Kindergarten

Who Am I? This is the overarching theme of Kindergarten.  Young children, many of them new to the school, are affirmed as members of a family and a community with a unique identity.  As they enter their formal years of school, they begin to form their identities as students and members of a learning community.  It is within this emerging identity that they encounter experiences that expand their view of themselves in relation to each other and the world around them.  A strong foundation, which builds on their competencies and encourages them to delve into new ways of thinking and doing, develops confidence for future learning.

 

Literacy instruction begins with a love of story and the need to communicate.  Speaking and listening carefully is emphasized as plans are made and reflected upon, as work is shared and collaboration is necessary to complete tasks.  Students quickly learn the need to identify written names and read the morning message. Letter names, sounds and formation are taught; as their knowledge of these increases, they begin to write. Writing becomes an increasing focus for children as they start to form words and sentences.  Reading is more caught then taught at this stage as children begin to read their writing and publish simple books.

 

Math skills begin with simple sorting and counting tasks, graphs and measurement skills enter the classroom as the need arises to communicate and understand quantity.  Volume and balance activities become part of the work in the Shared Space.  Mathematical study includes numbers and their operation, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability.  Students follow a course of study, but much of it is embedded in the daily life of the Kindergarten. 

 

The fall term, social studies focuses on who the child is in relation to family and community, and introduces students to each other and being part of a school community.  Learning names and places, skills and procedures of the learning community, taking walking trips in Hoboken, participating in the Hudson Hike, and doing meaningful tasks for the community, like counting baby food jars for the food pantry, are all part of the work of this term.

 

The winter term builds on this knowledge and introduces students to themes of study that move them beyond their current experience.  A study of light in science and another culture in social studies broaden their experience to expansive topics of study.