WILLIAM KIRBY
HUBER HEIGHTS SCHOOLS
All children are born ready to learn. The learning that occurs from birth to kindergarten sets the stage for the many skills children will be taught once they enter our K-12 educational system. The Ohio State Department of Education recognizes the importance of early learning. With the help of educators and others from across Ohio, ODE developed the Ohio Early Learning Content Standards. These standards address the areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies and describe the essential concepts and skills young children need to know and be able to do before entering kindergarten. In addition, the early learning content indicators are aligned to the kindergarten through grade-12 indicators, benchmarks and standards that provide the focus of instruction in our schools. Currently, the Early Learning Content Standards in English language arts and mathematics are under revision. In the fall of 2010, ODE identified early childhood education experts in both of these areas to assist in the development of the Pre-K standards, and provided the following guidelines:
• The Pre-K standards must align to the kindergarten standards.
• The Pre-K standards must reflect current research about language development, emergent literacy and early mathematical understanding.
• The Pre-K standards must be built upon the strengths and the lessons found in the current standards.
The revised Early Learning Content Standards will be presented to the State Board of Education for the adoption process in February 2011.
Another indication of Ohio’s focus on early learning is the administration of the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment – Literacy. The KRA-L is an assessment tool that is required by law to be given to all students entering kindergarten for the first time. It can be administered to students no sooner than four weeks prior to the beginning of the school year but not later than Oct. 1. This tool helps kindergarten teachers identify the early reading skills of each child so that lessons can be based on the student’s abilities and needs. The skills measured in the KRA-L support the skills identified in the Early Learning Content Standards.
Parents and others interested in more information about early learning in Ohio can go to the Ohio Department of Education website, www.ode.state.oh.us and click on Learning Supports, then on the left hand side of the page click on Early Learning and School Readiness.
To contact Kirby, call (937) 237-6300 or e-mail william.kirby@huberheightscityschools.org.
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