What do you think?
Rate this book
Core Knowledge
What Your Preschooler Needs to Know: Read-Alouds to Get Ready for Kindergarten
Prepare your child for a lifetime of learning and wonder.
Designed for parents to enjoy with children, filled with opportunities for reading aloud and fostering curiosity, this beautifully illustrated read-aloud anthology offers preschoolers the fundamentals they need to prepare for a happy, productive time in school—and for the rest of their lives. Millions of children have benefited from the acclaimed Core Knowledge Series, developed in consultation with parents, educators, and the most distinguished developmental psychologists. In addition to valuable advice to parents, including what it means for a child to be ready for kindergarten, special sidebars throughout the book help parents make reading aloud fun and interactive, suggesting questions to ask, connections to make, and games to play to enrich their preschooler’s learning experience.
Discover:
Favorite Poems and Rhymes—all beautifully illustrated. Read and recite together— from Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “At the Seaside” to limericks by Edward Lear and tongue twisters by Jack Prelutsky, plus fun “clap along!” and “fingerplay” verses that parents and children can act out together.
Beloved Stories and Fables—read aloud from stories like “The Three Little Pigs” and the African folktale “Why Flies Buzz” —and open whole new worlds of learning and discovery.
Visual Arts—help your child appreciate and talk about art. Beautiful full-color reproductions of great works of art will foster early appreciation of art history while igniting discussions about shapes, colors, and different styles and media.
Music—dozens of songs to sing and dance to, including “move around” songs like “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “The Wheels on the Bus”
History—a delightful introduction to American history—from the first Thanksgiving to Martin Luther King, Jr., —with activities and stories parents and children can enjoy together
Science—from the wonder of animals to exploring physical properties of light, air, and water—fun activities that will let children observe, experience, and enjoy the natural world
Designed for parents to enjoy with children, filled with opportunities for reading aloud and fostering curiosity, this beautifully illustrated read-aloud anthology offers preschoolers the fundamentals they need to prepare for a happy, productive time in school—and for the rest of their lives. Millions of children have benefited from the acclaimed Core Knowledge Series, developed in consultation with parents, educators, and the most distinguished developmental psychologists. In addition to valuable advice to parents, including what it means for a child to be ready for kindergarten, special sidebars throughout the book help parents make reading aloud fun and interactive, suggesting questions to ask, connections to make, and games to play to enrich their preschooler’s learning experience.
Discover:
Favorite Poems and Rhymes—all beautifully illustrated. Read and recite together— from Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “At the Seaside” to limericks by Edward Lear and tongue twisters by Jack Prelutsky, plus fun “clap along!” and “fingerplay” verses that parents and children can act out together.
Beloved Stories and Fables—read aloud from stories like “The Three Little Pigs” and the African folktale “Why Flies Buzz” —and open whole new worlds of learning and discovery.
Visual Arts—help your child appreciate and talk about art. Beautiful full-color reproductions of great works of art will foster early appreciation of art history while igniting discussions about shapes, colors, and different styles and media.
Music—dozens of songs to sing and dance to, including “move around” songs like “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “The Wheels on the Bus”
History—a delightful introduction to American history—from the first Thanksgiving to Martin Luther King, Jr., —with activities and stories parents and children can enjoy together
Science—from the wonder of animals to exploring physical properties of light, air, and water—fun activities that will let children observe, experience, and enjoy the natural world
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
58 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
E.D. Hirsch Jr.
82 books111 followersE. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education in which he has persisted as a voice of reason making the case for equality of educational opportunity.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform” while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool – Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform” while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool – Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 11, 2014
When it came out that my son didn't know Row Row Row Your Boat, I realized there were a few holes in his knowledge and did an impulse checkout of this title at the library. We are not homeschoolers and I'm not using this as any kind of formal curriculum so I can't review based on that, but I have renewed it three times so that's my ringing endorsement.
It's broken into sections: poems, songs, stories, history, science, and art, and each section has its own color on the upper right so it's easy to flip through. This is handy because my 4 year old can sit down and find the songs section on his own before making a request. I think that's what we both really enjoy about this book: it's highly browsable and so large and varied that we sit down for just a song or two and end up going through two stories, 5 poems, 3 songs and a history lesson. It feels very natural and unscripted which is the level of engagement I think he needs right now. I like that there's lots of notes to parents suggesting questions they can pose to help everyone engage a little more deeply with the text. I also appreciate the mini explanations on the art pages that my son is inexplicably drawn to, because there's no other way I'm going to be able to interpret a modern painting with him.
This is one that we are both enjoying so much I may end up purchasing a copy when I can no longer renew it.
