ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Kindergarten Programs

Kindergarten is a one or two-year program prior to grade one designed to serve as an introduction to the academic environment.  The kindergarten program shall provide activities that promote the development of feelings of self-worth as a learner and the development of skills in the following areas: social interaction, academic readiness, language expression, and fine and gross motor coordination.

General Requirements (Grades 1-8)

The instructional program in each elementary grade, 1-8, shall include the required subjects listed below for a school year of at least 175 instructional days.

English Language Instruction - Sequential instruction in the English language shall be required.  English language instruction at the elementary level is defined as language arts, which shall include reading, writing, spelling, grammar, handwriting, listening and speaking skills.

Fine Arts - Sequential instruction in fine arts shall be required. Fine arts may be provided through separate or integrated study and may include an awareness, appreciation, or performance of the art form.

Health Education - Sequential instruction in health education shall be required. Health education shall include instruction in community health, consumer health, environmental health, family life, growth and development, nutritional health, personal health including mental and emotional health, prevention and control of disease and disorders, safety and accident prevention, and substance use and abuse, including the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics.

Library Instruction - Library Instruction in the elementary grades shall include the following: location, identification and use of print and non-print materials, critical selection skills, and research and reporting skills.

Maine Studies - Maine studies shall be required of all students in at least one grade between grades 6 and 12 inclusive. If Maine studies is taught in grades 6-8, it must be at least one semester in duration. Instruction shall include Maine history and geography; Maine's natural, economic and industrial resources; and Maine's cultural and ethnic heritage.

Mathematics - Sequential instruction in mathematics shall be required. Such instruction shall include mathematical concepts, the metric system, computation, measurement, and problem-solving skills.

Physical Education - Sequential instruction in physical education shall be required. Such instruction shall include movement education, recreation and leisure activities, gross/fine motor skills, and perceptual-motor development.

Science - Sequential instruction in science shall be required.  Instruction shall include the biological and physical sciences with an emphasis upon experimental inquiry.

Social Studies - Sequential instruction in social studies may be based upon the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, government, sociology, and culture appropriate to the developmental level of the student.  Instruction in American history and government shall be required and shall include the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the importance of voting, and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.