Lake Forest Country Day School SENIOR KINDERGARTEN
EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM A co-educational independent school for students age 2 through Grade 8, graduating students of strong character with a passion for learning since 1888
Overview of the Early Childhood Center (1st STEP–Senior Kindergarten) The Early Childhood Center (ECC) at Lake Forest Country Day School (LFCDS) is designed to be a safe “home away from home”—a warm and welcoming community where young students play, learn, and enjoy developmentally appropriate experiences under the guidance of nurturing and talented faculty. Emphasis is placed on a smooth transition from home to school and from one year to the next, so that each child's school experience is positive, enjoyable, and rewarding. Students are engaged in rich and varied activities designed to provide the foundation for academic and social success. There is a healthy balance between whole group, small group and individual work, academic enrichment and play, and teacher-directed and self-guided pursuits. Teachers differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs and craft integrated units of study that capture the imaginations of their students and allow them to make connections across disciplines. Our comprehensive early childhood program educates the whole child. Small class sizes and two teachers in each classroom enable faculty members to create close, meaningful relationships with each student. World language, music, physical education, and library and information technology experts support and enrich children’s learning experiences, opening doors for students to discover new ways of making sense of our world. Each class has access to a state-of-the-art playground with opportunities for daily exercise and the development of large motor skills. Raised beds for gardening help students connect with the earth and food sources. A prairie plot, the School’s forest, and a wetlands area on our twenty-nine acre campus provide sensory experiences and resources for developing an appreciation for the natural world in our students. Each child is respected, supported, and challenged, and knowing the families of our students is as important as knowing their children. In order to develop and maintain the all-important parent-school partnership, daily communication at drop-off or pick-up, newsletters or blogs, and pictures of students provide each family with a window into their child’s experience.
Teaching Philosophy
Knowing the students we teach—individually, culturally, and developmentally—is of utmost importance to us. We also believe in the importance of getting to know their families. We value the input of parents as the child’s first teachers, beginning with intake conferences prior to the start of school when parents share their knowledge of and hopes and dreams for their child. Two important beliefs are at the heart of our teaching philosophy: first, the social curriculum is inextricably linked with the academic curriculum; and second, how students learn is as important as what students learn. Early Childhood Center faculty share a commitment to the following teaching and learning practices: DOMAINS OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Teachers focus on the whole child at a critical time of development in five domains: physical, social and emotional, cognitive, language, and creative. DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES
Young children require environments, schedules, and curriculum that is appropriate for their level of maturity and their developmental stage. THE POWER OF PLAY
Teachers encourage child-directed, unstructured play as opportunities to learn important skills critical to future social and academic success. RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM®
HABITS OF MIND
Teachers promote ways of thinking and behaving that develop self-discipline and strong character. DIFFERENTIATION
Teachers focus on each individual student’s learning style and make adjustments as needed to provide support or additional challenge. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Students enjoy opportunities to engage in hands-on activities and role-play experiences that help them understand abstract ideas. UNIFYING CONCEPTS
Ideas are introduced in the context of central unifying concepts or themes to help students recognize and remember connections from what they are learning in different disciplines.
Responsive Classroom® techniques foster a welcoming, accepting, safe, nurturingCenter environment for learning. Earlyand Childhood Curriculum Guide
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum
Overview
Domains of Growth and Development “At the beginning of the twenty-first century, key principles about child growth and development have stood the test of time:…physical maturation, language acquisition, social and emotional behavior, and cognition... Children generally go through predictable stages in the same order, but they will not all go through them at the same rate.” (Chip Wood: Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4–14. Northeastern Foundation for Children, Inc., 2007.) Additionally, within the various aspects of development, children progress differently. For example, a child who matures quickly in cognitive areas may mature more slowly in physical and social domains. These developmental concepts guide the decisions we make in our Early Childhood classrooms at Lake Forest Country Day School to ensure that each child’s individual needs are being met. We tend to all areas of growth because each plays a crucial role in learning outcomes and in providing balance in a child’s life. The whole child comes to school; therefore, decisions about physical activity and the development of social and emotional skills are as important as curriculum choices and assessments.
Social and Emotional Development
Emotional development encompasses the child's increasing awareness and control of their feelings and how they react to them in a given situation. Children develop self-awareness, selfconfidence, and the ability to cope with and understand feelings. Social development encompasses the child's identity, relationships with others, and an understanding of their place within a social environment. The social aspect of school is how children form attachments, play with others, cooperate, share, and create lasting relationships. Students at LFCDS engage in meaningful play every day. While playing, students have the opportunity to navigate social situations and learn appropriate ways to respond to and interact with their peers.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
Language Development
Language acquisition during the early years is important for the development of children’s cognitive skills, including the foundation for reading and writing, and social and emotional maturity. At LFCDS, children have the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas during Morning Meeting. Vocabulary development is fostered throughout our rich literacy, social studies, and science curricula by attending to interesting words in stories and informational texts we read. Children use play to control their own language development, which is guided by their teachers and their desire to play with their peers. Through imaginary play, children practice using acquired vocabulary, clarify new words and concepts, employ motivating language, develop metalinguistic awareness, and practice formulating and expressing thoughts.
Physical Development
Physical development includes mastering movement, balance, fine motor, and gross motor skills. During early childhood, a child’s balance improves. Children work on their balance as they learn new yoga poses in ECC classrooms. Children work on their gross motor skills on the playground as they navigate the playground structures, ride bicycles and scooters, and learn to pump on the swings. During play time, children build with blocks, complete puzzles, use scissors and writing tools, and create with various art mediums. These activities develop hand-eye coordination and strengthen fine motor skills.
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum
Overview exploration, children use their imaginations and become creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers, and responsible risk takers.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development includes skills pertaining to learning and thinking. Teachers at LFCDS create learning activities that challenge students in a way that fosters growth while also nurturing a love of learning. Because imaginative play enhances executive functioning and academic learning, it is considered an important aspect of each child’s experience in our ECC. Through free
Creative Development
Exploring art materials and engaging in dramatic play help students discover new ways to express themselves. Music and movement activities stimulate the brain, increasing pattern recognition, improving coordination, and enhancing language skills.
