Elementary or (Primary) School Tips and Facts:

• Elementary or primary school is grades K-1-2-3-4-5 in most cases, some elementary schools only go up grade 4


• The beginning of your child's formal education, most kids start at age 5 or 6 with kindergarten in a public or private school


• Kindergarten is not a required a grade and some schools in certain states will not provide transportation to their kindergartners because of budget cuts and gas costs


• First graders (usually age 6 or 7) in most school systems need to already know how to read on a beginner level at the beginning of the school year and are expected to do things independently to some extent


• All grade levels of elementary school are using and learning to use computers in most schools


• Homework is given on all grade levels in varying degrees - parents are reporting that even kindergarten students have small daily homework task


• Reading is the main focus of most elementary curriculums and students are asked to read daily at school to themselves and aloud and reading is also usually part of the homework assignments


• Mathematics quickly follows reading as a main elementary focus, and many students are doing algebra already


• Basic foundations and study skills are built in other areas as well including social studies by learning local history and geography, social sciences are introduced and so forth


• Sadly physical education is not that big a deal in elementary schools and many students have gym class once a week for 30 minutes


• Due to many budget cuts a lot of students have to provide their own supplies for everything


• Some elementary schools offer foreign language classes and advanced classes, ask about these if you're interested


• Standardized testing begins, you can opt out of these for your child and keep them home that week if you want to, discuss options with your principal

Basic Shopping List for Elementary Students:

• Sturdy backpack


• Over sized pencils for K & 1st graders, standard yellow #2 pencils


• Blunt point safety scissors


• 24 count crayons


• Tissues


• Hand sanitizer and/or soap


• Big pink erasers


• Spiral notebooks and composition books


• Folders


• Flue sticks (less mess!)


• Pencil box

**Most teachers and school districts will send out a required supply list before school starts **Take advantage of tax free school supply shopping day in your area