| Our Kindergarten Teachers | Classroom |
| Mrs. Carolyn Gorton | A – 6 |
| Mrs. Deirdre Cerulli | A – 7 |
| Mrs. Kim Moore | A – 8 |
| Ms. Melissa Collins | A – 9 |
Curriculum Overview for Kindergarten*
English Language Arts
Learning new language skills is a hallmark of kindergarten, with frequent practice in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Kindergarten English Language Arts curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Use story elements in oral retelling of text
- Use multiple strategies to problem-solve new words
- Demonstrate ability to use conversation to build ideas
- Maintain interest and focus during reading
- Identify 26 lower-case letters and 26 upper-case letters
- Associate 21 consonant sounds with letters, and 10 long and short vowel sounds with letters
- Recognize 50 sight words
- Express written ideas clearly in narrative, informational, and opinion genres
- Connect ideas in writing, using transitional words as needed
- Use appropriate grade-level vocabulary to convey meaning in writing
- Vary sentence length and sentence structure
- Use capitalization and punctuation to aid meaning
- Apply spelling strategies in written work
- Attend to issues of presentation in writing, including neatness and spacing
- Maintain interest and focus during writing
Mathematics
Children arrive in kindergarten with widely varying mathematics knowledge. Important foundations laid in kindergarten for all children focus primarily on two important areas: learning numbers and what they represent, and addition and subtraction. Kindergarten Mathematics curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Count to 100 by ones and tens
- Count how many objects are in a group and compare the quantities of two groups of objects
- Compare two numbers to identify which is greater than or less than the other
- Understand addition as putting together and subtraction as taking away from
- Add and subtract numbers within five
- Break up numbers less than or equal to 10 in more than one way (5 = 1 + 4, but also 3 + 2)
- Find the missing quantity that is needed to reach 10 for any number between 1 and 9
- Represent addition and subtraction word problems by using objects or by drawing pictures
- Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes (triangle, circle, square…), and use terms like above, below, beside, behind, and next to describe position of shapes
- Demonstrate effort in mathematics
Science
Kindergarteners are active scientists: curious, with very few preconceived ideas. When they observe, compare, contrast, sort, and predict, they are doing the things that scientists do. Kindergarten Science curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Explore daily weather conditions that affect human and animal lives
- Use their five senses to observe and record seasonal changes
- Integrate scientific measurement through both science and mathematics
- Experience life cycles by incubating and hatching live chicks
Kindergarteners will demonstrate an understanding of current science concepts and key vocabulary, make observations and present information in words and drawings, and demonstrate an awareness of science safety as they enjoy nature all around them.
Social Studies
Kindergarten Social Studies curriculum, instruction, and assessment focus on the individual and his or her environment to help each student:
- Learn social skills and positive means of interacting with others
- Come to understand himself or herself as an individual and as a contributing member of society
- Explore the relationships between families, homes, neighborhoods, schools, and the larger community
Library Media
Kindergarten Library Media curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Locate age-appropriate material in the library media center according to individual interests and tastes
- Describe roles of authors and illustrators, and identify simple story elements
- Successfully identify basic components of a computer and their uses
Music
Kindergarten Music curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Sing simple songs in a group, and accompany songs on instruments
- Keep a beat through movement, and repeat phrase patterns
Physical Education
Kindergarten Physical Education curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Demonstrate and apply motor skill performance in team and individual lifetime activities
- Develop a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
Visual Arts
Kindergarten Visual Arts curriculum, instruction, and assessment help each student learn to:
- Experiment with drawing, color theory, design, painting, printmaking, three-dimensional work, and textiles