The kindergarten curriculum is designed to develop the following skills in each subject area.
English Language Arts (ELA)
Reading Workshop Reading Workshop is a program that teaches children to become independent readers by having them read books on a level that is “just right.” Beginning in late fall, students choose books according to their interests and reading level. Through practice reading independently, with partners, with the teacher and in small groups, students develop their reading skills.
Students will also develop phonemic awareness, learn to recognize letters and corresponding sounds, increase their vocabulary base, identify sight and rhyming words and write their first and last names. During Reader’s Workshop, children also learn to follow 3-4 step directions and share opinions and thoughts with each other.
Independent Reading Independent reading is private reading time during which students practice strategies and behaviors. From the beginning of the year until late fall, they practice storytelling skills using Emergent Storybooks. Students also have many opportunities to read and explore books in the classroom library. Although they may not be able to read them word for word the students are encouraged to approximate reading by using illustrations and learned reading behaviors. In late fall, students are assessed to determine their independent reading level. At this time, students spend 5-10 minutes a day reading “just right” books. Students will shop for books on a weekly basis based on their interests and reading level.
Interactive Read Aloud During read alouds, children make predictions and connect texts to personal experiences. Through shared exploration of culturally diverse texts, students learn to retell a story, as well as to orally answer questions about characters, setting and events. They also interact with stories through dramatizations, finger plays and poems. Kindergarteners learn to tell well-crafted stories from the pictures of familiar books such as Caps for Sale, Corduroy and others. Teachers model desired skills and strategies that students will practice during partner talk.
Shared Reading During shared reading teachers choose a text that supports reading behaviors and strategies that can be applied during independent reading time. The text is read multiple times across a few days and, later, is revisited as an “old favorite.”
Writing Workshop Writing Workshop is a program that teaches children to become independent lifelong writers. Students learn to observe and tell stories about their lives and the world around them. During Writing Workshop, students draft, revise, edit, illustrate and publish narrative, opinion, and expository texts.
Interactive Writing During interactive writing, teacher and students “share the pen” as they compose and write texts in a variety of genres. Interactive writing reinforces phonemic awareness and increases exposure to high frequency words taught during phonics and word study lessons.
Independent Writing During private writing time, students write stories in different genres. Students learn to manage their writing by deciding when they are finished and to reflect on it by choosing pieces they will publish.
FUNdations Wilson Fundations is a multisensory, structured language program that introduces students to critical foundational reading and writing skills such as, phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, handwriting, high frequency words, and spelling. Students learn letters and their sounds, letter formation, and high frequency words through repeated practice with key words, sky writing (tracing in the air), whiteboard writing, and manipulation of letter magnets.
Resources for “Just Right” Books RAZ Kids Scholastic Book Wizard Local Library
Math - Eureka Eureka Math, a Common Core-aligned curriculum equates mathematical concepts to stories, with the aim of developing conceptual understanding. It encourages students to use various mental strategies to solve problems, and to focus on the process instead of the answer. The math curriculum focuses on developing an understanding of number sense by representing, relating, and operating on whole numbers, and describing shapes and space. A complete list of kindergarten benchmarks is available at http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.
Social Studies The following themes will be explored in the classroom.
Community (school community)
Citizenship
My Country (workers in our community)
Where We Live (maps)
Time Goes By (past, present, future, and calendar work)
Stories of Past Traditions
Science Kindergarten instruction is guided by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They come from Project 2061, which is an effort to create citizens with the scientific literacy needed for the future, by the next time Halley’s Comet comes around! If you would like to explore this more, look at:http://www.nextgenscience.org. Or, there is an article for parents at www.nsta.org/parents.
Units of Study
Life Science- Living Things in Our Lab, Garden and Community