It's broken into sections: poems, songs, stories, history, science, and art, and each section has its own color on the upper right so it's easy to flip through. This is handy because my 4 year old can sit down and find the songs section on his own before making a request. I think that's what we both really enjoy about this book: it's highly browsable and so large and varied that we sit down for just a song or two and end up going through two stories, 5 poems, 3 songs and a history lesson. It feels very natural and unscripted which is the level of engagement I think he needs right now. I like that there's lots of notes to parents suggesting questions they can pose to help everyone engage a little more deeply with the text. I also appreciate the mini explanations on the art pages that my son is inexplicably drawn to, because there's no other way I'm going to be able to interpret a modern painting with him.
This is one that we are both enjoying so much I may end up purchasing a copy when I can no longer renew it.
September 8, 2012
This book wasn't quite what I was looking for, but worked well all the same. I was interested in content I should start exposing Natalie to before preschool and this gives a lot, though i did not need it in read aloud fashion. I much prefer real picture books instead of their versions of the fairy tales. I also wondered how they decided which rhymes and songs were core. What makes "do you know the muffin man?" so important? I was glad to see the history and science sections. I thought the content there was very reasonable. But the art section was a bit of a joke. Ilm well educated, but only knew one of the selections.
June 11, 2010
As a homeschool teacher, I love the Core Knowledge series. I especially like the history and literature sections of this book, and I love how the series builds on itself as the grades progress.
July 25, 2024
I like this. It’s an American «core», so not directly transferable to any other country, but it is a good starting point for thinking about what a child should know. I really believe that kids deeply love to learn, depending a little on the presentation of course, but reading to your children, singing to them, joking around with rhymes and clapping games; showing them an anthill and learning about ants; teaching them different names of flowers and trees and animals etc; telling them about your country’s history (in our case the most exciting thing would be the Vikings, I feel confident that will be a hit) — all that and more, I can’t find anything wrong or weird about it. It doesn’t turn every day into a school day, it’s having fun together and exploring :)
These books are like a handy guide book. For example: I do know some things about nature (flora and fauna, and funga!), but that doesn’t mean I know how to present it to a little boy in a somewhat comprehensive way. Here I get some ideas about the what and the how. I think that can only be good. Like a handy guide book, it gives you some tips and then you shape your own trip.
The kindle version had so many typing errors that it was annoying.
These books are like a handy guide book. For example: I do know some things about nature (flora and fauna, and funga!), but that doesn’t mean I know how to present it to a little boy in a somewhat comprehensive way. Here I get some ideas about the what and the how. I think that can only be good. Like a handy guide book, it gives you some tips and then you shape your own trip.
The kindle version had so many typing errors that it was annoying.
September 18, 2020
I became a Covid homeschooler to my Kindergarten and Preschool aged children this fall. As I was looking into different curriculums, I came across this set of common core books that shares information on the common knowledge that children at this age should all know or be exposed to. I was planning on just browsing through it to get an idea of what I needed to cover and make sure whatever I selected had it. Well, I wasn't expecting it to not just tell you the stories to read and knowledge to teach, but actually have it included! I was pleased to know that many of the concepts included within these pages, I had already covered just by reading Mother Goose Rhymes and Fairy Tales. But, we read the book cover to cover just to review and cover all bases alongside the unit study program I found and selected. We have covered all "common core" information. It is September. I feel good that my kids will only have the opportunity to learn more than they would have in a classroom setting as the year goes on.
February 6, 2020
This series is built on the idea of common experiences leading to common knowledge and a better educated citizenry. I like the concept and the layout of this book series, but I dislike (and disagree with) these are skills that necessarily enhanced by classroom social learning with same ages peers. A parents lap is a great place to learn, and the book supports that in many ways, but always with the context of supportive of school-based learning rather than the other way around (school based/group learning supportive of home life/development).
May 29, 2018
Not bad
There's many interesting things in this book but it seems like there's a lot of stuff they expect toddlers and preschoolers to know before entering kindergarten. Seems like there's pressure from the beginning. I want my child to learn what she can but I'm not going to stress too munch. I'll put the info to use but I won't go ape if my kid doesn't know everything the book expects her to by the time she goes to school.
There's many interesting things in this book but it seems like there's a lot of stuff they expect toddlers and preschoolers to know before entering kindergarten. Seems like there's pressure from the beginning. I want my child to learn what she can but I'm not going to stress too munch. I'll put the info to use but I won't go ape if my kid doesn't know everything the book expects her to by the time she goes to school.
April 11, 2021
I used everything in this book except the history lessons. There are rhymes, stories, activities and suggestions in the arts, science, history and literature age appropriate for young children. I am a Nana married to a Papa and we together are caring for our 4 year old grandson. This resource was a huge help. Our grandson loved the illustrated stories and the action activities the most. Enjoy!
