three Rs, the

the three Rs

The three tenets of education traditionally considered the most basic or essential: reading, writing, and arithmetic. (So named for the prominent "R" sound at the beginning of each word.) When a school begins seeing major performance issues across the three Rs, then it is time to revise its curriculum and teaching style.
See also: RS, three
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the three Rs

reading, (w)riting, and (a)rithmetic, regarded as the fundamentals of elementary education.
See also: RS, three
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

three Rs, the

Basic education. This term may have been coined by Sir William Curtis (1752–1829). According to several sources, this illiterate alderman, who became Lord Mayor of London, presented a toast to the three Rs: Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic. Whether or not this tale is true, the term was picked up by others and became current in the early nineteenth century.
See also: three
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • RS
  • the three Rs
  • the three R's
  • three R's
  • get down to the nuts and bolts
  • be down to (something)
  • nuts and bolts
  • nuts and bolts, the
  • the nuts and bolts
  • the nuts and bolts of something
References in periodicals archive
WITH the quality of education so sub-standard and many children unable to master the three Rs, the problem could drilled down to the amount of holiday awarded in one school year.
School holidays are too long; FEEDBACK
Welcome, Jessica, to the three Rs, the essence of K-12 education.
From the three Rs to the four Cs radically redesigning k-12 education
The more we emphasized the Three Rs, the stronger the animal rights movement became, and the more money the radical activists raised.
Science and Self-doubt
WITH the quality of education so sub-standard and many children unable to master the three Rs, the problem could be due to the number of holidays awarded in one school year.
Teachers' pets; Your say