Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a child’s first entry into formal schooling. Much of this grade’s work focuses on helping children develop the skills of listening, following rules, and taking turns. They learn to listen to stories and how to ask pertinent questions. Other activities are designed to develop both gross and fine motor skills combined with lots of movement and developmentally appropriate activities.
 

Academically, literacy skills focus on learning the formation and sounds of all the letters, known as the alphabetic principles of phonemic awareness (what are the sounds of the English language?) and phonics (How are the sounds of our language associated with letters?). For mathematics, the emphasis is on 1:1 correspondence, number sense for the numbers 1-20, and the basic concepts of adding and subtracting single digit numbers.

Parents are important partners in helping children to grow academically. Please feel free to consult with your child’s teacher to find out what topics are being covered as the year progresses. Point out letters and words on signs, boxes, magazines, etc. to help your child see applications for reading. Also, point out numbers and patterns that appear everywhere in our world. Help expose your child to a variety of places and people. The more knowledge they have about their world, the easier it will be for children to connect new learning to what they already know.

Prepare for an exciting year of adventure!