-sufficient. Language Arts A typical course of study for first-grade language arts introduces students to age-appropriate grammar, spelling, and writing. Children learn to capitalize and punctuate sentences correctly. They are expected to spell grade level words correctly and capitalize common nouns. Most first grade students will learn to read one-syllable words that follow general spelling rules and use phonics skills to decipher unknown words.  Ã‚   Some common skills for first graders include using and understanding compound words; inferring a words meaning from context; understanding figurative language;  and writing short compositions. Science First-grade students will build on the concepts they learned in kindergarten. They will continue asking questions and predicting outcomes and will learn to find patterns in the natural world. Common science topics for first grade include plants; animals; states of matter (solid, liquid, gas); sound; energy; seasons; water; and weather. Social Studies First-grade students can understand the past, present, and future, though most dont have a solid grasp of time intervals (for example, 10 years ago vs.  50 years ago). They understand the world around them from the context of the familiar, such as their school and community.   Common first-grade social studies topics include basic economics (needs vs. wants), beginning  map skills (cardinal directions and locating state and country on a map), continents, cultures, and national symbols. Math First-grade math concepts reflect this age groups improved ability to think abstractly. Skills and concepts typically taught include addition and subtraction;  telling time to the half-hour; recognizing and counting money; skip counting (counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s); measuring;  ordinal numbers (first, second, third); and naming and drawing two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Second Grade Second-grade students are becoming better at processing information and can understand more abstract concepts. They understand jokes, riddles, and sarcasm and like to try them on others.   Most students who did not master reading fluency in first grade will do so in second. Most second graders have also established foundational writing skills. Language Arts A typical course of study for second-grade children focuses on reading fluency. Children will begin reading grade-level text without stopping to sound out most words. They will learn to read orally at a conversational speaking rate and use  voice inflection for expression. Second-grade students will learn  more complex phonics concepts and vocabulary. They will begin to learn prefixes, suffixes, antonyms, homonyms, and synonyms. They may start learning cursive handwriting.  Ã‚   Common skills for second-grade writing include using reference tools (such as a dictionary); writing opinion and how-to compositions; using planning tools such as brainstorming and graphic organizers; and learning to self-edit. Science In second grade, children begin using what they know to make predictions (hypothesis) and look for patterns in nature. Common second-grade life science topics include life cycles, food chains, and habitats (or biomes).   Earth science  topics include the Earth and how it changes over time; the factors affecting those changes such as wind, water, and ice; and the physical properties and classification of rocks.   Students are also introduced to force and motion concepts such as push, pull, and  magnetism. Social Studies Second graders are ready to begin moving beyond their local community and using what they know to compare their region with other areas and cultures.   Common topics include Native Americans, key historical figures (such as George Washington or Abraham Lincoln), creating timelines, the United States Constitution, and the election process. Second graders will also learn more advanced map skills, such as locating the United States and individual states; finding and labeling oceans, continents, the North and South Poles, and the equator. Math In second grade, students will begin to learn more complex math skills and attain fluency in math vocabulary.   A second-grade math course of study usually includes place value (ones, tens, hundreds); odd and even numbers; adding and subtracting two-digit numbers; introduction of multiplication tables; telling time from the quarter hour  to the  minute; and fractions. Third Grade In third grade, students begin to make the shift from guided learning to more independent exploration. Because most third-graders are fluent readers, they can read directions themselves and take more responsibility for their work. Language Arts In language arts, the focus on reading shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. There is an emphasis on reading comprehension. Students will learn to identify the main idea or moral of a story and be able to describe the plot and how the actions of the main characters affect the plot. Third graders will begin using more complex graphic organizers as part of the pre-writing process. They will learn  to write book reports, poems, and personal narratives. Topics for third-grade grammar include parts of speech; conjunctions; comparative and superlatives; more complex capitalization and punctuation skills (such as capitalizing book titles and punctuating dialogue); and sentence types (declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory).   Students also learn about writing genres such as fairy tales, myths, fiction, and biographies.   Science Third graders start to tackle more complex science topics. Students learn about the scientific process,  simple machines  and  the moon and its phases. Other topics include living organisms (vertebrate and invertebrates); properties of matter; physical changes; light and sound; astronomy; and inherited traits. Social Studies Third-grade social studies topics help students continue to expand their view of the world around them. They learn about cultures and how the environment and physical features affect the people of a given region. Students learn about topics such as transportation, communication, and the exploration and colonization of North American. Geography topics include latitude, longitude, map scale, and geographic terms. Math Third-grade mathematical concepts continue to increase in complexity.   Topics include multiplication and division; estimation; fractions and decimals; commutative and associative properties; congruent shapes, area and perimeter; charts and graphs; and probability.   Fourth Grade Most fourth-grade students are ready to tackle more complex work independently. They start learning basic time management and planning techniques for long-term projects. Fourth-graders are also starting to discover their academic strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. They may be asynchronous learners who dive into topics that interest them while struggling in areas that dont.   Language Arts Most fourth-grade students are competent, fluent readers. It is an excellent time to introduce books series since many children at this age are captivated by them.   A typical course of study includes grammar, composition, spelling, vocabulary-building, and literature. Grammar focuses on topics such as similes and metaphors; prepositional phrases; and run-on sentences.   Composition topics include creative, expository, and persuasive writing; research (using sources such as the internet, books, magazines, and news reports); understanding fact vs. opinion; point of view; and editing and publishing. Students will read and respond to a variety of literature. They will explore genres such as folklore, poetry, and tales from a variety of cultures.   