During kindergarten, children learn the basic skills underpinning all later courses of study. Children should learn the alphabet, the sounds linked to each letter, to write his own name and to write simple sentences in kindergarten English. In speech, children should begin to develop question and answer conversations, to listen attentively and to act on instructions. In kindergarten, children should also learn how to count to 30, to tell the time to the nearest hour, count in fives and tens and to add and subtract with the help of manipulatives such as sweets.
In the first grade, children should learn to identify basic elements of grammar and punctuation, recall details of stories, differentiate between fiction and nonfiction, write legibly and begin to form complete sentences. In mathematics, children should learn to count up to 100, understand "more than" and "less than," perform basic addition and subtraction using money, use graphs and to recognize mathematical symbols. As well as this, children should learn to locate America and the seven continents on a map, display an understanding of the notions of a past and present, learn the basic needs of living creatures and perform simple experiments.
In the second grade, children should further develop their reading skills, to understand expression in reading; predict outcomes of stories; use punctuation correctly; write paragraphs; and be able to spell common words. Children should be able to count up to 1,000, mentally add and subtract two digit numbers, identify and expand number patterns, tell the time to the closest quarter of an hour and add and subtract using dollars and cents, with correctly placed decimals. In second grade science, children should learn about basic forces such as magnetism; study dinosaurs; and identify parts of plants and animals. Children should also learn to discuss current events and understand what famous historical figures have done.
In the third grade, children should begin to read myths, be able to check the spelling or meaning of words in a dictionary, read independently and look up information in a book using an index. Children should also learn to add transitions into adjacent paragraphs, begin to understanding the writing process (including planning and re-drafting) and learn to write in various styles. Third graders should also learn to add and subtract numbers up to 10,000, explain how math problems have been solved, use fractions and decimals and know the multiplication table. Children should also learn the 50 states, identify rocks and minerals and test hypotheses with experiments.
Fourth grade children should be able to read newspapers, differentiate between fiction and nonfiction, be able to read aloud fluently, understand synonyms and antonyms, present oral reports and take notes. In mathematics, children should learn to do long division, work out averages, use a calculator and become better at mentally completing sums. Students should also learn to investigate why things such as the Earth's orbit happen, and understand how things are worked out scientifically.
In the fifth grade, students should learn to summarize sections of a book; become proficient with more advanced grammatical features such as verb tenses; read different types of fiction; and begin to understand homophones and figurative language. Children should also learn the basics of geometry, algebra, probability and become more proficient with decimals and fractions. In fifth grade science, children should learn about changes in matter, scientific investigation, the weather and the human body. Finally, children should begin to study periods in history such as ancient Greece, the American Civil War and the Olmec civilization.