 |
Kindergarten Programs
|
|
Kindergarten Programs
|
Table of Contents
Features of the Traditional Kindergarten Program
Features of the French Immersion Kindergarten Program
Features of the Montessori Kindergarten Program
General Information Concerning Our Kindergarten Programs
The
Kindergarten curriculum areas of reading, math, science, art, social studies,
writing, music and movement are naturally interrelated to make learning
meaningful for children and to actively engage them in the process as well as in
the product. All students have
access to a computer network and opportunities to visit our Media Center.
Literacy
is a primary goal in our Kindergarten programs.
Through active involvement in concrete and meaningful language-rich
activities, young children learn about themselves and their world and develop
intellectual, physical and social skills. At
the Placentino School, we create learning environments that reflect our
understanding of five and six year olds and how they learn.
We work to make our language, expectations, curriculum, and materials age-appropriate and supportive of the individual growth patterns and needs of the “whole child.” We arrange classrooms, organize daily schedules and choose activities and materials that will enable children to learn and grow by moving their bodies, manipulating real objects and interacting with others. With positive guidance and the modeling of appropriate language and behaviors, we encourage increased independence, interdependence and responsibility among our young children. Our classrooms are adaptable, flexible and welcoming. School wide gatherings and activities are great fun and help to bring all our classes together to foster a spirit of community. These features are characteristic of ALL our Kindergarten classes – Traditional, French Immersion, and Montessori.
Poems,
songs, chants and rhythms offer young children rich opportunities to speak and
listen. They contribute, along with
story reading, letter/sound association, book holding and storytelling, to the
children’s emerging literacy skills and the development of phonemic awareness.
Often these activities are interwoven with a science or social studies
theme and incorporate many opportunities for speaking, listening, writing and
reading. An activity that is an
“art” project can also provide exploration of a material, teach a concept,
express a feeling or idea, tell a story or represent an experience.
It can be linked to a theme the class is studying or a book the children
read. An integrated curriculum is
an important part of the Kindergarten program.
Writing
begins to emerge through the children’s dictation and their inventive
spelling. Using a variety of
instruments, they learn directionality, grip, and the mechanics of letter
formation. As they become ready,
children are encouraged to develop their emerging skills through journal
writing.
Mathematics
in Kindergarten means opportunities to sort, categorize, recognize and create
patterns, learn 1-1 correspondence, count, explore conservation of numbers and
form numerals.
Directed
and creative movement in games or with music and stories helps children develop
their bodies in space, fine tune physical skills, and learn patterns of balance
and rhythm. It is also a means of
communication. Every activity has
meaning and becomes an integral part of the ongoing learning experiences of the
whole child.
The organization of the school day for Kindergarten children provides a variety of opportunities to support development of their intellectual and social skills. Teachers balance whole group, small group, and independent work with activities that are adult-directed, child-directed, guided or free choice. Each class has approximately 18–23 children. The teacher emphasizes development of personal habits and classroom responsibilities while directing children in ways to effectively communicate and socially interact with one another. Each day includes the following activities although they may differ slightly according to teachers’ styles and class needs.
Settling in / Starting to work
Routines,
calendar, business, free play, independent work.
Whole
group time occurs
at some point during the daily session. Activities
during this time may include: introduction of Kindergarten literacy standards,
thematic study, listening to a story, demonstration, singing, a child or adult
presentation, greeting a visitor, or show and tell.
Independent and/or Small group work
Alternating
teacher directed and self-directed requirements and choices.
Snack
might be enjoyed independently, with a partner, or together as a class.
Creative
Movement/Music and Art which
are taught by Kindergarten specialists enhance our Kindergarten curriculum and
provide opportunities for children to explore a variety of expressive avenues
enriching their growth and development.
Recess
when weather permits, is outside on the playground.
It is supervised by
Closure involves
clean-up, looking back and ahead, getting notices and
·
The
development of emergent literacy skills and standards is the primary focus of
the Kindergarten day.
·
Traditional:
Within grades, this model uses flexible grouping strategies, a print-rich
literature-based environment, and an integrated approach to our standards based
curriculum. The philosophy of the
model recognizes content areas are naturally interrelated and emphasizes
learning as a process rather than a collection of facts.
·
The
classroom is organized around centers that engage children in active learning,
sometimes directed, sometimes open-ended. A
sand/water table, science corner, listening station, art area, library nook,
computers, block area, writing station, dramatic play corner or blocks,
encourage children to represent what they have learned, use materials
functionally, and interact with one another through play.
