Elementary School College & Career Readiness

Effective college and career readiness counseling begins in kindergarten and continues through high school. In elementary school, we are laying the foundation for the work of College & Career Readiness in middle and high schools.

Your Child’s School Counselor is a Great Resource for College & Career Readiness

The National Office for School Counseling Advocacy (NOSCA) provides ideas for parents of elementary age students to meet the six standards for College & Career Readiness.

College Aspirations

  • Help your child develop a positive engagement in school and build high aspirations.

  • Help your child get to school on time every day. Attendance matters!

  • Introduce your child to the world around them and connect their likes and interests to their community.

Academic Planning for College & Career Readiness

  • Support your child academically, help them engage in school, chart their knowledge and skill development, and encourage social interactions that lay the foundation for college and career readiness.

  • Create a positive and productive learning environment at home, including showing interest in what your child is learning and having a quiet space for homework.

Enrichment and Extracurricular Engagement

  • Support your child’s participation in enrichment and extracurricular
    activities.

  • Develop academic and activity calendars and use portfolios to highlight your student’s accomplishments.

  • Participate in and support school-sponsored enrichment and extracurricular activities, like field trips to museums, colleges, competitions, plays, and concerts.

College & Career Exploration and Selection Processes

  • Encourage early academic and workforce readiness skills by creating consistent routines that reinforce character and skill-building, such as getting-ready patterns.

  • Participate in your Parent Teacher Association (PTA), as well as to adopt
    leadership roles that fit with your abilities, talents and interests as a parent.

  • Cultivate their children’s interests by paying close attention to their activities during non-school time and talking with their children about how their interests are related to school success and career opportunities.

College & Career Assessments

  • Assist your child in developing a positive perspective on assessments as tools for gathering information and learning about themselves.

  • Create a positive home environment that helps your child plan for assessments while reducing test anxiety, encouraging positive engagement and  highlighting students’ strengths.

  • Visit with your school counselor about potential college and career assessments/inventories that are available in middle school.

College Affordability Planning

  • Help your child develop early awareness of financial literacy, including the use of piggy banks and allowances.

  • Begin a saving’s account for your child and visit with him or her about the importance of saving.

  • Learn about the difference between favorable and unfavorable debt as you plan for their child’s future.