This teachers' guide is meant to be used in developing individualized programs for pre-kindergarten children or for children of elementary school age who have not developed pre-kindergarten competencies. The guide outlines concepts and skills that many preschool children master before entering kindergarten or first grade. Contents concern six developmental areas: cognition, communication, motor skills, self-help, social/emotional skills, and creative expression. For each developmental area, fundamental skills are categorized sequentially into developmental "milestones," special skills leading toward proficiency in "essential elements." These elements are the broad skills or learning tasks necessary for establishing the foundation for a minimal level of readiness for elementary school curriculum. A task might be "develops auditory perception"; a milestone might be "changes body movements in response to sound," and "shows recognition of specific sounds." Not all of the fundamental skills listed under a developmental milestone must be mastered in order to achieve either the milestone skill or the essential element. However, the milestones are the most important skills to develop for proficiency in an essential element. Using the essential elements as a guide, teachers can structure activities which present learning tasks at an appropriate skill level. At the beginning of each section, a chart depicts the relation of developmental area to elementary school subject areas. (RH)