The LFCDS Early Childhood “Neighborhood”
Our Early Childhood programs are housed in two wings of the School. The preschool is located with 1st STEP in a quiet wing with a separate entrance, which allows our youngest students to experience a peaceful transition from home to school. Bright murals that echo images by Eric Carle, a popular picture book author, decorate the welcoming hallway that leads into large, sunny classrooms. The James L. Marks Early Childhood Center, where junior and senior kindergarten classrooms are located, was designed especially for young children. Distinctive architectural features make the exteriors of the classrooms look like residential homes. The four classroom “houses” are grouped around an “indoor park” with support beams resembling trees. These physical details reinforce the concept of the classroom as a “home away from home.” Similarly, the school community is, symbolically, a neighborhood comprised of friendly families who interact with one another as they support their children’s growth and development. As children transition into the Lower School, the “house” concept becomes more abstract, but the sense of community prevails. All students in grades one through eight are grouped into four “houses” within the School. Siblings are assigned to different "families" within each house with representation from each grade level. Eighthgrade students take a leadership role under the guidance of faculty and staff house elders. The houses are named for significant leaders in the School’s history (Bell, Mason, and Farwell) and a founder of the first private day school in America (Alcott). At various times throughout the year, house families get together for activities that build multiage friendships and foster school spirit.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices When schools create learning environments that honor and support the natural development of young learners, they are at the same time creating a foundation for skills and behaviors that will support students in their education for years to come. As early childhood educators, we know that children go through common, definable steps in their
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
growth and development. As trained experts, we also know that these stages occur at different rates in the development of each individual. Our challenge is to create an atmosphere where balance is achieved in the education of each child. Whether it is how the day is structured, how the classroom is arranged, or what size the playground equipment is, every consideration
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum
Overview
is given to creating a learning environment that is developmentally appropriate for all children with respect to their emerging capabilities.
safe risks. Developing meaningful relationships with each child and creating a predictable flow of the day are key factors in laying the foundation for success.
The teachers in the Early Childhood Center at Lake Forest Country Day School are especially adept at developing relationships with each child and their families to honor and respect each child’s stage on the developmental continuum. For many of our students, this is their first school experience, and their natural inclination to seek independence is often countered by a longing for the predictable environment of home. To honor this stage of child development, the teachers have created a transition period at the beginning of the school year so children can enter school both physically and emotionally ready to learn. This transition time is just one example of how the learning environment at LFCDS is inspired by best practices.
When you visit the classrooms in the ECC, take note of the physical space and how the classrooms have been designed to honor and engage young children. Is there natural light? Are there tools and supplies available to encourage exploration? Does the room reflect the work of children or adults? What does the room sound like? Is there independent work and group work available? Are there opportunities for play?
Young children also seek structure and predictable environments. When they feel physically and emotionally safe, children are free to explore and take
We feel confident that you will come away from your visit wishing that you could go back to school yourself and be a part of this joyful learning environment. We hope that you will also leave with the knowledge that every part of the experience we offer young children is designed intentionally, to acknowledge and respect the variety of developmental needs of young children.
The Power of Play Play is a powerful gift in a young child’s world and essential in fostering the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. Play challenges the complex mind in immeasurable ways and nourishes the human spirit. When children engage in child-directed, unstructured play in the early childhood classroom, there are endless opportunities for learning. In fact, a growing body of research continues to support the unequivocal benefits of exploratory and imaginative play in the early years of school. These benefits include increased capacities for creativity, self-regulation, social awareness, emotional resilience, collaboration, and problem solving. Moreover, these advantages play an important role in the early childhood classroom’s academic environment. With this understanding, the early childhood educators at Lake Forest Country Day School strive to create a learning environment where imaginary play is a key element in the early foundations of language development, literacy skills, mathematics, science exploration, and social sciences.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
Creative potential is strongly correlated with lifetime achievement. At the root of creativity is an individual’s ability to engage in the discovery of the unknown, take on divergent perspectives, and to explore the wonders of one’s surroundings. “In early childhood, distinct types of free play are associated with high creativity. Preschoolers who spend more time in role-play (acting out characters) have higher measures of creativity: voicing someone else’s point of view helps develop their ability to analyze situations from different perspectives.” (Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, “The Creativity Crisis,” Newsweek, July 2010.) Children are working hard to develop selfregulation skills throughout the early childhood years. Play provides young children with meaningful, self-directed opportunities to engage with their environment and learn the best ways to interpret what they experience, make sense of their emotions, manage impulsivity, and respond in socially appropriate ways to their surroundings. Furthermore, “the ability of
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum young children to control their emotional and cognitive impulses, it turns out, is a remarkably strong indicator of both short-term and long-term success, academic and otherwise. In some studies, self-regulation skills have been shown to predict academic achievement more reliably than IQ tests.” (Paul Tough, “Can the Right Kinds of Play Teach Self-Control?” New York Times, September 25, 2009.) In addition, play is central to nurturing and developing emotional resilience in children. The challenging scenarios created through play test a child’s ability to solve problems independently, recognize when to ask for support, compromise, confront adversity, and endure frustration and disappointment. “If we fail to learn in childhood how to handle the full catastrophe of a rich life, we grow up emotionally ill prepared. Learning to build these inner resources for a happier life demands that we endure the hard knocks of the playground—boot camp for the inevitable upsets of everyday relationships. Given how the brain masters social resilience, children need to rehearse for the ups and downs of social life, not experience a steady monotone of delight.” (Daniel Goldeman, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Bantam, 2007.) Without these opportunities to work through frustrations, children wouldn’t learn the value of persistence and subsequently the joy of accomplishment and newly found confidence. It’s hard to argue the incredibly close connection of child’s play and success in school. Play is the mode in which young children learn to master the various skills
Overview
Forests, Flights, and Fairy Tales
Peek into our Early Childhood classrooms and you will find two highly qualified teachers spending time with students one-on-one, in small groups, and in large group settings. Lessons are purposefully designed to meet children’s needs through multiple experiences. In a preschool classroom at LFCDS, you might find children discovering new knowledge about trees and leaves while sifting through bark, leaves, and seed pods at the sensory table as they gain an understanding of our relationship to the earth. In junior kindergarten, fouryear-old students board a “flight” to South America where they experience an integrated study of the continent and hear and play music unique to this area of the world. Peek through the windows of a senior kindergarten classroom and you may see five-year-old students applying their knowledge of fairy tale elements to write a collaborative traditional story. From nature exploration to imaginative field trips to folklore studies, LFCDS students benefit from fun, hands-on experiences that pique their curiosity, introduce academic skills, and develop a passion for learning. which are crucial to tackling their future academic and interpersonal challenges. A healthy balance of childdirected imaginary play and meaningful educational opportunities are fundamental to developing children of strong character with a passion for learning. “Play is the young child’s dominant mode of learning. When we take away time from that playful learning, we deprive the child of self-created learning experiences.” (David Elkind, The Power of Play. Da Capo Press, 2007.)
