Elementary School
Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools serving the lower grades, typically up to 5th, and their students
School & District Management
An Unconventional Way One District Is Adding Teacher Planning Time
District leaders had to respond to increased training demands and the reality that elementary teachers generally have little planning time.
Reading & Literacy
Why Do Literacy Retention Policies Target 3rd Grade?
Literacy-related retention policies typically hold back students at the end of 3rd grade. Education experts offer insights into why.
Equity & Diversity
What Happened When a State Banned Suspensions for Young Students
A statewide ban on suspension for some learners successfully reduced its use—but some students were still disproportionately affected.
Student Well-Being
Teachers View Chronically Absent Students Less Favorably
Teachers report poorer relationships and lower academic perceptions of chronically absent students, research finds.
School & District Management
Inside a New School Built to Be Climate-Resilient
A newly opened elementary school is designed to remain standing and operational in extreme weather.
Science
From Our Research Center
Educators: Start Early to Keep Students Engaged in STEM
The EdWeek Research Center asked teachers, principals, and district leaders how to motivate kids to pursue STEM learning.
Mathematics
Young Students Gravitate to Math. How Teachers Can Build on That Curiosity
A focus on rich, real-world problems makes math more interesting, relevant, and enticing to students.
Curriculum
Outdoor Learning: The Ultimate Student Engagement Hack?
Outdoor learning offers a host of evidence-based benefits for students. One Virginia school serves as an example how.
Families & the Community
Why This District Meets Parents at Home
Parent-teacher home visits are more than conferences. They're about forming trusting relationships.
Families & the Community
How a School Made Parents Central to Its Turnaround
A strategy to constantly bring parents into the school has been central to rising achievement at a Detroit-area elementary school.
Reading & Literacy
Explainer
Make Time for the Read-Aloud. Here's How
Literacy experts explain the benefits of making the read-aloud a daily classroom ritual.
Teaching & Learning
This 2nd Grade Class Picked One of the Best March Madness Brackets in the Nation
The exercise was supposed to be just for fun. Then, this class' picks just kept winning.
Student Well-Being
What This School Used as the Main Ingredient for a Positive Climate
When systemic and fully integrated, the practice has the power to reduce bad behavior and boost teacher morale, experts say.
Special Education
Inside a School That Doesn’t Single Out Students With Special Needs
Students with disabilities at this school near Seattle rarely have to leave mainstream rooms to receive the services they need.