Academics/Curriculum
Curriculum
Kindergarten
Language Arts Phonics/Spelling
- Recognizes links between spoken and written words
- Recognizes and generates alphabet in sequence
- Articulates sounds of individual letters of the alphabet
- Recognizes initial and final sounds of words and can change them to make new words
- Recognizes that words have syllables
- Sees patterns in words, sounds
- Recognizes and uses rhyming, repetition, and rhythm patterns
- Recognizes alliteration
- Recognizes that sentences begin with a capital letter and have end punctuation
- Recognizes difference between nouns and verbs
- Recognizes simple blends (bl-, tr-, st-?)
Reading
- Recognizes 1-1 relationship between spoken and written word
- Recognizes directionality of printed words in a sentence
- Begins to recognize irrelevant/relevant information
- Demonstrates comprehension through illustration
- Recognizes main characters, plot, and setting in a story
- Identifies frequently used words
- Uses pictures, signs, and people to obtain information
- Describes objects and events through illustration, spoken, and written language
- Identifies structure and components of a book
- Connects life experiences to information in text
- Uses titles and illustrations to make oral predictions
- Comprehends stories through listening to others read or speak
- Identifies and retells parts of a story and predicts next probable event
- Supports oral responses with details from text
- Develops vocabulary by discussing characters and events in text
- Identifies beginning, middle, and end of story
Writing
- Practices correct pencil grip
- Prints letters of the alphabet
- Uses spaces between words
- Dictates and writes with pictures and/or words to record ideas and reflections
- Tells stories from personal experience and imagination
- Participates in shared writing activities
- Demonstrates ability to sequence events
- Uses spelling approximation in writing
- Begins to use correctly spelled words
- Keeps classroom journal with combination of pictures, words, dictation
Public Speaking
- Speaks clearly and audibly, with appropriate volume and pace
- Speaks in complete sentences when appropriate
- Uses formal and informal language appropriately
- Uses eye contact and appropriate gestures
- Participates in class discussions
- Follows rules of conversation (i.e., taking turns)
- Answers questions/volunteers ideas in small and large groups
Mathematics
- Understands basic mathematical concepts: equivalency, addition, and subtraction using objects, odd/even
- Counts forward from 1 to 100 and backward from 10 to 1
- Counts by 2s, 5s and 10s
- Identifies patterns in objects and numbers, including selecting the object that does not belong and predicting the next object in a pattern
- Makes and interprets various kinds of graphs
- Demonstrates concepts of measurement using standard and nonstandard units
- Tells time using hours and half hours
- Identifies different coins and recognizes their values and exchanges
- Begins to estimate the number of concrete objects
- Identifies two- and three-dimensional shapes
- Recognizes the symmetry of shapes
- Recognizes steps in the process of solving word problems
Physical Education
- Learns to warm up the body
- Does simple stretches
- Balances on a hard surface
- Balances on a balance beam
- Practices all of the various movements there are such as: walking, running, skipping, galloping, and jumping
- Listens and understands various rules to games and activities
- Learns various tagging games
- Learns how use TEAMWORK
- Increases awareness of personal and open space
- Learns how to throw properly
- Learns how to catch big and small objects
- Learns techniques, rules, and games for the following sports: soccer, basketball, baseball, and football
- Always practices good sportsmanship
Social Studies
- Distinguishes past, present, and future
- Distinguishes different cultures/ethnic groups
- Recognizes that each culture has its own way of living and its own art
- Knows that the globe is a model of the earth
- Recognizes a world map as a different type of model of the earth
- Recognizes that our country is only one of many in the world
- Listens to and discusses stories, poems, and other media about holidays in the United States (Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Flag Day, Independence Day)
- Listens to and discusses stories, poems, and other media about famous historical people in the United States (heroes, explorers, inventors, statesmen, rights workers, etc.)
- Listens to and discusses stories, poems, and other media about selected US symbols (e.g., Liberty Bell, American flag)
- Recognizes that each culture/ethnic group has its own heroes, symbols, and holidays
- Understands why rules are necessary
- Discusses the qualities of a good citizen and demonstrates these qualities in the classroom
- Discusses what it means to be a good citizen of the US and also a good citizen of the world
- Recognizes that being a good citizen means respecting self and others
Science
- Begins to understand and use scientific processes: observing, touching, discussing, questioning, experimenting, predicting, pooling ideas, researching, recording
- Describes how air surrounds us and that life occurs on or near the surface of the Earth in land, air, and water
- Differentiate between and group objects as living or non-living
- Recognizes and classifies animals as reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, or amphibians
- Understands the life cycle of people and animals (butterflies, frogs, etc.)
