When a house is built, what is the first portion to be constructed? The foundation. Kindergarten is the first layer of the educational foundation and provides a student’s first exposure to many new concepts. In addition to simply learning to follow directions, students at this level are learning what letters look and sound like and how they work together to form words and sentences. Writing at this stage is all about creation – how to write and draw letters then how to string them together to create a masterpiece!

Mathematics, science and social studies are also taught at the kindergarten level with the primary focus on exposure to all concepts. In math, the focus is on numbers, shapes, patterns, counting and the language used in mathematical operations. In science, students investigate and use their five senses to discover how things work at the most basic level. To create good citizens, students start early in their study of citizenship, geography, important people in history and how communities work. While there are fun and games involved in the kindergarten curriculum, the main focus is the creation of a strong foundation for future learning.

Our Language Arts program has a spiral approach. Letters, sounds, comprehension keys and writing traits are introduced throughout the year and reinforced on a regular basis. Literacy stations, reading groups, shared reading, working with words and writing are all aspects of our instructional day.

During shared reading, the teacher reads aloud to the students. A variety of literature is used during this time including fiction and non-fiction. During this time the teacher works on skills such as comprehension, parts of text and introduces different reading strategies such as making connections, visualizing, predicting, and asking questions.

During guided reading, the teacher works with students in small groups using texts to meet their individual instructional needs. Guided reading groups are determined from on-going assessments and often change through-out the year. During this time the teacher will also work with the students on phonemic awareness and comprehension.

During word study, students work in groups by individual instructional needs to sort pictures/sounds, letters and words to develop an understanding of how words are spelled and to begin to recognize spelling patterns. Assessments are given throughout the year to determine the “stage” of word study and plan for instruction.

During writing block, teachers model writing skills with mini-lessons and monitor and conference with students during independent writing time. Children have daily opportunities to write language experience stories, responses to literature, journal entries and independent or “free” writing.

In Kindergarten, we use a “hands on” approach to math as we encourage students to learn the concepts of math and not just procedures. Kindergarten math is developmental, hands-on and often paper-free! Skills and concepts are taught in mini-lessons and practiced in small groups and learning stations. In Math, children explore basic number concepts, sorting and patterning. These are possibly the MOST important skills as your child will build on them all year and even for years to come. Other important skills include: counting, graphing, money, geometry, measurement, fractions, and joining and separating (addition and subtraction).

In Science, we begin the year by introducing our students to the scientific process and thinking like a scientist. They learn how to question, explore and discover. We study the five senses, seasons and the life cycles of plants and animals throughout the year. Hands on activities allow the children to put to use the scientific methods they are learning.

Our Social Studies curriculum provides students with a framework for laying the foundation for lifelong learning in history, geography, civics and economics. Kindergarten Social Studies is about learning to be a good citizen and what is expected of you. Students learn the concepts of self-control, justice, courage, heroism, and leadership. They learn how these are important in our country but also in our classrooms and at home with our families. Students also learn about our history in the past and how it relates to the present. This framework meets the needs and interests of our children through meaningful, connected content.