Proposed Professional Acumen elementary reference. Not a validated grade-placement instrument, classroom-adopted curriculum or grant of reuse rights. Material-use policy.
K–6 routing guide — paired elementary PA materials
Edition v0.1 — October 10, 2026. Proposed teacher decision aid; not validated grade placement or permission for classroom copying.
Selection rule
The seven stages are curriculum intentions, not labels assigned to learners by age, calculation size, speech, expression, or a one-time score. Check prerequisite access, demonstrated reasoning and available supports. Each task state involves Critical Reasoning, Emotional Acumen, Social Acumen and Physical Health together. Maintain ordinary help and preserve unknown outcomes. Chapters 1–8 and previously saved companions remain unchanged.
Kindergarten — Observation versus guess
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch1 Q02; Ch1 Q12; D03 selected story. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Ch1 Q03-Q04; full Ch8 Q11.
Support: Adult read-aloud, 1–4 manipulatives, pointing or dictation. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: Show two drawn cards, one visibly torn: “Two are present; two are ready.” Which is observed, which is a guess?
Key: Two are present is observed; two ready is not supported because one is torn.
Fallback: If uncertain, use Ch1 teacher entry example or D03 first story with support.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 1 — Transitions and changed requests
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch2 Q01-Q03, Q06, Q11; Chapter2 R01. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Ch2 Q08 full complexity; Chapter7 width arithmetic.
Support: Old/current printed note, highlighted changes, 2–5 tokens. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: A request changes from 2 counters at A to 3 counters at B. What changes and what stays known?
Key: Count and destination change; no receipt or delivery is established by a new note.
Fallback: Return to Ch2 R01 five-token staged note; check read-back before next task.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 2 — Distributed information and rotation
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch2 Q08; Ch3 Q08; Chapter4 R01. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Ch7 Q04 time; Chapter8 Q11.
Support: Three accessible staged cards, oral or drawn accounts, role guidance. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: One learner knows 2 trays; another knows 3 objects per tray; a third knows no delivery occurred. What can the team claim?
Key: Six requested objects can be calculated; delivery not verified. Each participant explains one different inference after rotating.
Fallback: Use Ch2 R01 smaller staged rounds; do not certify a role not actually performed.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 3 — Four-dimensional pathways
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch1 Q05; Ch6 Q05; D06; D05. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Chapter7 advanced expansion arithmetic.
Support: Accessible body-state scenario, no personal health question. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: A readable instruction arrives during a noisy transition and a learner asks for a quieter repeat. Name two possible interactions, not a diagnosis.
Key: Access may change understanding and coordination; physical conditions and reactions co-occur, but no private condition is established.
Fallback: Use D05 observation/interpretation distinction and D06 null branch; ordinary help maintained.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 4 — Recurrence, copies and evidence
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch6 Q03, Q06-Q07; Ch8 Q02,Q06; Chapter4 R02. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Ch7 Q11 unless numerical prerequisites verified.
Support: Simple event timeline and source labels. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: Three pupils repeat one copied note. How many independent source checks occurred?
Key: One shared note is a single source pathway, not three independent verifications. Check current authorized source.
Fallback: Return to Ch2 Q07; use lower-number Ch4 support if sequence/tally uncertain.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 5 — Opportunity, trust and allocation
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: Ch3 Q09; Ch5 Q06,Q12; Ch7 Q09; D03,D04. Deliberately omitted in initial route: Ch7 Q11 if inventory/reserve prerequisite absent.
Support: Allocation diagrams, distinction between active and held, individual response. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: Nine usable cards include eight active and one held. May one promise nine active while keeping one in reserve?
Key: No: eight active plus one held uses all nine. Change allocation only on approved changed request.
Fallback: Use Ch7 Q03 worked key; D03 task-limited reliance rather than global ranking.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Grade 6 — Probability, calibration and interconnected loops
Entry prerequisites: suitable access to selected text or read-aloud; one-to-one counting and source distinctions adapted to this stage; check learner response before using this route. Exact chosen questions/material: D02 Q01-Q06 and transfer; Ch6 Q07; Ch7 Q09; Ch8 Q07. Deliberately omitted in initial route: None required beyond selected D02; avoid automatic placement.
Support: Explicit sample-space cards, optional count strip, paired feedback diagram. Role practice: Mentor explains, Scribe records and repairs gaps, Referee challenges evidence; rotate all functions with accessible communication, never fixed permanent jobs.
Worked entry/transfer diagnostic: A bag models 2 blue and 2 orange slips. What is modeled P(blue)? Five blue in eight observed draws proves what?
Key: Modeled P(blue)=1/2 assuming equal sampling; observed blue frequency 5/8, not proof of a true probability shift.
Fallback: If modeled/observed distinction fails, revisit D02 first case and Ch6 copied-evidence problem.
Next evidence / gate: retain first explanation, source and support, later changed-case explanation and actual role functions; if absent, label NOT YET EVIDENCED. A correct group account is not independent evidence for each learner.
Cross-stage decisions and limitations
Route only selected questions; consult each chapter’s A01–A12 keys rather than inventing missing solutions. D03/D04/D05/D06/D02 are separate, not part of already-published original chapter bodies. Each omitted exercise may be resumed when prerequisites are evidenced. Grade 6 quantitative probability requires explicit sample-space assumptions. A reading level or suitability determination requires separate evidence.
References: PA_Curriculum_Master_v0.3 §§1,3–5,14–16,21; E2 sequence-synthesis S09 grade-topic matrix; original Chapter1–8 student/teacher source editions, ten source companions, D02–D06; Guidepost material-use notice. No school adoption, measured outcomes, new license or live publication.