Effective Practices for Aligning Pre-K Through Third Grade

This report explores how to successfully align grades P-3. Research shows that children’s brains develop rapidly and significantly during the early years. As a result, achievement gaps can develop and/or grow by the time children reach kindergarten. These gaps magnify in elementary school and can contribute to long-term academic problems. Aligned P-3 learning programs—also referred to as “P-3 learning continuums”—can narrow achievement gaps by delivering continuous, developmentally-appropriate instruction that reduces the potential for learning loss within and between grade levels.

This brief examines districts’ strategies to align grades P-3 and describes the core elements of developmentally-appropriate instruction, including purposeful play, academic rigor, and physical movement. Download the full report or explore the main takeaways below.

Align curricula to research-informed early learning standards

Contacts at all profiled districts report that effective early learning standards improve pre-K through third-grade (P-3) alignment by defining the limits—both upper and lower—of student achievement in P-3 classrooms. Teachers can then differentiate instruction to students based on where they land within the limits.

Standards should also clearly define the links between academic progress and children’s cognitive, physical, and social emotional development. To encourage a close alignment to standards, District A publishes a breakdown of how each instructional unit in each grade corresponds to specific skills laid out in the state’s early learning standards.

Use assessments and teacher surveys to evaluate rigor

Contacts at all profiled districts administer standardized tests to evaluate student performance against research-backed benchmarks. Teachers at District B share the data from these tests with one another to determine the effectiveness of rigorous teaching practices. At District C and District D, teachers and administrators use curricula-embedded assessments from Teaching Strategies Gold to evaluate how students respond to varying levels of rigor on a day-to-day basis. At District A, administrators use grade-aligned benchmark documents to survey teachers about the level of rigor their students receive.

Combine structured learning with purposeful play

As students progress through P-3 at all profiled districts, purposeful play remains an integral part of their learning experience. However, contacts at all profiled districts emphasize that teachers and administrators must find creative ways to combine purposeful play with increasingly structured learning time. This prepares students for the “desk learning” model of older grades, while ensuring that they still receive developmentally appropriate instruction.

District C, for example, implements a “plan-do-review” model in every grade, where students spend time planning an activity, doing the activity, and reflecting on what they learned. As students progress through P-3, they spend less time verbally discussing their plans, and more time writing about them. The activities themselves remain play-based and hands-on.

Facilitate transitions between grades

Administrators at District B facilitate meetings between teachers at different grade levels to discuss students’ performance on assessments. These meetings allow teachers to target support in the correct areas and to adjust their pedagogical approaches accordingly. At District C, teachers and administrators conduct instructional rounds between grade levels, sharing instructional practices through direct classroom observation and the building of professional relationships.

To maximize kindergarten readiness, teachers and administrators at District D developed a “soft start to kindergarten” program. For the first six weeks of kindergarten, teachers entirely focus on slowly acclimating students to the school environment through a curriculum that stresses social emotional learning, community-building, and routine-setting.

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