Kindergarten Learning
Kindergarten is the best time for learning. The students are energetic and curious and often
fearless of trying new things.
Our goals for your student still include the corner stones of learning: independence, self-
reliance, the development of problem solving skills, good citizenship and self control, and the
ability to think things through logically. But in order to be prepared for first grade, our
students also need to learn to read, write, count, sort, graph, pattern and solve addition and
subtraction problems. These are all skills that we work to develop throughout the year. Skills
are taught and re-taught and practiced over and over again. Mastery does not come
automatically!
During this year, we will use several learning activities to prepare for first grade. Some of
these things are simple songs and games. We use learning centers for your child to practice
skills alone or with other students. Each student will meet with the teacher independently and
with small groups to make learning efficient and fun. Kindergarten students learn best when
they are doing hands on activities with pencils, paper, scissors, crayons, math manipulatives,
reading tools. Your child will use a writing journal and bring home books to practice reading
with you. Plus we get to go outside and play. Art, Music and Physical Education classes are
included in the kindergarten experience to broaden your child's skills and help them to develop
and grow.
Learning to Read:
Balanced Literacy Approach
Reading read TO the children
read WITH the children
reading BY the children
Read Alouds (reading to the children)
* help to internalize sentence structure and "book language" concepts
* provide motivation to learn to read
* develop vocabulary concepts
* provide a proficient reader model
* develop a sense of story structure
* build prediction skills
Shared Reading/Poetry (reading with the children)
* develops comprehension skills, rhyming skills, story line/story elements
* develops/reviews high frequency words and known phonics
* teacher models/develops: print concepts, early reader strategies, use of cueing sources,
monitoring and self-correction, good reader strategies, comprehension
Guided Reading (reading by the children)
* reinforces reading strategies in context of a story
* story introduction promotes children's effective use of cueing sources, prediction, monitoring
* teacher supports/prompts: print concepts, early reading strategies, use of cueing sources,
monitoring and self-correction, good reader strategies, comprehension
Independent Reading (reading by the children)
*builds self-confidence, fluency, vocabulary
*provides practice in applying reading strategies
Learning to Write:
Balanced Literacy Approach
Writing - writing FOR the children
writing WITH the children
writing BY the children
Dictation (writing for the children)
* develops print concepts
* shows relation of letters to sounds, words
* models relationship of spoken words to written words
Shared Writing (writing with the children)
* models how phonics work
* helps in hearing/sequencing sounds in words
* models conventional spelling
* develops print concepts
* models mechanics of writing capitals at the beginning of sentence, punctuation at the end
* aids in understanding the reciprocity of reading and writing
Independent Writing (writing by the children)
* builds confidence as a writer
* develops understanding of the uses of writing
* provides practice in different types of writing
* strengthens story structure
* supports reading development