Some centers are changed throughout the year and some remain permanent.
·
The
teacher typically organizes curriculum around themes chosen by children or by
themselves. It might be a letter of
the week or a specific topic from content areas i.e. bears, shadows, the ocean
or a special author.
· Our classrooms are language and literacy based with many opportunities for cooperative learning. Throughout the Kindergarten day there are numerous opportunities for the children to engage in parallel, cooperative, associative and dramatic play
·
The development of emergent literacy skills and
standards is the primary
focus of the Kindergarten day.
·
French Immersion is a program of instruction
where children are taught solely in the French language. It is considered a
traditional Kindergarten with respect to the standards based curriculum,
classroom organization, structure of the day and materials, but is predominantly
teacher-directed due to the importance of language modeling.
·
The Early Immersion Model capitalizes on the ease with which young children
acquire language in a natural setting where the new language is the only means
of communication. In this way, a new language is acquired through listening and
speaking.
·
The teacher and aide speak only in French using gestures and cues to assist
understanding. The children speak in English until they are able to communicate
in French. Children are always working with an adult language model therefore
the class is never divided into more than two groups, one learning with the
teacher and one with the aide. The exception is a free play period each day when
the children may choose their activity.
·
Features
of a Montessori Kindergarten Program
In
Holliston, we offer a Montessori approach to classroom programming beginning
in our 3-6 classroom(s) at
The
development of emergent literacy and math skills, in conjunction with the
state standards, is the primary focus of the Montessori Kindergarten day.
The
Montessori classroom is comprised of preschoolers and kindergarten children
ages 3-6. Historically, the majority of the class has been made up of
kindergarten age children. Expectations vary depending on the
individual needs and developmental readiness of each child. Older
children are role models for younger members of the class, a feature of
Montessori that continues in the 6-8 programs.
Throughout
the day, learning takes place using concrete Montessori materials and
traditional kindergarten materials. This supports and unites
Holliston’s standards-based curriculum with Montessori.
The
Montessori classroom, referred to as the “prepared environment,” is an
environment that is specifically ordered into several main areas that
include practical life, sensorial, language readiness, cultural studies
(social studies, sciences and geography) and art. This form of
organization stirs the natural curiosity of the child and allows him/her the
opportunity to explore, to learn, and to foster choice and independence.
Respect and responsibility for self, others and the materials are an
integral part of the Montessori philosophy
Lessons
are presented individually, in small groups, and in a whole class format.
In the 3-6 environment, lessons are presented in a deliberate and specific
manner. Following a presentation, children have the opportunity to
manipulate and practice these lessons on their own. This reinforces
independence, responsibility for both learning and care of the classroom
materials, and individual choice-making. The presentations and
opportunities for practice in the 3-6 program build the foundation as the
children progress to the 6-8 level.
Additional
Montessori Resources
All of our programs
are considered to be
“inclusive” and therefore responsive to whatever
learning needs children bring to the classroom.
Some classes are specifically designed to accommodate children with
identified special needs and challenges and therefore have special educators
collaborating in team teaching models. Depending
on the children and their needs, support services are provided in the classroom
setting or in another setting within the school.
Holliston’s
current policy is that all children who will turn five years old by
September 1, 2006 are considered age appropriate for Kindergarten for the 2006 -
2007 school year. Understandably
some children will be chronologically or developmentally older or younger than
others which is why our curriculum is open-ended and our philosophy is
child-centered.
We encourage parents to make a commitment to one program for the entire elementary experience so that children and teachers can have a sense of consistency. Children from all our Kindergartens continue to be successful throughout the grades! It’s exciting and challenging to have choices. Don’t let the choice intimidate you. Just keep in mind that you need to feel comfortable with your decision. It is not a child’s decision to make. Consider your personal philosophy about learning, your parenting style and what you know about your child and trust that we are sensitive, experienced teachers interested in providing the best possible learning experience for your child.
At registration you
will decide which Kindergarten program you prefer:
Currently our Kindergarten teachers are:
· Traditional: Two ½ day sessions: Mrs. Came
·
Traditional: Full Day session on a tuition basis: Mr. Almeida,
· French Immersion: Two ½ day sessions: Madame Mason
·
Montessori
3-6: Full day session on a tuition basis: Mrs. Swyers
·
Information
regarding Kindergarten Orientation and bus transportation will be mailed to you
in August.
|
|
|
Back
to Top