Responsive Classroom® The Early Childhood Center utilizes Responsive Classroom® techniques to create a welcoming, accepting, safe, and nurturing environment. In classrooms where caring communities are created and where children are valued for who they are as learners, students are prepared to face academic challenges. Activities are intentionally designed to stretch their thinking and help them develop confidence in what they can accomplish. As students grow, they enjoy more Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
in-depth learning, participate willingly in discussions, and ask questions while they make connections. By kindergarten, students are in a five-day, full-week program that allows them the time to stretch their learning and use their prior knowledge to strengthen their skills. Children must have multiple opportunities to learn and practice in order to be successful academically
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum and socially. Since the greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction, various social settings (e.g., one-to-one conferences, small groups, whole class, and team experiences) provide opportunities for learning cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
NAEYC’s 12 Principles of Child Development These principles are grounded in research on child development and learning and in what is known to be true about educational effectiveness. They guide our practices in order to promote optimal learning and development of our students.
All domains of development and learning— physical, social and emotional, and cognitive—are related. Children follow well-documented sequences to build knowledge. Children develop and learn at varying rates. Learning develops from the dynamic interaction of biological maturation and experience. Early childhood experiences can have profound effects, and optimal periods exist for certain types of development and learning. Development proceeds toward greater complexity and self-regulation. Children thrive with secure, consistent relationships with responsive adults. Multiple social and cultural contexts influence learning and development. Children learn in a variety of ways, so teachers need a range of strategies. Play helps develop self-regulation, language, cognition, and social competence. Children advance when challenged just beyond their current level of mastery. Children’s experiences shape their motivation, which in turn affects their learning. National Association for the Education of Young Children, www.naeyc.org Every Early Childhood Center classroom begins the day with a Morning Meeting. Children are introduced to greeting one another in our 1st STEP program at the age of two. Children are encouraged to sit together in a circle while they are guided to say
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
Overview their names with different greetings throughout the school year. This lays the foundation for children to acknowledge other children who are present and to learn the names of their friends and teachers. 1st STEP’s goals are for children to become comfortable and proud to say their names in front of others, to greet their classmates with a smile, and to manage their impulsivity while they wait their turn. In preschool, children continue to learn the polite skills involved in greeting one another, and the Morning Message is introduced. Children are taught to greet their classmates by looking each other in the eye and smiling to let others know they are accepted and liked. Once children are comfortable with the routine, the greeting is enriched with a sharing and learning time, an opportunity for each child to explain items they have brought to school and to explore numbers and letters. Every week, the Morning Message changes to reflect the weekly theme. The message begins with the same greeting and ends with the same salutation throughout the school year to encourage early recognition of words. It is used to search for letters, identify sounds, and count objects. Children develop confidence in their early reading skills as they identify words that are regularly present in the message and tackle learning new ones. In junior kindergarten, children build on the skills they have learned for greeting one another and reading the Morning Message. Greeting is now a time to not only make their classmates feel welcomed, but a time to connect to their learning. After saying their name, a child is often asked to add information about an animal being studied, identify letters in a word, express sounds connected to letters, count with one-to-one correspondence, or identify numbers. The sharing time is used to intentionally teach communication skills and to get to know one another better. On their scheduled day, the children who share are taught to stand confidently in front of their classmates and explain what they brought to school and why it is important to them. They learn to make eye contact and speak clearly. Their classmates learn to manage their impulsivity while thinking of questions to ask 7
Early Childhood Center Curriculum the child who is sharing. The child accepts questions, and the answers provide further information to which classmates can connect. In senior kindergarten, children are ready to apply the skills they have practiced to all parts of Morning Meeting. The Morning Message becomes an interactive board for teaching literacy and mathematics skills, as well as practicing public speaking. The message changes daily, and students are assigned to read and complete the message. The message occasionally ends
Overview with a question that each child is encouraged to read and answer. During sharing time students are taught to be concise by stating a main idea and two details before asking for three questions or comments. This activity supports building self-confidence. As the year progresses, children become increasingly comfortable sharing about themselves and their knowledge.
