Setting your little up for success
Student Readiness & Parent Expectations
By enrolling at Prescott Hearth, families are entering into a shared commitment—to consistency, to thoughtful work, and to the long-term formation of the student.
When this partnership is honored, the result is a learning environment marked by clarity, growth, and quiet confidence.
Trusted Excellence
Parent expectations
At Prescott Hearth, education is a shared endeavor. As a cottage school, we partner with families—we do not replace them. The parent remains the primary educator, while we provide structure, guidance, and support.
Clarity in this partnership allows students to thrive and the program to function as it is intended.
Prescott Hearth is designed as a structured academic program, not a remedial one. While we are committed to supporting each student, we are not able to provide individualized remediation for significant gaps in foundational skills.
Families are encouraged to seek additional support outside of the program if needed.
Partnership & Communication
A healthy partnership between home and school is essential.
We ask that families:
Approach concerns with openness and respect
Communicate promptly when challenges arise
Trust the guidance and placement decisions of the school
Parent Role
Serve as the primary guide in their child’s daily learning
Review lesson plans and prepare materials as needed
Ensure that assigned work is completed with care and consistency
Provide support and encouragement, while allowing the child to do his or her own work
Maintain communication with the school when questions or concerns arise
Our program is designed to be clear and approachable, but it does require active parent involvement, particularly in the Primary and Grammar years.
Student Role
Attend all scheduled live sessions on time and prepared
Participate attentively and respectfully
Complete assigned work within the expected timeframe
Put forth a sincere and consistent effort
Receive correction with a willingness to learn and improve
These habits are essential not only for success within the program, but for the formation of character and responsibility.
Consistency & Rhythm
Our model depends upon a steady weekly rhythm. Students who fall behind or miss lessons regularly may find it difficult to keep pace.
For this reason, families are expected to:
Prioritize attendance at live sessions
Maintain a consistent daily routine for completing lessons
Ensure that work is submitted or completed in a timely manner
Jr. Kindergarten Readiness
Jr. Kindergarten is designed for children who are ready to move beyond Preschool into more guided learning, while still remaining firmly rooted in the rhythms and experiences of early childhood.
Students entering Jr. Kindergarten should demonstrate growing readiness in the following areas, allowing them to participate with confidence and enjoyment.
Jr. Kindergarten is a gentle step forward, not a place of pressure. These readiness markers help ensure that students can engage comfortably with the rhythm of the program and begin building early academic habits in a joyful and unhurried way.
Children who are still developing in several of these areas are often best served by additional time in Preschool before moving into Jr. Kindergarten.
Social Emotional
*Separate from a parent with minimal distress (for live sessions)
*Participate in a short group activity (5–10 minutes)
*Follow simple one-step directions
*Begin taking turns and engaging with others
*Express basic needs appropriately
*Show curiosity and willingness to try new activities
Fine Motor
Hold crayons or markers with developing control
Draw simple shapes and pictures
Participate in coloring, tracing, and basic crafts
Begin using scissors with assistance
Show willingness to engage in fine motor activities
Mathematics
*Count to 10 (with growing accuracy)
*Begin to recognize numbers 1–5
*Understand basic concepts such as more/less and same/different
*Sort objects by simple attributes (color, size, type)
*Recognize simple patterns (AB patterns)
*Engage in hands-on, guided activities involving numbers and shapes
Literacy
*Recognize some uppercase letters (not necessarily all)
*Begin to associate a few letters with their sounds
*Participate in rhyming and simple word play
*Listen attentively to read-alouds for short periods of time
*Respond to stories through simple narration or conversation
*Show interest in books, letters, and language
Kindergarten Readiness
Our Kindergarten program is a gentle but intentional beginning to formal academics. In order for students to thrive within the rhythm and pace of the program, certain foundational skills are needed prior to entry.
Rather than focusing on early acceleration, we look for signs of readiness—habits of attention, emerging literacy, and comfort with basic numerical concepts—that allow students to engage confidently with guided lessons.
