A Guide to Grade School

By Katherine Lee, About.com Guide to School-Age Children

The grade school years are an exciting time, filled with amazing bursts of learning and development. Find out what you can expect from your child's grade school curriculum, learn about the latest developments in educational trends, and find out what you can do to foster and encourage a love of learning in your child and make the grade school years full of fun and exploration.

Grades K-5
Reading Development
Parent Involvement
Homework
Hot Topics

Grades K-5

Here's a grade-by-grade overview of what you can expect your child to learn in grade school. From kindergarten to 5th grade, your child will experience an explosion of development in reading, math, science, and other subjects he will tackle in grade school.

Reading Development

Starting around kindergarten, grade-schoolers will take tentative steps into reading that will develop into a lifetime of learning. Around 4th grade, children will experience what educators call a shift from "reading to learn" to "learning to read." Parents will play a crucial role in helping kids develop a love of reading and learning.

Parent Involvement

No matter what your schedule or time constraints, there are ways you can get involved in your child's school. Research shows that parental involvement in a child's academic life is key to school success. Building relationships with your child's school and fellow parents are important ways to become a part of your child's school life.

Homework

Homework is a big part of many grade-schoolers' lives today, starting as early as kindergarten. What's behind this trend, and what can parents do to make sure kids get the homework help and support they need?

Hot Topics

The latest information and developments on the issues on parents' minds today such as schoolkids' healthy and safety, social problems such as bullying and cliques, and controversial topics such as "redshirting" a child to boost academic success.

School-Age Children