Habits of Mind Habits of Mind are behaviors or dispositions that we believe provide a strong foundation for success in school and in life. Across the curricular areas, faculty members discuss their application and provide regular opportunities for students to apply them. For example: All early childhood students learn to listen with empathy and understanding as they participate in Morning Meetings and hear classmates share ideas and stories. Becoming an active listener is one of the most important life skills taught in these early years. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” —Leo Buscaglia A junior kindergarten student persists as she practices crossing the monkey bars independently. “Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.” —Marabel Morgan, The Electric Woman A senior kindergarten student uses his metacognition during a mathematics lesson as he shares two ways he approached solving a problem. Learning to think about one’s thinking and to consider different options and perspectives is a powerful skill. “When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself.” —Plato Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
Early childhood students respond with wonder and awe as they use their senses to experience their environment and gather data. They role-play the story that was read to them; discover what colors are created as they mix paints; note the patterns that are involved in the rhythms played on their xylophones; experiment with the sounds of new words spoken in Spanish or Mandarin; and dig in the garden to plant seeds that will grow into lettuce shared with parents at an end-of-year celebration. “Observe perpetually.” —Henry James “The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious.” —Albert Einstein A preschool child is encouraged to manage her impulsivity, a skill that early childhood children practice daily when listening to a mini lesson on the rug or waiting for a turn to participate. Teachers model this idea and discuss the value of patience throughout the school day. “…goal directed self-imposed delay of gratification is perhaps the essence of emotional self-regulation: the ability to deny impulse in the service of a goal, whether it be building a business, solving an algebraic equation, or pursuing the Stanley cup.” —Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum
Overview
Differentiation Differentiation is the process of matching instruction to students and their varied interests and needs. Each child is unique, and each child learns differently. At LFCDS, teachers differentiate instruction based on an understanding of where each child is on the learning continuum as determined by observation and both formative and summative assessments. Our small class sizes allow us to know our students well. We take into account the “whole child” and consider the personal experiences, interests, and learning styles of each student in order to guide him or her toward success. Whole-group, small-group, and individualized experiences occur throughout each child’s week. When developing curriculum, faculty create engaging activities meant to acknowledge the differences in children’s developmental levels – to challenge and support them as they develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, physically, and creatively. Teachers are experts at recognizing which skills each
child is ready to work on and providing individualized opportunities for practice. For example, in preschool, the teacher may ask a child who is ready to learn letter sounds to help read the Morning Message, while she may encourage a child who is strengthening fine motor skills to manipulate play dough or use an eye dropper to fill a small container at the water table. In junior kindergarten, a teacher may prompt students who are eager writers to add words and sentences to their journals and gently coach students in ways to effectively navigate social situations. In senior kindergarten, a group of students may participate in guided reading while others solidify their understanding of letter– sound correspondence through games. Our teachers have high expectations that all students will make excellent progress and attain appropriate benchmarks— at their own pace and in their own ways—with specific feedback and warm encouragement from both teachers and parents.
Experiential Learning Children learn best through hands-on experiences that enable them to observe and manipulate objects and materials using their senses. Our commitment to experiential learning is supported by recent neuroscience and brain research which emphasizes that children learn best through authentic experiences. At LFCDS, interactions with the natural world are promoted through the use of our native prairie, wetland, and forest environments where children can interact with phenomena being studied. Emphasis is on taking care of the natural world to become stewards of the earth. Creative expression through art, music, and dramatic play engage students in active roles, thereby enhancing their understanding of concepts and strengthening the likelihood that they will internalize the experience. Experiences in the ECC capitalize on the natural curiosity of three-, four- and five-yearold students about the world around them and their fascination with a rich and ever-changing environment.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
The preschool class hikes in the forest to study trees and leaves. Children become tree experts and take part in a ceremony in which the Head of School places a “Tree Expert Necklace” on each child. They plant bulbs and seeds that provide beauty on the playground and pumpkins for the next year’s class of children. Observing red wigglers in the composting bin, collecting rain water, and taking care of the earth in a variety of ways connects them to nature. Junior kindergarten children study the animals of North America, the polar regions, and South America. Whenever possible, they observe and care for creatures, such as slugs found in our woods, whose movements, eating habits, and egg-laying are closely watched. Beekeeping equipment is donned, a wasp nest is dissected, and a nectar game is played where children take on the role of worker bees. Junior kindergarten students take part in a simulated flight to South America, complete with parent volunteers who check each child’s passport and luggage and serve as limo
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Early Childhood Center Curriculum drivers, flight attendants, and pilots during this exciting experience! Senior kindergarten students learn about the systems of the human body and create a planetarium during science studies. An exciting medieval feast occurs during a unit on castles and medieval life.
Overview Children enjoy role playing, making a coat of arms, painting portraits of themselves as royalty, and learning a courtly dance. They dress in period costumes, sing, entertain one another, and eat as royals and peasants/ serfs. They also cooperatively write and illustrate their own fairy tale. It’s a fairy tale experience!
Unifying Concepts Unifying concepts provide a structure for organizing and making meaning of the knowledge and information that students learn throughout the school day. Research supports this notion: facts and ideas become usable understandings for children when they are linked to central themes or concepts. Unifying concepts are integral to ensuring that students make connections within and across disciplines and topics and, as a result, comprehend their learning experiences more deeply. Knowing how students learn best, we developed preschool through eighth-grade social studies and science curricula around unifying concepts that build upon and connect to each other. In preschool, the concept of relationships (i.e., peer to peer, peer to adult, in-school community, and people to the environment) is thoughtfully woven into the curriculum. Through daily play, earth awareness activities, and multisensory discoveries, these young children are beginning to understand the important difference their small contributions make in the big world around them. As children progress into junior kindergarten, relationships with others, the school community, and the earth is enriched by the concept of exploration. The rich curriculum is filled with a plethora of flora, fauna, and global interdisciplinary units of study.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide
Stepping out of their classroom door, children enjoy hiking through the prairie and woodlands in all seasons, and their curiosity is piqued as they experience nature. Throughout the year, the children’s world is broadened as they embark on “voyages” stretching across the continents, heightening their love of learning. Building on these foundational experiences, in senior kindergarten children delve into the concept of interactions. Embedded within all of the units of study is an opportunity for children to explore how interactions affect people, places, and things. During the castle study children are transported back in time when serfs and monarchs interacted with one another to ensure a strong and impressive castle. Through the study of culture, senior kindergarten students develop an awareness of the similarities we share with others and how we are different. They discover how who we are, what we do, and what we make defines a culture. At each grade level the unifying concept broadens the previous one and adds a new layer of student understanding and application. We are committed to challenging young minds with authentic, thought-provoking experiences and building strong foundational skills.
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SENIOR KINDERGARTEN Curriculum
The Senior Kindergarten Experience at LFCDS
through their senses. Each day is a new adventure and each child develops deeper understandings of themselves and their world through their relationships with others and with their environment. Their progress in each domain depends on their readiness and proceeds at each child’s pace. A wide range of readiness is typical. We hope you hear all about their learning when they arrive home!