Literacy
*Recognize most uppercase and lowercase letters
*Produce the primary sounds for most consonants (not necessarily all vowels)
*Hear and identify beginning sounds in words (e.g., “ball” starts with /b/)
*Demonstrate basic phonological awareness (rhyming, sound play)
*Blend simple sounds orally (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/) with support
*Listen attentively to a short story and respond or narrate in simple terms
Writing & Fine Motor
*Hold a pencil or crayon with reasonable control
*Draw basic shapes and simple pictures
*Attempt to write their name (recognizable form, not perfection)
*Begin forming some letters
*Use scissors with basic control
*Complete short fine motor tasks with focus (coloring, tracing, simple crafts)
Social Emotional
*Separate from a parent without significant distress (for live sessions)
*Attend to a short lesson (10–15 minutes)
*Follow simple 1–2 step directions
*Participate in a group rhythm (listening, taking turns, responding)
*Demonstrate basic self-regulation (waiting briefly, managing frustration with support)
*Show willingness to try new or challenging tasks
Mathematics
*Count to at least 20 with one-to-one correspondence
*Recognize and name numbers 0–10 (and beginning to 20)
*Understand quantity (e.g., knowing that “5” represents five objects)
*Identify basic shapes (circle, square, triangle)
*Understand simple comparisons (more/less, same/different)
*Show willingness to engage in guided problem-solving and mathematical conversation
Grade 1 Readiness
Grade 1 at Prescott Hearth marks the beginning of sustained academic work. Students are expected to move with increasing independence in reading, writing, and mathematics, building on the foundations laid in Kindergarten.
To thrive within the pace and expectations of the program, students should enter Grade 1 with the following skills in place.
Grade 1 builds upon the foundations established in Kindergarten and moves at a steady and intentional pace. Students who enter below these readiness levels may find it difficult to keep up without additional support outside of the program.
For this reason, careful placement is essential. Our goal is always to ensure that each child is positioned for confidence, growth, and long-term success.
Literacy
*Read simple, decodable words fluently (CVC words such as cat, bed, hop)
*Blend sounds smoothly to read unfamiliar words
*Recognize common sight words
*Demonstrate understanding of basic punctuation (period, question mark)
*Listen to and comprehend short passages, responding with simple narration
*Segment simple words into individual sounds (e.g., /c/ /a/ /t/)
*Show readiness to begin spelling simple words using phonograms
Fine Motor & Writing
*Write simple sentences using phonetic spelling
*Use spacing between words
*Form most lowercase letters correctly in print
*Hold a pencil comfortably and write with control
*Copy short words or sentences with accuracy
*Demonstrate readiness to begin learning cursive letter formation
Mathematics
*Count to 100 by ones and begin counting by tens
*Recognize and write numbers to at least 20 (ideally beyond)
*Understand place value at a basic level (ones and tens)
*Add and subtract within 10 with understanding (not just memorization)
*Solve simple word problems using objects or drawings
*Recognize basic shapes and simple patterns
*Engage in guided mathematical thinking and explain reasoning simply
Social-Emotional
*Attend to lessons for 15–20 minutes
*Follow multi-step directions
*Work with increasing independence on simple tasks
*Participate respectfully in discussion and group learning
*Demonstrate perseverance when work feels challenging
*Accept gentle correction and continue working
*Show responsibility for completing assigned work with support
Grade 2 Readiness
Grade 2 at Prescott Hearth is a year of growing fluency and increasing independence. Students begin to read with greater confidence, write with more clarity, and engage more fully with structured academic work.
To thrive within the pace and expectations of the program, students should enter Grade 2 with the following skills in place.
Grade 2 continues to build upon the foundations of the early years while increasing expectations for independence, attention, and academic engagement.
Students who enter below these readiness levels may find it challenging to keep pace without additional support. Careful placement ensures that each child is positioned for steady growth, confidence, and long-term success.
Literacy
*Read simple sentences and short passages with growing fluency
*Decode one- and two-syllable words using phonics strategies
*Recognize a solid bank of sight words
*Demonstrate comprehension by retelling or answering simple questions
*Identify basic punctuation and read with appropriate phrasing
*Segment and spell simple words using phonetic patterns
*Write simple sentences with phonetic spelling and increasing accuracy
Writing & Fine Motor
*Write complete sentences with spacing and basic punctuation
*Use phonetic and increasingly correct spelling in writing
*Copy and compose short passages with care
*Form letters consistently in print
*Demonstrate readiness to begin or continue cursive writing
*Write with sufficient stamina for short written tasks
Social Emotional
*Attend to lessons for 20–25 minutes
*Follow multi-step directions independently
*Complete assigned work with decreasing reliance on parent support
*Participate thoughtfully in discussion
*Demonstrate perseverance and a willingness to revise or improve work
*Accept correction and apply it moving forward
*Show responsibility for daily work and routines
Mathematics
*Add and subtract within 20 with confidence
*Demonstrate understanding of place value (ones, tens, and introduction to hundreds)
*Solve simple word problems with reasoning
*Recognize and extend patterns
*Tell time to the hour and half hour
*Understand basic measurement concepts (length, comparison)
*Explain mathematical thinking in simple terms
Language Readiness
*Listen attentively to direct instruction and repeat information accurately
*Memorize short pieces of information (songs, poems, simple facts)
*Participate in recitation and oral repetition
*Follow structured lessons with attention and care
*Show readiness for beginning formal language study