October 12, 2023
I have mixed feelings. The parts my 4 year old liked (Mother goose poems, nursery songs, and stories) were the parts that seemed the most replaceable to me--if you have a Mother goose book and read them other common stories, there's no need for this book. The parts my 4 year old was bored by (science, history, art) were the ones that actually had something other books don't have. The authors say in the introduction that you really need their book because young childhood isn't all about play, and you shouldn't believe that academics for 4 year-olds are unnecessary. I'm not convinced, and I wonder if books like these are the kind that suck the joy out of actual learning.
August 11, 2020
I really found this helpful. This contains nursery rhymes, stories, songs and facts that preschoolers learn in school. I read quite a few of these to my daughter and I found it really well written. The history section is a bit heavy for a 3 year old, but that was my only complaint. I actually want to read this again.
November 20, 2021
I was introduced to this series while in a teaching credential program. After buying each book (used) and studying it, along with CSET and other guides, I passed the required tests.
The books are helpful references for teachers and parents alike.
This volume is colorful, well-rounded, and complete (the only exception is math, which is missing).
The books are helpful references for teachers and parents alike.
This volume is colorful, well-rounded, and complete (the only exception is math, which is missing).
August 3, 2018
We found this book useful as a supplemental guide while my kid attended PreK 2 days per week. I focused mostly on the science part, and my kids found it so entertaining! Definitely not a boring tool to teach little ones!
December 28, 2018
A quick scan of this book is helpful but it seems like it's missing things & more resources for parents would be useful.
January 28, 2019
Useful book with stories and activities for littles.
October 5, 2021
This was a joy to read. I am a high school teacher now, however this books brought back so much memories of miming these songs.
November 18, 2023
Splendid and empowering
January 29, 2010
While I was browsing in the bookstore at our local mall that is going out of business this book jumped out at me. I already have two children in school and prior to being a stay at home mom I taught first and second grade for a number of years. I know what we were expecting for children to be ready for those grades and feel like I have a pretty good idea of what is expected to enter kindergarten, but I thought this might be a handy reference guide for fun activities to do with my three year old. I read through it last night and for the most part I like it. It has some fun poems and songs, most of which are familiar, with pictures and fingerplays to go with them. My three year old is love with the idea of school, but doesn't start going to preschool until the fall so we have been doing "school" at home. He asks to do "school" all the time so I thought having a few more ideas of would help me when I can't think of something. My daughter came home yesterday saying that they learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. at school and we flipped to the history section of the book to read what it said about him and discussed his life a little more. We have other books on our shelf about his life, but this was easier to find and flip through than searching for the other picture books. Especially for parents who aren't sure what schools are looking for in terms of readiness I can see this being a good guide. It has companiion workbooks but I didn't buy those, I may go back to see if they still have any but it isn't really a priority right now. I like that we can sing a silly song or read a poem and work on rhyming and motions and I can see my son having fun while learning some of the skills he will need to be a reader.
January 2, 2016
I finally have the time to sit down and completely read this series. The first thing that hit me as I got into it was a huge sense of regret that I did not read these books when my children were preschoolers. They, and I, would have benefited from them.
I know folks in the education field today and there are many complaints about the state of things today and about ever sort of system of learning out there - including the Common Core concept this series promotes. Personally, I know that I do not have the answer. I also believe there is not ONE blanket answer for the entire Nation.
What I do know it this - this system as a whole isn't working and most desperately needs to be fixed (along with so many other parts of the way America runs). We cannot give up. Every ounce of energy we spend trying to improve our world is worth it. Every minute we spend trying to help our children learn and become self-sufficient is an investment in our future, their future, and the future of the very planet.
I know folks in the education field today and there are many complaints about the state of things today and about ever sort of system of learning out there - including the Common Core concept this series promotes. Personally, I know that I do not have the answer. I also believe there is not ONE blanket answer for the entire Nation.
What I do know it this - this system as a whole isn't working and most desperately needs to be fixed (along with so many other parts of the way America runs). We cannot give up. Every ounce of energy we spend trying to improve our world is worth it. Every minute we spend trying to help our children learn and become self-sufficient is an investment in our future, their future, and the future of the very planet.
January 8, 2009
Fiona (almost 5) loves this book. But she is not the only one, Brigid, 11, loves to read the fairy tales and poetry to her. Terence,9 likes to read the science portion and Aine, 7, will sing the songs and finger plays with her because it reminds her of her "preschool with Sr. Isabella". It, of course, is not at one time read but a book you share with your child over and over.
We've had to make several trips to the dr. this winter and taking this book along for all to share and read together seems to make things go smoother and faster too.
I believe I like the stories, poems and songs because they remind me of my childhood. Many are the ones my grandparents would tell or sing to me, orally. I miss the days when they would share with me their stories and wisdom and this book brought some of that back.
We've had to make several trips to the dr. this winter and taking this book along for all to share and read together seems to make things go smoother and faster too.