Our senior kindergarten students are brimming with curiosity as they embark upon a year of exploration in their “home away from home” in the Early Childhood Center. It’s easy to sense the welcoming community within each classroom, making the transition into a full day of school a comfortable and exciting experience Students participate in a royal feast at the for our children and culmination of the castle unit study. families. The family Students enjoy cross-curricular activities with is still at the core of a Upper School students (e.g., participate in the five-year-old’s world. national Journey North tulip project and construct Nonetheless, they are a classroom-size planetarium). developing an increasing Students participate in off-campus field trips to sense of autonomy Lake Forest Open Lands, integrating their science and the skills to take and literacy units. responsible risks, while Students enjoy activities with third-grade buddies discovering how the several times during the course of the year. world works, all on their own. Students cooperatively write a fairy tale following an extensive study of several traditional tales. Five-year-olds are
Highlights of the SK Experience
Senior kindergarten students often rely on the trusted adults in their lives to create safe boundaries and set clear expectations, all within predictable routines. With increased autonomy, limits will naturally be challenged; thus, five-year-olds thrive on the opportunities to make simple choices. They are becoming more interested in activities which involve other children and are finding the world beyond themselves very intriguing! They are ready to start navigating the social terrain.
Students are engaged in a variety of community concrete thinkers who gardening projects with the early childhood classes learn by doing. They and enjoy their harvest at the end of the year. have an innate interest in the world and exhibit Students have daily opportunity to explore art, drama, music, and movement boundless passion within the classroom. for learning as they Senior kindergarten manipulate, experiment, students are beginning and interact with their to engage in more cooperative play and interactive environment. They enjoy hands-on experiences to relationships with peers. This type of collaboration support more abstract thinking skills and movement, with other children is exemplified in the complexity music, and dance, demonstrating their emerging of their imaginary play (i.e., taking on varied roles, coordination. They love to stretch the limits of their following a mutually agreed-upon scenario). Conflict imagination through make-believe play, while expressing resolution is a critical component of cooperative play, as their creativity and learning critical problem-solving children continually practice and refine their social skills skills. They are keen and meticulous observers and will and learn the power of language for expressing their often speak freely and literally about their reflections. thoughts and feelings. Senior kindergarten students They love the physicality of being outside and enjoy are learning to try strategies, such as negotiation and exploring the natural world, experiencing the earth
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten compromise to resolve a conflict but often depend on the support of an adult to help facilitate constructive conversations. Friendships at this age shift at a rapid pace, often for no specific reason. These relationships are flexible and tolerant, usually based on present interests or frequency of interactions. Five-year-olds believe, for the most part, that everyone is their friend and will freely and enthusiastically join in the fun with everyone. At LFCDS, we model and teach respectful behavior and what it means to be part of a community. Each classroom develops its own group agreement about standards for behavior. These homeroom promises travel with students to the classrooms of special-area teachers so there is consistency of expectations for these young children. Proper manners are reinforced during snack and continued in the lunchroom where they enjoy their first experience with our family-style lunch. Each table is supervised by a faculty or staff member, and parents may supervise a table while the senior kindergarten team meets or just for the fun of having lunch with their child and his or her classmates. By November, senior kindergarten students regularly attend and participate in weekly Lower School Community Meetings. In late September, there is great anticipation about meeting their third-grade buddies, a partnership that has become a wonderful tradition in the Lower School. Senior kindergarten students also partner with Upper School students for enjoyable science activities. We intentionally create opportunities for younger and older students to interact and form relationships, a distinct advantage of attending a school that spans two-year olds through eighth grade.
Assessments
Classroom-based assessments and observations of progress in all developmental domains offer teachers a more complete understanding of each child’s learning profile. The information gathered through a variety of assessments allows for differentiation of instruction as well as responsive curriculum design. Three times a year, the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System is administered to gauge student progress in reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Other assessment tools are used to monitor the acquisition of grade-level skills with
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
Overview letter naming, letter sounds, and phonemic segmentation. Three times a year, a comprehensive math assessment is administered to gauge student progress in mathematics.
Schedule
Senior kindergarten is a full-day program from 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are Prime Time programs for senior kindergarten students offered through our Extended School Program (ESP) on some afternoons from 3:30–4:30 p.m., and children can stay in ESP until 6:00 p.m. Both are additional fees. The schedule for the week allows for extended periods of time in homeroom for literacy and numeracy activities, as well as blocks for interdisciplinary unit studies, projects, and free exploration. Because we value fresh air, play, and the skills gained through unstructured activities, students enjoy twenty-five minutes of recess and a snack in the morning and afternoon. Family-style lunches are provided by OrganicLife from 10:55–11:30 a.m. in the lunchroom. Each child enjoys forty-five minutes of science twice a week taught by our Lower School science teacher. The following special classes occur in the middle of the day for thirty minutes followed by a short Peace and Quiet time in the classroom. •• Physical education & wellness with our Early Childhood Center physical education & wellness teacher occurs each day. •• Music is taught twice a week by our preschool through second-grade music teacher. •• Mandarin Chinese is taught by native speakers through the Language Stars program twice a week. •• Library visits occur once a week with our two librarians.
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Senior Kindergarten
Language Arts
Language Arts Overview Language arts, a discipline that includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking, connects all aspects of our senior kindergarten program. Students engage in differentiated learning experiences to reinforce fundamental emergent reading and writing skills and to encourage a love of literacy. Embracing a balanced approach to literacy instruction, teachers work with students in one-to-one conferences, small guided groups, and whole-class settings. During reading and writing workshop teachers assess individual students and provide differentiated lessons to challenge them as readers and writers. Children learn decoding strategies in order to make sense of words. For example, they recognize high-frequency sight words, use pictures to make meaning, and notice the beginning sounds of words. Children learn to “read like writers” in a writing workshop setting. Introduced with picture books from a variety of genres, writing lessons are designed to engage students in careful examination of the writing craft. Students express their ideas in developmentally appropriate writing. They produce “books” that demonstrate their understanding of letter/sound correspondence, sentence structure, and simple punctuation. Students learn uppercase and lowercase letter formation through a multisensory approach to handwriting, Handwriting Without Tears.
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following language arts skills:
Foundational Reading Skills Print Concepts
Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. Recognize spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters. Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
Phonological Awareness
Recognize and produce rhyming words. Count, produce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words. Blend and segment onsets and rime of single-syllable spoken words. Isolate and produce the initial, medial, and final sounds in three-phoneme words. Add or substitute individual sounds in simple, one-syllable words to make new words. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event.
Phonics and Word Recognition
Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels. Read common high-frequency words by sight.
