IV. KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Kindergarten Program LANGUAGE ARTS – USAGE OF LETTERS AND SOUNDS IN READING AND WRITING Kindergarten children use their growing awareness of letters, words, and sounds to learn to read and write. Instruction occurs in both large and small group settings. Each day, children spend time in a small group at a Language Arts center for teacher-directed activities. Employing multi-sensory strategies using the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses, children learn the letters and their sounds. Phonics and reading skills are taught simultaneously. Sight-word vocabulary is gradually built throughout the year using a classroom “Word Wall,” containing both high frequency and phonetically irregular words. Children use these “Word Wall Words” in reading and writing. They learn phonetic skills, progressing from beginning sounds in words, to final sounds, to medial sounds. They learn the short vowel sounds, beginning with short “a” and moving to the other vowels. Word families are introduced in conjunction with the short vowels. For instance, the word family “at” would be taught after short “a” is introduced.
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“Sounds Abounds,” by Cutts and Olson “Explode the Code 1,” Educators Publishing Service “Ready to Read,” Educators Publishing Service “Primary Phonics,” Educators Publishing Service “I Can”; “Dig In”; and “Catch On,” McGraw-Hill “Handwriting Without Tears,” by Olson and Knagston Student journals Phonetic readers Teacher-created materials
Reading and writing are closely linked. Children write regularly about their experiences and read their writing to Teachers. Enjoyment of literature is fostered through daily oral reading, which is followed by class discussions incorporating reading comprehension on various levels. All types of literature are included – poetry, chapter books, fiction, and nonfiction. Through the experiences offered by the various Kindergarten themes, children broaden their vocabularies and develop more refined speaking skill patterns. Special presentations in school, as well as field trips, coordinate with Kindergarten themes. Listening and speaking skills are fostered through varied activities, such as Show and Tell, classroom dramas, following directions at centers, and even opportunities to perform at LS assemblies.
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IV. KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
MATH – UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING AND USAGE OF NUMBERS Kindergarten teaches the Singapore Math Program, a a comprehensive, activity-based program that allows students to build a strong foundation in mathematics through fun-filled, hands-on activities and lessons. Our Math Program is a continuum. To ensure solid understanding and retention of skills, there is constant reinforcement and review as new, higher level skills are introduced. The program is designed to give children a deeper understanding of basic mathematical concepts through hands-on, concrete activities. Using their knowledge of shapes and colors, they make and identify more complex patterns. Building on their ability to identify the numerals from 0 to 10, they learn to count and identify the numerals to 100. They learn to skip-count by twos, fives, and tens. With their growing understanding of numbers, they learn to perform operations such as addition and subtraction using manipulatives. Incorporating language arts into the math lessons, children read, create word problems, and solve addition and subtraction stories. Learning to tell time becomes more meaningful when related to everyday events. At Morning Meeting each day, children learn about money, as they complete a money chart using real coins. Through this, they learn to name and identify the value of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Later, during the rainforest theme, they practice their money skills by pretending to buy and sell tropical foods at a classroom Rainforest Café. During our Halloween theme, the children practice counting, measuring, weighing, and graphing using real pumpkins.
SOCIAL STUDIES – RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS The Social Studies Program emphasizes teaching children to see the world in a positive light, to see the value in oneself and in others. It begins with a unit on the special and unique qualities of the children and their families. During a unit on friendship, social relationships and appropriate decision making are explored. Children learn about “Warm Fuzzies” that make a person feel happy, and “Cold Pricklies” that make people feel sad. They become aware of the power of words to help or hurt. Polite manners, respect, sharing, and cooperation are modeled and reinforced throughout the year. During Fire Safety Week, the Kindergartners learn valuable potentially life-saving habits. Children gain experience during the year with being risk takers in a safe, secure environment. They try new activities within the context of a familiar, accepting classroom, such as taking part in a play or standing in front of a group to perform a song. They learn that making a mistake is acceptable and is part of the learning process. Children gain an awareness and appreciation of other people, both within our country and in the larger world. Kindergarten themes include community outreach projects, and celebrating many holidays. This provides opportunities to experience diversity and foster awareness of other cultures. Instructional Materials t t t t
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“Handwriting Without Tears,” by Olson and Knagston Math manipulatives Teacher-created materials Singapore Math Curriculum
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Maps Globe Storybooks Dollhouse with dolls representing various populations Teacher-created materials Multi-Cultural Foods
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IV. KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
SCIENCE – EXPLORATION OF THE WORLD AROUND YOU The Science Program encourages children to explore and to develop scientific curiosity. Classroom centers at Free Play, such as blocks and the art center, encourage free scientific exploration. Building with blocks provides opportunities to discover concepts of physics such as inclined planes. Mixing markers or paint at the art table leads to the discovery of color formation. The program also covers a range of scientific themes, such as “The Constellations,” “Animals Preparing for Winter,” and “Oceans.” Math, Language Arts, and Science are integrated into the thematic units. During their study of “Animals Preparing for Winter,” children solve addition problems using polar bears. They write a story using the facts they learned about sea animals during the “Ocean” unit. During an art period, they might construct a shark, carefully including the characteristics learned during their lessons. During a unit on plants, children plant flowers and perform experiments, placing flowers in different environments to discover the best growing mediums. When studying the Rain Forest, a local scientist visits to teach a lesson and expose students fo various jungle specimens. Field trips, literature, art projects, experiments, videos, and hands-on activities serve to solidify the lessons. Instructional Materials t t t t t
Scientific equipment Scientific reference materials Trade books Teacher-created materials Art Supplies
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