Core Knowledge for PK-3 Teaching: Ten Components of Effective Instruction

Researchers and educators have documented that high-quality early education can accomplish all of these things and more. When the academic demands of school begin to accelerate by around Fourth Grade, children who have had a strong foundation in Prekindergarten through Grade Three (PK-3) are better prepared for success in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and other school subjects. As a result, many teachers, school administrators, and policymakers now view PK-3 students as a special segment of the school population, one whose learning needs can only be met by highly trained professionals with a broad knowledge base about early childhood development and a rich repertoire of specialized strategies and subject matter teaching skills.

Drawing on guidelines set forth by national education groups and the research that underlies them, this brief outlines what experts in the field identify as “core knowledge” for high-quality PK-3 teaching in the U.S. — that is, what educators of children from Preschool through Grade Three must know and be able to do in order to be most effective in their work. Rather than a discrete set of competencies, the elements of effective teaching outlined here essentially point to an aligned set of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment both within and across developmental levels over the PK-3 continuum.