Reading Comprehension
Differentiate between fictional stories and informational texts. Use background knowledge and experiences to contribute to text interpretation. With support, students work to master the following reading strategies: •• Recognize common types of texts. •• Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Language Arts
•• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. •• Retell familiar stories, including key details. •• Identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. •• Compare structures, plot, characters, and settings. •• Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear. •• Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text. •• Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic. •• Identify main ideas and supporting details. •• Identify cause and effect. •• Draw conclusions from texts. •• Analyze and interpret information from texts.
Speaking and Listening Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions. Continue conversations through multiple exchanges. Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify understanding. Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
English Grammar and Usage in Writing or Speech Print many uppercase and lowercase letters. Use nouns and verbs. Form plural nouns orally. Understand question words (e.g., who, what, when). Use prepositions (e.g., to, from, on, off, for). Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities. Capitalize the first word in a sentence. Recognize and name end punctuation. Write letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds. Spell words phonetically. Identify new meanings for familiar words. Identify understanding of words by relating them to antonyms. Identify real-life connections between words and their use. Determine shades of meaning of words by acting out the meaning.
Mathematics Overview The senior kindergarten program is based on two excellent resources that complement and reinforce one another, the Singapore Math in Focus program and the Bridges calendar program. Through engaging, interactive small- and large-group lessons, the skills presented in this comprehensive curriculum build upon each other in order to develop number sense, reasoning abilities, and mathematical thinking. The mathematics curriculum provides extensive exposure and repetitive involvement in all of the important kindergarten concepts. Children learn that mathematics is useful, enjoyable, varied, and meaningful.
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Senior Kindergarten
Mathematics, Social & Emotional Development
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following mathematics skills: Represent, compare, and order whole numbers to 100. Count forward beginning from a given number by ones. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20. Demonstrate one-to-one correspondence. Demonstrate cardinality by understanding that the last number said tells the number of objects counted. Identify greater than, less than, or equal to when comparing quantities of up to ten objects. Estimate groups of objects less than or equal to 20. Represent and solve addition and subtraction story problems with manipulatives, fingers, drawings, equations, and/or verbal explanations. Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way by using objects, drawings, and/or equations. Find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number by using objects, drawings, and/or equations. Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones by using objects, drawings, and equations. Fluently add and subtract within 5. Measure with non-standard units and order objects by length and weight. Explore, manipulate, identify, and analyze two- and three-dimensional shapes. Sort, label, model, and graph objects by recognizable attributes. Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. Create, represent, discuss, and extend repeating and growing patterns. Explore spatial relationships by interacting with various manipulatives. Build an understanding of time in the context of their lives, schedules, and routines using conventional tools such as a calendar and a clock. Using real pennies, nickels, and dimes, children learn to recognize and count coins.
Mathematical Problem-Solving Practices (embedded within each content strand): Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Construct viable arguments; share and critique strategies for solving problems. Strive for accuracy. Model with mathematics. Use appropriate tools strategically. Attend to precision.
Social & Emotional Development Overview We know that developing healthy social and emotional skills in young children is of utmost importance. Doing so fosters a child’s ability to self-regulate emotions and classroom behaviors, build self-confidence, and establish positive and rewarding relationships with others and the community. This area of a child’s development is also intrinsically related to academic success, and thus, carefully attended to throughout each child’s day.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Social & Emotional Development, Science
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following social and emotional skills: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success. Interact competently and cooperatively with other children to maintain positive relationships. Solve problems with increasing independence. Use communication skills to interact effectively with others. Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways. Accurately identify emotions in themselves and others. Persist in understanding and mastering a self-selected activity, even if it is challenging or difficult. Develop skills in acting as a responsible member of our school community and behaving in a fair manner. Contribute to the good of one’s classroom, school, community, and family. Demonstrate ethical decision-making skills and learn from one’s choices. Recognize individual and group similarities and differences.
Science Overview The formal science curriculum begins in senior kindergarten and includes three units of study per year that address the three branches of science—physical science, life science, and earth/space science. In a hands-on, inquiry-based setting, students pose questions, explore hypotheses, and form conclusions. Students further their scientific understanding through learning that is relevant to real-life experiences and through spiraling unifying themes from senior kindergarten through eighth grade. Senior kindergarten students develop understandings around the theme of systems of sorting that help them organize their expanding world. They sort living things, plants and animals; physical properties as related to magnets and buoyancy using fair tests; and earth materials. Measurement is a part of each unit. Science is an integral part of our senior kindergarten program. There are also many interdisciplinary units taught in homeroom that involve scientific studies (e.g., systems of the human body, nutrition and exercise, the Journey North program, the night sky and building of a planetarium). Senior kindergarten students will also get exposure to coding over the course of the year. Coding is a way to introduce students to computer science. Through the use of a series of apps, students will learn to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. The students will begin to understand how to work through challenges using a series of logical and sequential commands. This helps demystify the world of computer coding, while giving students an introduction to computer programming.
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following science skills:
Questions
Pose thoughtful questions about the world.
Observation
Observe and describe the properties of living and non-living things.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Science, Social Studies
Communication
Communicate observations by drawing, dictating, or writing. Incorporate new vocabulary. Synthesize classroom discussion and offer meaningful contributions during reflections on learning.
Comparison
Make comparisons based on physical evidence. Compare structures and behaviors of animals.
Conducting Instruments
Show respect for living and non-living things. Ask questions. Practice safety. Use tools appropriately, such as hand lenses, balances, counting cubes, and loupe magnifiers.
Social Studies Overview The integrated study of the social sciences forms the basis for the Lower School social studies curriculum. Unifying themes develop throughout the grades from preschool through eighth grade, allowing students to build on the mastered skills and the lenses through which they have experienced the social studies content. With emphasis on higher-level thinking skills that include chronological sequencing, comprehension, analysis, and decision making, the social studies program offers students the chance to pursue independent inquiry, participate in hands-on active lessons and projects, and investigate real-world problems. Through social studies lessons, students develop their capacities to make thoughtful, informed decisions. These skills and understandings are essential for participating citizens in our culturally diverse nation and global world. The unifying theme for senior kindergarten is interactions. In their castles and medieval times study, students investigate the determination of defensible locations for their castles and how the individuals who live within the walls of the castles interacted based on social class. The final social studies unit centers on the two indigenous African cultures in South Africa and Kenya: the Ndebele and Masai. Teachers guide students to inquire with questions like the following: What is culture? How do people interact with their environment? How can people learn from each other?
