What Your Child Needs To Know... When

What Must Your Child Learn?

Washington Schools posts a helpful page for parents about understanding of what your child should be learning each year of schooling from Kindergarten until Grade Ten.   For some reason grades 11 and 12 do not exist.

 Read it here in lots of different languages too.

I have slightly modified their text in order to write about it, but for example, in Kindergarten... which is listed here even though children are not required to enroll in school until age eight, (about third grade,) your child will learn:

WRITING
• Knows that an audience exists outside of self and understands writing has different purposes
• be able to analyze ideas, select topics and add details to stories and narrations
• Know and apply spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and paragraphing appropriate to the
grade level as all kindergartners should.

MATH
• Begin to develop basic notions of numbers and be able to use numbers to think about objects and the world around them  (also known as "learning to count")
• Learns what it means to add and subtract by joining and separating sets of objects
• Learns to describe attributes of geometric shapes, such as triangles, rectangles and circles

READING
• Recognizes, understands and applies concepts of print and sounds (Alphabet?)
• Expands oral language skills and gains meaningful vocabulary for reading (letter sounds)
• Demonstrates comprehension by responding in different ways when listening to or viewing text of all kinds (follows directions and can understand the sequence of things...(the beginning middle end of a story)
• Shows interest in a variety of books

SCIENCE
• Learns that scientific investigations involve  trying to answer questions by making observations or
trying things out
• Learns to use simple tools (e.g., pencils, scissors) and materials (e.g., paper, tape, glue and cardboard) to solve problems in creative ways
• Learns about the properties of liquids and solids, objects seen in the sky and the needs of plants and animals

For Kindergarten, that's what the schools have listed as the learning standard.... and Kindergarten is not even "required" by law.... neither is first and second grade.

By the Tenth Grade it gets a little tougher:

WRITING
• Writes for a variety of audiences and purposes, including persuading and explaining
• Analyzes ideas, selects a manageable topic and elaborates using specific, relevant details and/or examples
• Knows and applies spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and paragraphing appropriate to the grade level

MATH (GEOMETRY)
• Formalizes geometrical experiences from earlier grades and uses more precise definitions in developing proofs
• Develops the concepts of congruence and similarity and applies right triangle trigonometry
• Connects algebraic formulas to geometric concepts in order to analyze, model and solve real-world problems

READING
• Shows awareness of vocabulary and comprehension strategies used, especially when encountering
difficult text and/or reading for a specific purpose
• Shows greater ability to make connections and adjust understandings as knowledge is gained
• Continues to increase academic vocabulary

SCIENCE
• Learns to construct sophisticated system models, including the concepts of subsystems, boundaries, flows and feedbacks
• Extends and refines understanding of the nature of inquiry and ability to formulate questions, propose
hypotheses and design, conduct and report on investigations
• Learns that cells have complex molecules and structure that enable them to carry out life functions such as photosynthesis

So... after reading this about your state's learning standards, do you as a parent have any apprehension about you being your own child's primary teacher and being able to provide a great education if you decide you want to homeschool?

A superior help for understanding what to teach when is this.

For Kindergarten

For Tenth Grade

For Twelfth