Science Fourth-grade students continue to deepen their understanding of the scientific process through practice. They may try conducting age-appropriate experiments and document them by writing lab reports.  Ã‚   Earth science topics in fourth grade include natural disasters (such as earthquakes and volcanoes); the solar system; and natural resources. Physical science topics include electricity and electrical currents; physical and chemical changes in states of matter (freezing, melting, evaporation, and condensation); and the water cycle. Life science topics typically cover how plants and animals interact with and support one another (food chains and food webs), how plants produce food, and how humans impact the environment. Social Studies The history of the United States and the students home state are common topics for social studies in fourth grade. Students will research facts about their home states such as its native population, who settled the land, its path to statehood, and significant people and events from state history.   U.S. history topics include the Revolutionary War and westward expansion (the explorations of Lewis and Clark and the lives of American pioneers) Math Most fourth-grade students should be comfortable adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing quickly and accurately. They will apply these skills to large whole numbers and learn to add and subtract fractions and decimals.   Other fourth-grade math skills and concepts include prime numbers; multiples; conversions; adding and subtracting with variables; units of metric measurements; finding the area and perimeter of a solid; and figuring the volume of a solid. New concepts in geometry include lines, line segments, rays, parallel lines, angles, and triangles.   Fifth Grade Fifth grade is the last year as an elementary student for most students since middle school is generally considered grades 6-8. While these young tweens may consider themselves mature and responsible, they often need continued guidance as they prepare to transition fully to independent learners.   Language Arts A typical course of study for fifth-grade language arts will include components that become standard through the high school years: grammar, composition, literature, spelling, and vocabulary-building.   The literature component includes reading a variety of books and genres; analyzing plot, character, and setting; and identifying the authors purpose for writing and how his point of view influences his writing. Grammar and composition focus on using correct age-appropriate grammar to write more complex compositions such as letters, research papers, persuasive essays, and stories; honing pre-writing techniques such as brainstorming and using graphic organizers; and building on the students understanding of parts of speech and how each is used in a sentence (examples include prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions). Science Fifth graders have a strong basic understanding of science and the scientific process. Theyll put those skills to work as they delve into a more complex understanding of the world around them. Science topics usually covered in fifth grade include the solar system; the universe; Earths atmosphere; healthy habits (proper nutrition and personal hygiene); atoms, molecules, and cells; matter; the Periodic Table; and taxonomy and the classification system. Social Studies In fifth grade, students continue their exploration of American history, studying events such as the War of 1812; the American Civil War; inventors and technological advances of the 19th century (such as Samuel B. Morse, the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell); and basic economics (the law of supply and demand; the primary resources, industries, and products of the United States and other countries). Math A typical course of study for fifth-grade math  include dividing two- and three-digit whole numbers with and without remainders; multiplying and dividing fractions; mixed numbers; improper fractions; simplifying fractions; using equivalent fractions; formulas for area, perimeter, and volume; graphing; Roman numerals; and powers of ten. This typical course of study for elementary school is intended as a general guide. The introduction of topics and acquisition  of skills can vary widely based on the studentss maturity and ability level, a familys preferred homeschooling style, and the type of homeschool curriculum used.

Advertise Smarter

Advertise Smarter Successful independent authors advertise. Its as simple as that. You cant publish a book and expect the world to notice. You must get the word out. However, not all types of advertising produce the same results, and its easy to waste an awful lot of money without seeing substantial return. Trust me, Ive wasted plenty, and I want to help you avoid some of the same mistakes. I only advertise books that are on sale, or free, and I look for sites with a substantial mailing list. I avoid sites that boast huge Twitter followings as their claim to fame, because its easy to artificially inflate social media stats. I also avoid doing banner advertisements on sites, because the click-through rate on those are a Bookbub Lets address the behemoth first. I havent encountered a site thats more consistently worth the investment than Bookbub. At first glance, its expensive, but an ad with them is worth every penny. On average, for a free book in the horror genre, I see around 8,000–20,000 downloads on the day my ad hits, and the effect continues for several days until gradually coming back down to average. Bookbub can be awfully picky about which titles they advertise, which might be discouraging if they decline your novel. Dont be disheartened. Acquire more reviews on your book (which is part of their selection criteria), and give them another try in a month. For tips on finding more reviews, see my article in last weeks FundsforWriters newsletter: How to Get Reviews – Without Cheating! Freebooksy/Bargainbooksy This is another pricey option thats had consistent, positive results, although with nowhere near the same success as Bookbub. Their prices run between $40 and $200 depending on the genre of your book, and I usually see an uptick of about 1,000 downloads (for a free horror novel). Advertising with Bargainbooksy is considerably cheaper, but Ive never seen an impressive result from them. In my opinion, you should only use this site when your book is being offered for free. Kindle Nation Daily / Bookgorilla Its daunting to look at the pricing structure of this sites advertisement packages. Ive participated in several different options (including some of the frighteningly expensive ones) and surprisingly discovered that the best one is also the cheapest. If youre offering a free book, then its worth your time to invest in the $29.99 Free Book Highlighter option. OHFB Another free book advertising opportunity. This one competes closely with Freebooksy in terms of price and results, although I only utilize it when Im putting a slew of ads out all at once. Bookbasset Heres one thats still relatively cheap (get them while you can), but still manages to drum up impressive downloads. One of its options makes you the featured author for the day and can be used to advertise all of your books. This one runs $21.99 and is a good option if youre hoping to advertise books that arent available for free. If youre marketing a free book, then theres an option that runs a meager $7.99, but will usually land you a few hundred downloads. Good luck advertising your book! If you find a different site thats worth advertising with, please reply with   a comment.