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following social science skills:
Culture
Describe similarities and differences in the ways different groups of people meet similar needs and concerns. Describe the value of cultural unity and diversity within and across groups.
Time, Continuity, and Change
Identify examples of both continuity and change as described in stories, photographs, and documents.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Social Studies, World Language
Compare and contrast differing stories or accounts about past events, people, places, or situations and offer possible reasons for the differences.
People, Places, and Environments
Ask and find answers to geographic questions. Acquire and analyze information from nonfiction materials to draw conclusions. Use map elements to inform study of people, places, and environments.
Individual, Groups, and Institutions
Describe interactions between and among individuals, groups, and organizations. Analyze how individuals can make a difference in the world and/or change history.
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Evaluate different methods for allocating goods and services.
Science, Technology, and Society
Identify examples of societies. Identify examples of the use of science and technology in society.
Global Connections
Explore the ways that aspects of culture, such as language, beliefs, and traditions, may facilitate understanding or lead to misunderstanding between cultures. Identify and examine issues that impact people in different parts of the world.
World Language Overview LFCDS offers Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French in the ECC and Lower School. These languages expose our students to a variety of important world cultures and better equip them to meet the challenges of global citizenship. Our design is based on current brain research and best practices in elementary world language education. Adhering to the national standards for the teaching of world languages, we aim to prepare our students to view the world from broader perspectives, compare and contrast languages and cultures, and appreciate the importance of communication in international communities. The benefits of this model lead beyond language learning to the discovery of diverse cultural worlds where these languages are spoken.
The Early Childhood and Lower School curriculum sequence is: Spanish: Preschool and Junior Kindergarten Spanish is the most prominent second language in the United States. Often, young children have already had some exposure to Spanish expressions and culture. The two-year study of Spanish provides a foundation in Spanish which will also set the stage for the learning of other languages with different sounds and syntax.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
World Language, Music
Mandarin Chinese: Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1 Chinese represents the fastest growing Eastern language and may be the most important business language outside of English in the twenty-first century. In addition, brain research shows benefits from the study of pictographic and tonal languages, which naturally develop simultaneous use of multiple areas of the brain, enhancing student learning of other subjects. The two-year study of Chinese enriches our senior kindergarten and first-grade cultural studies, especially our first-grade social studies unit on China.
French: Grades 2 and 3
French is an official language in thirty-three countries spread throughout five continents. While learning French, students discover the influence of French on the English language. This awareness deepens their knowledge of our own language as they explore the multitude of French words the English language has absorbed. The two-year study further enriches the third-grade social studies unit on the French voyageurs.
Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French: Grade 4
Fourth-grade students have the opportunity to revisit or become familiar with Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and French. In our global world today, some knowledge of the sound system and basics of each language is critical for a well-rounded education. In addition, an opportunity to compare all three languages over the course of a year allows students, with the support of parents and teachers, to make an informed choice about which single language to study in Upper School. Having experienced all three languages also complements the fourth-grade immigration unit and their culminating study of global warming.
Grade-Level Expectations:
Senior kindergarten students will work to master the following Mandarin Chinese skills: Greet each other and introduce themselves. Describe themselves and their classmates with “to be” structures. Identify and describe classroom items with “to be” structures. Identify common lunch foods and express likes and dislikes of lunch foods. Identify body parts and describe health with “My _____ hurts” structures. Describe recess and play activities using preferential “I like” structures.
Music Overview Education in the arts is an inseparable part of the education of the whole child. Children learn to express and interpret ideas through observation and analysis of these art forms. They learn creative modes of problem solving and in so doing develop an array of expressive, analytical, and developmental tools which can be applied to every human situation. Students understand the influences of the arts in their power to create and reflect cultures, both past and present, thus enabling them to make informed judgments about cultural products and issues. They also develop attributes such as self-discipline, perseverance, and collaborative skills. Experiences in the arts develop each child’s imagination and sense of personal fulfillment.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Music, Information Literacy
Grade-Level Expectations
The three main components of the ECC general music program at each grade level are music literacy, performance, and music listening and analysis.
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following general music skills: Read, notate, and perform equal divisions of beat in non-traditional notation. Develop the voice through vocalization, including the minor scale. Develop relative pitch through singing A440 and other identified notes. Explore musical concepts such as dynamic, tempo, articulation, and the staff. Demonstrate the difference between performance and audience etiquette in formal and informal settings. Experience Medieval/Renaissance music of Europe as well as African music with an emphasis on dance.
Information Literacy Overview Library visits and lessons are designed for our early childhood children to learn the library routines such as book selection and check-out and return of materials. Students are exposed to and discuss good literature. Comprehension skills as well as the basic skills of sequencing and knowing the alphabet are reinforced during lessons.
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following information literacy skills: Learn to identify fiction and nonfiction. Listen attentively when books are read aloud. Respond thoughtfully to literature selections. Make connections to a theme through literature and enrichment activities. Begin to find books using knowledge of the alphabet. Begin to judiciously choose independent reading material. Care appropriately for books and take responsibility for returning them in a timely manner.
Education Technology Overview Technology is intentionally integrated into the senior kindergarten curriculum to engage students in active, hands-on experiences that enhance, support, and extend students’ learning and differentiate for each child’s unique development and needs. One unique use of technology is the collaborative writing of a fairy tale that incorporates the elements discussed during a genre study in language arts and the vocabulary acquired during the castle unit. Students create illustrations to accompany the story and record their voices reading the text for a presentation to the Lower School at a Community Meeting.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Information Literacy, Physical Education & Wellness
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following education technology skills: Illustrate and communicate original ideas and stories using digital tools. Engage in learning activities with people from other cultures through electronic means. Communicate about technology using developmentally appropriate and accurate terminology. Demonstrate the ability to navigate in virtual environments such as electronic books. Demonstrate an understanding of how the iPad operates (i.e., turn the iPad on and off, select and use apps effectively, and navigate the iPad keyboard). Design with drawing tools, create stories using audio and video features, and navigate various applications to extend curriculum. Use the proscope digital microscope to gather scientific data related to specific tasks. Demonstrate an understanding of basic coding language. Demonstrate the safe and cooperative use of technology.