I believe I like the stories, poems and songs because they remind me of my childhood. Many are the ones my grandparents would tell or sing to me, orally. I miss the days when they would share with me their stories and wisdom and this book brought some of that back.
August 17, 2011
The book has quality paper and nice pictures. I have read through the whole book, and am excited to get into it with my boys. My oldest is not yet 2.5, so he is on the younger side, but I have started some of the songs and rhymes that I had forgotten about with him. I can't wait until we can start really delving into history and science together. I did feel like the author pushed also getting kids into a preschool program, which I am not sure I totally agree with. I think kids can get social experiences without being enrolled in a school, and I fully support homeschooling (although I am not certain it will be the best situation for us once my kids reach elementary age, I think homeschooling is an awesome thing).
July 13, 2008
some good stories, history and science lessons, but I really don't think that Annabelle knew any of this before starting Kindergarten, and she was definitely one of the more prepared students in her class.
useful and good for the kids, but not (in my opinion) "core knowledge". i would think core knowledge for Kindergarten would be more along the lines of writing names, how to ask for help, colors and abc's and basic communication skills.
this was full of songs and poems and a few stories that I as a 28 year old woman, have never heard of.
useful and good for the kids, but not (in my opinion) "core knowledge". i would think core knowledge for Kindergarten would be more along the lines of writing names, how to ask for help, colors and abc's and basic communication skills.
this was full of songs and poems and a few stories that I as a 28 year old woman, have never heard of.
November 21, 2008
This series is an excellent resource for parents who are serious about their childerns' education. The authors developed a school curriculum that standardize what children learn in school, starting in pre-school and going through 12th grade. The "what your___-grader need to know" series are a supplement meant to be used by parents at home to make sure their children are getting the "core of knowledge" they need in order to be successful. The books are in read-aloud format, with sections divided by school subject.
November 10, 2008
A good read-aloud collection for parents who want to introduce their preschoolers to literature, art, science, and history. It includes such classics as The Three Little Pigs, an introduction to the life cycle of a flower, and cute finger plays & rhymes. Definitely an excellent resource for a preschool teacher/librarian, a parent who needs help giving their child a solid start, and homeschooling parents. There is also a helpful chapter on how to make sure that your child is understanding what you're reading to him him, and to make sure he is prepared for Kindergarten.
December 31, 2010
A friend recommended this series to me. This is the series that charter schools base their curriculum on. The thing impresses me the most with these books is that they don't just focus on reading and math, as most books on education do, but they have sections for history, geography, music, art, and science as well.
My daughter always looks forward to reading out of this book. She especially likes the music, poetry and story sections. I really enjoyed going through the art section with her.
My daughter always looks forward to reading out of this book. She especially likes the music, poetry and story sections. I really enjoyed going through the art section with her.
July 7, 2012
I'm unimpressed. The guidance for parents that this book gives all seemed fairly obvious to me. The stories are available in more attractive editions elsewhere, and the non-fiction selections are simplified to the point of inaccuracy. The reproductions in the art sections were, in many cases, shamefully bad--fuzzy or pixelated. I like what the book sets out to do, but will try to find another one that does a better job. Fingers crossed.
October 9, 2015
Make teaching and learn
I found this book extremely informative and easy to read, follow and packed with resources that make teaching and learning fun, and effective. I liked that the Author included lists of teacher recommended books that include music, art, science, history, poems, nursery rhymes, fables. I am excited to move on to the next books that covers each grade K - 6.
I found this book extremely informative and easy to read, follow and packed with resources that make teaching and learning fun, and effective. I liked that the Author included lists of teacher recommended books that include music, art, science, history, poems, nursery rhymes, fables. I am excited to move on to the next books that covers each grade K - 6.
December 23, 2024
I got this from the local library and copied the main points and lessons into a composition notebook. I then used it against my homeschool curriculum and plans to fill in spaces and to ensure that we were on the correct track and not skipping over any information. This book is easy to use and very informative. There are even nursery rhymes and such written out for the reader to use. I found it very helpful.
April 23, 2011
It was a fun book. The boys really enjoyed it. We would sit down together and do a little bit of each section every other day. The boys weren't at all bored and like to tell me about historical facts and talk about stories from this book. They were always really excited when I suggested we read this one. I just wish it were a little longer.
May 31, 2011
I was sorry to return this to the library. Would definitely buy a copy of this book when my daughter gets a little older. It has a lot of information that any parent can follow without having to buy a lot of flash cards or other equipment. If any of you are curious about what your child will learn in preschool, this book offers a good picture.
October 1, 2012
On one hand it's nice to be told what your child should be learning at their age and to be given the material right there in the book, but it's another thing to feel like that's what your child HAS to learn. I was not impressed by the selection of art given in the book, or by the history or the science. I've moved on to Home Learning Year by Year and feel it will work a lot better for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews