What to Expect from Each Grade Level

Every child is unique and may be more or less developed than the norm. Be flexible! Here are two general points:

• Children do not often answer questions right away. Usually they simply stare back without any hint of comprehension. Be patient, and wait for them to answer--usually they are just thinking. This can take up to several minutes!
• These are the ages where girls can be shier than boys, and they may take some prodding to be a part of the discussion--prod all the children, and don't be discouraged if it takes some of them a while. Teach them the value of all opinions.

 

Grade	Educational Level	Art Ability	Emotional Level
1	l Most will know alphabet by Jan., numbers to 30 by June. l Can best grasp simple stories with simple logical sequence l Little concept of city, state, or country l Best with simple instructions, one at a time	l Difficulty with scissors except with simple shapes l Coloring not always inside the lines l Can not trace patterns l Gluesticks or paste ok--trouble with liquid glue	l Will interrupt a lot! l Very fidgety, with little concept of personal space l 10-15 minute attention span
2	l Understand characters, setting, and sequence when obvious, and later, even with just clues l Can start to write simple sentences l Working on adding adjectives to describe nouns l Have better understanding of cities--if told they live in CA they may reply, "No, I live in L.A." l Can handle complex one-step instructions or two simple sets of instructions l Can handle simple comprehension questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how?	l Somewhat increasing dexterity, but more notable in second grade l Understand mixing colors will make new colors l Hand-eye better for tracing simple patterns l Gluesticks or paste still preferred	l Will still interrupt! l Still fidgety l 20 minute attention span
3	l Can discuss characters, setting, plot, and author's purpose l Increased comprehension--can and answer some questions l Can also understand prediction--have them predict what will happen next, and teach cause and effect with this l Can grasp main ideas and details that support that idea	l Can trace difficult patterns unless too intricate l Can fold, tear, cut to make a picture, but when asking to fold many times, do so slowly and one step at a time l Have begun to know and explore complex colors	l Less fidgety, with better concept of personal space l 20-25 minute attention span
4	l Can write complete thoughts in paragraphs l Understand more complex thoughts, and can determine the underlying theme in a story l Understand the world is made up of continents, countries, states, and so forth l Can really begin breaking apart stories to create ideas of their own. They can generate alternative endings to plots, and understand why	l Creativity increasing--have them create 3-D models of the setting, paint the backdrop for a play they read, rewrite the ending of a story, create a story with the same characters but different plot l Can trace, cut and color well l May show a need to have the project be "perfect"--will want to start over a lot	l Should behave and be much easier to manage l 20-25 minute attention span
5	l Begin to analyze things critically l Much increased vocabulary, with ability to determine meaning of word from context l Can evaluate new information and hypotheses by testing them against known information and ideas l Can recognize figurative language (simile, metaphor, etc.) in text	l Pretty much capable of creating anything l Creativity may be disappearing so pull it back and give them ways to be creative	l Will be accustomed to behaving in a classroom l May express a growing need to be "cool" l Half hour attention span
6	l Can identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved l Can follow multiple step instructions l Understand synonyms, antonyms, figurative language l Can understand complex themes	l Capable of most projects l Again, may have forgotten how to be creative, and will be more inclined to copy others--encourage creative brainstorming. l Need things that are meaningful to do or will do a poor job l Need to feel it is their idea to do it and not to be forced	l Will be accustomed to behaving in a classroom l Half hour attention span

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