Physical Education & Wellness Overview The mission of the physical education & wellness program is to help students develop a lasting appreciation for physical activity and acquire the skills, strategies, and knowledge that lay the foundation for a lifetime of wellbeing through athletics. Teachers strive to inspire a commitment to health-related fitness and positive lifestyle choices regardless of athletic ability. Our goals are to enhance students’ ability to lead, work together as a team, participate fairly with sportsmanship, and develop respect for peers. We encourage active participation from all students.
Grade-Level Expectations
In senior kindergarten, students work to master the following physical education & wellness skills: Demonstrate locomotor (i.e., running, skipping, jumping, hopping, galloping) and non-locomotor skills. Demonstrate manipulative skills (i.e., throwing, kicking, catching). Demonstrate body and spatial awareness. Demonstrate cardiovascular endurance. Participate cooperatively in structured group activities. Listen and follow directions. Participate actively in class. Assume responsibility for positive behavior. Demonstrate sportsmanship (i.e., fairness and respect).
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies
Throughout the year, senior kindergarten children participate in hands-on, interdisciplinary units of study. These studies encompass the fundamental academic disciplines with an overarching theme of interactions. You'll find examples of these engaging interdisciplinary studies throughout the curriculum.
The Leg Bone’s Connected to the Thigh Bone
Students become the educators and feel empowered to teach others what they have discovered throughout an interdisciplinary study of the human body. It includes: how we are alike and how we are different. a study of the respiratory, cardiovascular, circulatory, nervous, skeletal, and digestive systems of the human body, complete with a “vest” of the systems. information about nutrition and exercise. literacy activities. mathematical activities, such as weight and measurement, graphing, and problem solving. games to experience how bones and muscles move.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Come to the Royal Feast!
Senior kindergarten students love castles and costumes! After discovering what students already know about castles, teachers link new information to children's prior knowledge, activate their interest and curiosity, and infuse instruction with a sense of purpose. Research has proven that this is how children learn most effectively. The dramatic play/dress-up center, as well as a castle model, provide opportunities for students to use the vocabulary and act out what they have learned. The team of senior kindergarten teachers who traveled to Great Britain to study castles share stories and a PowerPoint about what they saw and heard. Students: •• learn why castles were built and various features of the castle. •• discover who lived in castle times and about their jobs, where they, lived, what they wore, what they ate, and what activities were part of a typical day. •• dress up in a role of their choice and paint a royal portrait. •• participate in a Royal Feast and entertain each other with a period dance learned in music class and juggling and scarf throwing in physical education & wellness.
Students Become Social Scientists!
An interdisciplinary culture study is designed to develop a better understanding of the larger world. Culture is defined as what we say, what we do, what we make, and how we live. Authentic costumes and artifacts allow children to dramatize during free exploration what they have learned. Children greet each other during Morning Meeting using the word for “hello” from various cultures (e.g., Israel, Italy, Korea, China, Africa, and France). The photographs in Children Around the World provide detailed visuals about the way children in other countries live, allowing for meaningful connections and comparisons to be made.
Early Childhood Center Curriculum Guide — Senior Kindergarten
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Senior Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Studies
The children explore a remarkable collection of family portraits from around the world, gathering information about a family’s environment, prized possessions, and consumption using the Hungry Planet and Material World curriculum. The team of senior kindergarten teachers who traveled to Kenya share stories, artifacts, and a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation about: •• the way people live in different cities in Kenya and in a Masai village. •• what schools in Kenya look like. •• the animals photographed on a safari. Students learn about South Africa and the Ndbele people: •• what they say (e.g., how to say hello). •• what they do (e.g., listen and dance to music from South Africa). •• what they make (e.g., beaded dresses). •• how they live (e.g., replicate the art patterns created on the their colorful dwellings by the Ndebele women).
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Resources for Parents Lake Forest Country Day School offers many options for parents to connect with our school community. Beginning with an intake conference with your child’s advisor or homeroom teacher, informational coffees in early September, and grade-level social events, there are many opportunities to establish important connections. As the school year progresses, there are multiple ways for parents to volunteer, from classroom activities and field trips, to a variety of volunteer positions with the Parent Association and the school’s annual Auction. The Parent Association Office is open each day and welcomes all LFCDS parents to stop by for coffee, peruse the spirit wear, and connect with the other school families. In addition, parents are always welcome at our weekly Wednesday Community Meetings and for Coffee and Conversation on Tuesdays in the Parent Relations Office. Throughout the school year, LFCDS hosts outside speakers such as best-selling authors Dr. Michael Thompson, Dr. Ned Hallowell, Dr. David Walsh, and New York Times parenting columnist Jessica Lahey. All community members are welcome to attend. The school’s portal offers a wealth of information, including: Enrichment Activities and Resources: At LFCDS, we believe that summer is an important time to balance learning with leisure. This page provides information about required summer work, book lists for particular grade levels, mathematics and science challenges, and parent resources. Grade Level Curriculum Guides: Each year, faculty members prepare a detailed description of the curriculum for each grade level. These guides provide an in-depth review of the educational experiences your child will be a part of at each grade level. Teacher Communication: Many teachers share classroom experiences through newsletters and photo sharing sites, emails, and phone or personal conversations. Curriculum Review Information: On an ongoing basis, a faculty task force examines and revises a specific curriculum component. Parent Association Information: The Parent Association web page provides up-to-date information regarding volunteer opportunities and other parent-related events. Social media is a timely way to tell the story of Lake Forest Country Day School. The School regularly maintains and updates both its Facebook page and Twitter account with relevant information regarding the School. Please note that we have a strict social media policy and never post individual student names or information on these channels. We encourage you to explore the website and learn more about the Lake Forest Country Day School Experience.
Questions? Please contact the Admission Office at 847-615-6151.
Lake Forest Country Day School 145 South Green Bay Road Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 (847) 234-2350 | www.lfcds.org