- Identifies what people need to survive (i.e., food, water, shelter)
- Recognizes that not all places in the world have changing seasons
- Identifies different animal habitats and recognize how the animal survives in a particular habitat
- Identifies the parts of a plant and what plants need to survive
- Listens to and discusses stories about how habitats can change over time and what that means to the people, plants and animals that live in that habitat
- Identifies various dinosaurs, their habitats and eating preferences
- Describes how the five senses provide us with information about the world around us
- Recognizes the importance of proper nutrition and its effect on the human body
- Recognizes the relation between physical and emotional health
- Recognizes that injuries may be prevented
Chinese
- Increases vocabulary with other areas of the curriculum
- Greets and follows classroom commands
- Asks and answers concerning name and age
- Sings and recites in Chinese songs and poems
- Repeats spoken pinyin
- Responds to simple commands
- Reiterates simple information from materials presented orally
- Chinese folk stories
- Uses five senses to describe the Chinese concept of the five elements: earth, water, fire, metal, and wood
- Recognizes that calligraphy are pictograms
- Begins to learn sounds of specific ideograms
- Recognizes basic brush strokes
- Develops awareness of the relationship between written and oral language
- Pronounces pinyin sounds
- Recognizes words have syllables, and can distinguish syllables within a word from single syllable words (ex. Laoshi and ni hao)
- Sees basic strokes in ideograms
- Recognizes and uses rhyming, repetition, and rhythm patterns
- Recognizes tones
- Recognizes the difference between nouns and verbs
Spanish
- Recognizes and reproduces the sound of the vowels and consonants
- Recognizes that words have syllables and distinguishes syllables within words
- Identifies and produces simple blends (i.e., bl-, cll-) and specific Spanish sound representations (rr, II, ch, n~)
- Recognizes difference between nouns and verbs
- Comprehends basic actions of the characters in stories that are read aloud
- Writes/copies the alphabet letters and some words from basic vocabulary
- Recognizes and says numbers 1 -100
- Recognizes and says symbolic representations (+, -, =)
- Identifies and says basic two- and three-dimensional shapes in geometry
- Tells time using hours and half hours
- Identifies different coins and recognizes their values
- Identifies and says name of common public places in the neighborhood
- Recognizes and says names of common occupations
- Identifies and says common public signs (stop, yield, women, men, handicap zone, etc)
- Recognizes and says the seasons and basic vocabulary about the universe
- Identifies some countries in Latin America
- Identifies and says the names of the body parts
- Recognizes and says the names of pets, farm animals, and other common animals
- Recognizes and classifies animals as reptiles, mammals, bird, fish, or amphibians
- Classifies names as colors, fruits, and vegetables, family members, feeling, and toys
- Creates movement to dramatize stories and songs
- Understands and takes part in the celebration of most important holidays in Latin America
- Understands and appreciates dances and food from people in Latin America
Art
- Uses two- and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools, and processes to depict works of art from personal experiences, observation or imagination
- Uses art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner
- Knows of a variety of purposes for creating a work of art
- Knows that specific works of art belong to particular cultures, times, and places
- Uses age-appropriate vocabulary to describe and interpret works of art
- Demonstrates appropriate behavior in a cultural experience
Music
- Explores various music characteristics (tempo, dynamics, form, instrumental sound)
- Explores vocal and mouth sounds, matching pitches
- Sings songs from diverse cultures
- Creates movements to dramatize stories and songs
- Listens for a variety of musical differences (beats, sounds, direction of melody, etc.)
Computer and Technology
- Uses developmentally appropriate keyboard techniques
- Uses appropriate computer terminology
- Uses an operating system efficiently (i.e., files, menu options)
- Uses various computer programs to support other parts of curriculum (sorting, observing, letter sounds, etc.)
School Skills
- Follows complex directions
- Listens actively
- Asks questions
- Understands the purpose, structure, and organization of various reference materials (parts of a book, picture dictionary, globe, map)
- Increases memory through rote learning (counting to 100) and building sight word vocabulary
Thinking Skills
- Uses five senses to describe objects
- Identifies similarities and differences in concrete objects/pictures
- Sequences events in a story