Improve K-3 Academic Success
The primary grades, kindergarten through third grade (K-3), encompass children’s entry into compulsory education[i] and are the crucial years when children shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”[ii] Emerging research points policymakers toward more effective practices and policies to enhance K-3 learning opportunities and ensure that gains made from early childhood investments continue into K-12.
What Can Policymakers Do?
· Establish universal full-day kindergarten
. Make full-day kindergarten (FDK) a voluntary, universal option as part of the public education system.
· Establish a comprehensive “ready schools” approach
. Increase the number of school districts with a comprehensive “Ready Schools” approach.
· Reform teaching and learning
. Establish, support, and sustain school reform efforts that address effective teaching and learning in K-3 classrooms.
[i]
Education Commission of the States.
(2008). Across the states, compulsory attendance age ranges from 5 to 8 years old. State statutes regarding kindergarten. Education Commission of the States, Originally compiled August 2001 (2008 update). Web site: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/60/7860.pdf
[ii]
Chall, J. S. (1996).
Learning to read: The great debate.
3rd ed. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College
.