Most people still associate primary school with learning to read, write, and do arithmetic, i.e., the basic cultural skills of a modern, written language-oriented society. In a more differentiated form, the current content expectations for children up to grade 4 of primary school are formulated in the educational standards and core curricula of the state of Hesse, differentiated by subject. A relatively new approach here is to describe the minimum competencies to be achieved, rather than the previously predominant description of "subject matter" to be covered in the form of curricula. The Hesse Education and Training Plan "Education from the Start" (BEP) has been in force in Hesse since 2007, not only for the pre-school sector, but also for primary schools. It defines five "visions" that can be regarded as central to the education and training of children up to the end of primary school; these are

• "strong children,"
• "communicative and media-competent children,"
• "creative, imaginative, and musically gifted children,"
• "children who are eager to learn, explore, and discover," and
• "responsible and value-oriented children."

In 4th grade, children, their parents, and teachers face the important transition decision of where to go from 5th grade onwards in the still structured school system. Grades in the main subjects, work and social behavior from the teachers' perspective, and, in Hesse, not least the parents' wishes play a role in this decision.

In this respect, elementary school is of crucial importance for the further educational path.