AN OVERVIEW OF KINDERGARTEN

During the kindergarten year, students need to experience the enjoyment of reading while they learn the foundational strategies and skills that will enable them to read independently. Students learn these enabling skills of phonemic awareness, letter names, sound-letter correspondences, decoding skills, high frequency vocabulary, and comprehension skills as they listen and respond to a variety of texts. They enjoy listening to stories, relating characters and events to their own life experiences, dramatizing stories, and responding to stories through art and writing activities. They can extend their oral language skills when given opportunities to express themselves, and they can learn how oral language is recorded to convey experiences and ideas as they observe their experiences and ideas being written.

Kindergarten students will:

Engage in word play.
Listen and respond to children's literature.
Build reading and writing concepts, skills, and strategies.

· Apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.

· Make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.

· Apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.

· Apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.

· Participate in writing behaviors by using authors' models of language. Write by using models.

TEXTS IN GENRE	Fiction	Nonfiction	Poetry	Drama
Grade K	Picture books Caption books	Short informational texts	Nursery rhymes Word plays & Finger plays	Puppet plays Reenactments of familiar stories

COMPOSITION PRODUCTS

· Participate in writing behaviors by using authors' models of language.

· Write by using models.

MATH

The early grades focus on building a strong understanding of number and fluency with

mathematics to solve problems. Fundamental to these skills is knowledge of number facts, the computational processes, and the appropriate use of each operation. Together with an emphasis on using mathematics to solve problems, elementary students will build a depth of understanding enabling them to apply the content in a variety of contexts.

1) Number and Operations

Develop number sense for whole numbers through 30 and beyond.

· Connect model, number word (orally), and number, using a variety of representations.

· Count objects in a set.

· Read and write numerals.

· Compare and order sets and numbers.

· Use ordinals (1st-10th).

· Estimate quantities fewer than or equal to 10.

· Recognize equivalence in sets and numbers 1 – 10.

Share equally (divide) between two people; explain.

Solve problems and share solutions to problems in small groups

2) Measurement

Compare attributes of two objects using appropriate vocabulary (color, weight, height,

width, length, texture).

Recognize concepts of calendar time using appropriate vocabulary (days of the week,

months of the year, seasons).

3) Geometry

Identify, build, draw, and name triangles, rectangles, and circles; identify, build, and

name spheres and cubes.

Compare geometric shapes (identify likenesses and differences).

Model and use directional and positional vocabulary.

Complete simple spatial visualization tasks and puzzles.

4) Data Analysis & Probability

Collect and organize data as a group activity.

Display and describe data with concrete and pictorial graphs as a group activity.

5) Algebra

Sort and classify objects by one attribute.

Create and extend patterns with actions, words, and objects.

SCIENCE

Crosscreek Charter School kindergarteners are exposed to a science curriculum that integrates the unifying concepts of science.

These unifying concepts are:

· Systems, Order and Organization.

· Evidence, Models, and Explanation.

· Constancy, Change, and Measurement.

· Evolution and Equilibrium.

· Form and Function.

There are four strands that provide the context for teaching the goals and objectives. The strands include:

· Nature of Science.

· Science as Inquiry.

· Science and Technology.

· Science in Social and Personal Perspectives.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Students in kindergarten begin a global approach to social studies with a study of themselves, their families, and other families around the world. They learn how individuals and families grow and change and compare how they are alike and different. Students approach the understanding of self and family while developing and defining concepts about themselves and the family structure. They acquire the concept that all families worldwide have basic common needs, yet meet these needs in a variety of ways. Goals in kindergarten focus on developing positive attitudes about themselves, their families, and families of diverse cultures.

Strands

· Individual Development and Identity

· Cultures and Diversity

· Historical Perspectives

· Geographic Relationships

· Economics and Development

· Global Connections

· Technological Influences

· Government and Active Citizenship

HEALTH EDUCATION

The following bullets identify and define each of the health education strands present in Crosscreek Charter School ’s curriculum:

• Mental and Emotional Health (Goal 1 - achieving well being through anticipating and managing stressors; having positive and healthy self-esteem; controlling behaviors that are unhealthy for self or others; coping with failure and loss in a healthy manner; recognizing mental and emotional health needs; and accessing appropriate resources)

• Personal and Consumer Health (Goal 2 - recognizing and avoiding a variety of health risks; preventing disease and infection; managing the environment and community health; practicing preventive measures; demonstrating positive hygiene habits; understanding the growth and development process; and selecting and accessing appropriate health resources)

• Interpersonal Communication and Relationships (Goal 3 - having healthy social support and providing support for others; having effective communication skills, including empathy, listening, negotiation and conflict resolution; identifying and seeking help for unhealthy relationships)

• Nutrition and Weight Management (Goal 4 - achieving high-level wellness through wise nutritional choices and a variety of regular physical activity)

• Substance Abuse Prevention (Goal 5 - reducing health risks by avoiding and assertively refusing harmful and illegal substances, including alcohol and tobacco, and avoiding the misuse of prescription and nonprescription medications)

COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Focus Areas

· Parts of the computer and how to operate

· Keyboard familiarity

· Grouping and sequencing

· Respect for the work of others

· Responsible care of resources

· Exploring multimedia

· Observing online resources

GUIDANCE

Crosscreek Charter School ’s Personal/Social Development Program provides the foundation for personal and social growth which contributes to academic and career success. Personal/social development includes:

The acquisition of skills, attitudes, and knowledge which help students to respect self and others.
The use of effective interpersonal skills,
The employment of safety and survival skills,
The understanding of the obligation to be a contributing member of society, and
The ability to negotiate successfully and safely in the increasingly complex and diverse world of the 21^st century.

VISUAL ARTS

The study of visual arts begins in Kindergarten with the introduction of skills and concepts that will be completely new for most of the children. Because of the children's different developmental levels when entering Kindergarten, it is expected that this year will emphasize joyful exploration and discovery; mastery is a process that will require repetition at subsequent grades.

The emphasis at this level is on:

· Personal experience and/or imagination

· Exploring a variety of media to develop fine and gross motor skills

· Learning care and use of tools and equipment

· Following safety rules

· Family, five senses, counting, and retelling stories in pictures

· Learning about a variety of artists and art forms, including architecture

· Art elements - color, shape and line

July 28

CAPT Meeting

6:30 pm in Unit #2

Aug 4th

Open House (All Grade) @ 7pm

Aug 5th

First Day of School

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