Early Childhood & Elementary School
Birth to Five Services
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Birth to Five Services provides free diagnostic and intervention services for residents of Anne Arundel County. These services are provided to all children demonstrating qualifying delays or disabilities for educational services. The services provided can be directed at any area of development and are delivered in diverse modalities to ensure the greatest level of support for children and families, including kindergarten. For more information about the services your child may be eligible for, please visit www.aacps.org/birthtofive.
Child Development & when to be concerned
Do you have questions or concerns about your child's development? Birth to Five Services is here to help! Learn how to address these concerns and receive support for your child.
The Child Find referral process for ages 2 & 10 months to 5 years
Do you have questions or concerns about the development of your child age 2 years & 10 months to 5 years? Parents/guardians can complete a referral for an evaluation to determine if their child is eligible for free early intervention services. Learn about the process and how to complete a referral. Visit Birth to Five Services at www.aacps.org/birthtofive for more information and to complete a referral.
Inclusion: What is it, and why is it so important?
What is inclusion, and why is it so important? Birth to Five Services guides us through the importance of inclusion and how students both in special education and the general education classroom benefit from an inclusive education. For more information about the Birth to Five program, visit www.aacps.org/birthtofive.
Special Education Terms and Acronyms
Here is a list of Special Education Terms and Acronyms that are commonly used when discussing Early Childhood Special Education.
Kindergarten Readiness
Early childhood education is important for preparing young children for kindergarten and the elementary years. Get the tools you need, answers to frequently asked questions, and how to access resources to help your child succeed.
What skills should a child headed to Kindergarten have to be successful? What are some steps you can take now to make sure your child is ready for this next big step?
For more resources, visit the Office of Early Childhood and School Readiness.
What does kindergarten readiness look like?
Prekindergarten
AACPS provides a three-year-old and four-year-old prekindergarten program for families that qualify. Learn about the AACPS prekindergarten program and the application process, including application requirements, income guidelines, and a step-by-step guide to completing the application online. For more information about the prekindergarten program, visit the Office of Early Childhood and School Readiness.
How to apply online for Prekindergarten
Kindergarten
Sending a child off to Kindergarten can be a moment of mixed emotions, questions and high expectations. Understanding what happens in the Kindergarten classroom once you say goodbye to your student can help reduce anxiety, answer questions and teach you about the goals AACPS has for our Kindergarten students.
Visit the Office of Early Childhood and School Readiness for more information and resources.
Understanding Kindergarten grades
Learn about the Kindergarten progress report and how it communicates the development of your child through subjects evaluated, grading codes, and growth over the school year.
The i-Ready Diagnostic
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment for grades K-8 that identifies a student’s strengths and opportunities for growth. This information helps determine how to best support your student’s learning. The goal is to see the growth of each student from the initial administration at the beginning of the year to the end-of-year administration in June. i-Ready is NOT a traditional graded assessment but rather a computer adaptive tool that adjusts questions to find exactly where your student is at. Students are encouraged to engage in i-Ready My Path lessons for at least 30 minutes each week in reading and math to help strengthen and improve their skills.
For more information and resources about the i-Ready diagnostic, visit the site for AACPS Assessments.
How to access the student i-Ready Report
Elementary Math
AACPS has an exciting new math curriculum for students in grades K-5: Reveal Math! Reveal Math, a McGraw Hill product, is designed to help students meet high academic standards and prepare them for future success. Parents and students can experience and navigate Reveal Math together at home using the online platform. For more information and resources, visit the Office of Elementary Math.
Elementary Reading & Literacy
AACPS is committed to ensuring that all students graduate College and Career ready, and this includes providing opportunities for students to become successful in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The Office of Elementary Reading and Integrated Literacy has created resources for families to provide support and encouragement to young readers and develop a love for reading in the home.
For more family resources, reading and literacy tips, visit the Office of Elementary Reading & Integrated Literacy.
Top 10 Tips for Reading with your Child
Outdoor Education
The Environmental Literacy and Outdoor Education program strives to empower students of all ages through environmental and outdoor experiences that connect them with the natural world and equip them with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to make and act upon responsible environmental decisions. For more information, visit the Office of Environmental Literacy and Outdoor Education.
Kindergarten: Trees are terrific!
Kindergarten classes engage in a one-day field experience as part of their environmental literacy unit. Through engaging, hands-on activities, students investigate the life cycle of a tree, learn about forest ecology, discover that trees protect water quality and take action to help the environment.
4th Grade: Arlington Echo
Fourth grade classes visit the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center for a one-day or overnight field experience as part of their environmental literacy learning. Through exciting, hands-on activities, students investigate the human impact on climate, land, water and living things in the Chesapeake Bay in its watershed.
5th Grade: Drownproofing
The Water ready with Drownproofing Program is a comprehensive aquatic safety program for all AACPS fifth grade students. Students learn personal water safety skills through classroom and pool instruction.