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