Kindergarten Curriculum

Curriculum Standards Grade Level K

 

Language Arts

The Kindergarten students will be immersed in a literature-rich environment. Through reading, writing, spelling and phonics, students will learn to decode, read and make meaning from text and communicate meaning effectively. Students will listen and participate in class discussions. They will develop a variety of strategies to read and enhance comprehension skills. Students will process their learning in content areas and apply it to real world situations.

 

Oral Language

·         Listen attentively to encourage sharing of ideas by developing effective communication skills.

·         Read aloud opportunities provided in one-on-one time, small groups, and as a whole class.

·         Participate in language-rich environment created by teachers and parents.

·         Respond to literature through words, new vocabulary, drawings

·         Summarize and retell selections that are read

Develop and Build and Understanding of How Printed Language Works

·         Develop an understanding that print carries "the" message

·         Demonstrate knowledge of elements of print within a text

·         Develop and build phonological and phonemic awareness

·         Begin to recognize word parts in words through rhyming and identification of initial sounds, ending sounds and word "chunks"

·         Orally blend work parts

·         Orally manipulate phonemes in words and syllables

·         Develop reading fluency to read aloud effortlessly and without hesitation

Demonstrate Understanding of Text

·         Oral participation in small groups and whole class discussions

·         Make text-to-self connections and effectively communicate these

·         Identifies purpose of text

 

Writing

·         Students write daily to communicate effectively in a variety of forms and genres (i.e. personal writing, imaginative stories, poetry, ABC books)

·         Learns a variety of formats of writing through modeling and practice

·         Begins to incorporate vocabulary in writing

·         Begins to learn and use correct sentence structure through modeling and examples

·         Use of informal writing to facilitate writing across the curriculum

·         Learn steps to publish their own work

·         Introduce the six traits of writing

·         Respond to the writing of others

 

Spelling

·         Applies learned spelling rules

·         Spells Kindergarten and first grade level words correctly, including words with short vowels, long vowels, consonant blends, consonant digraphs, vowel-consonant-e structures

·         Spells high frequency words

·         Begins to identify spelling patterns

 

Handwriting

·         Holds pencil properly

·         Uses upper and lower case letters in manuscript

·         Writes neatly and legibly

·         Begins to proofread own handwriting for errors

 

Reading

·         Use prior knowledge to understand information and  make meaning

·         Connect personal experiences with print

 

Mathematics

Mathematics and mathematical processes are used in all aspects of life. Students will apply their math skills in the field off mathematics and other disciplines, as well as in daily life.

 

Number Sense

·         Represent whole numbers in a variety of ways

·         Sort and use manipulatives for numbers 1-20 and who one-to-one correspondence

·         Recognize and write numbers up to 20

·         Identify simple relationships among whole numbers

·         Compare groups of numbers using manipulatives, pictures or written numerals to determine if the groups are the same, less than or greater than

Addition and Subtraction

·         Demonstrate with manipulatives and also with mathematical symbols the combining and separating of sets with 20 or fewer objects to solve problems

Patterns and Number Relationships

·         Skip count by tens and fives

·         Understand, describe, sort and create patterns with one or more attributes

·         Become familiar with patterns on the 100's chart

Geometric Shapes and Relationships

·         Identify and draw basic geometric shapes: circles, triangles, rectangles and squares

·         Experiment with combination of simple geometric shapes to make more complex geometric shapes

·         Describe simple spatial relationships

Measurement

·         Experiment with and be able to sue simple measurement tools and techniques

·         Compare two objects (i.e. shorter/longer, heavier/lighter, larger/smaller, more/less)

Time

·         Identify clocks and calendars as tools that measure time

·         Name the days of the week, months of the year and seasons in order

Money

·         Know the name and value of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter

Data and Probability

·         Collect, classify, and represent simple data

·         Draw simple conclusions based on data

·         Understand the likelihood of an event

Problem Solving

·         Understand problem solving in mathematical and everyday contexts

·         Develop critical thinking skills though open-ended questioning

·         Read and create own word problems and a variety of problem solving strategies

·         Begin to develop a variety of mental math strategy

 

Science

Science is a way of knowing a process for gaining knowledge of the natural world. Students will be asked to make connections of prior knowledge, observe, question, formulate and test hypotheses as well as record, analyze and report finding. Hands-on experimentation will aide in emphasizing the importance of science in everyday life.

 

Weather

·         Identify and investigate the seasons and seasonal changes

·         Describe typical weather for the seasons using the five senses

·         Describe the changes in behavior for animals and people due to season changes

Plants

·         Identify what plants need to grow

·         Identify and explain the function of plant parts

·         Discover that plants make their own food

·         Investigate how food comes from farms as crops and what it requires to grow crops for our food

Animals and Their Needs

·         Identify what animals need to grow

·         Investigate/compare offspring of animals to their parents

·         Identify the needs of offspring of animals

·         Making connections by sharing the special needs of pets

Human Body

·         Investigate and identify the five senses and their body parts

·         Explore how to properly take care of your body through exercise, cleanliness, healthy foods and rest

Taking Care of the Earth

·         Exploring natural resources and our responsibility to conserve these and use wisely

·         Identify ways to conserve resources

·         Investigate causes of pollution and how to reduce it

 

Social Studies

Social Studies in Kindergarten will give the students opportunities to study aspects of the world around them. Social Studies helps students realize that they must take personal responsibility for their actions and that their actions have consequences for themselves and for the society they live in. History expands the students' vision beyond their own lives and asks them to look at and connect with a variety of human experiences.

 

Geography

·         Use of maps, globes, keys, legends

·         Locate the Atlantic/Pacific Oceans, North/South America, and North/South Poles

Native Peoples

·         Study of Ute or Shoshone American Indian tribes

Community and Family

·         Family as a social institution/provision of basic needs

·         Value of family heritage and traditions

·         Describe factors that influence relationships with family and friends

·         Identify important aspects of community and culture that strengthen relationships

·         Become aware of the role and importance of rules and regulations in a family and community

American History

·         Learn the story of Columbus in 1492 and exploration of the "New World"

·         Understand the Pilgrim's voyage on the Mayflower and their relationship with the Native Peoples (i.e. Thanksgiving Day celebration)

·         Introduce to famous presidents and what a president is and does (i.e. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, current president)

Peace and Justice

·         Identifies the poor as having a special place in the teaching of Jesus

·         Recognizes obligation Christians have to seek for justice in the world

·         Recognizes Christian obligation to feed the hungry

·         Year-long service project for community

·         Support of our sister school in Tanzania

 

Religion

The emphasis in the Kindergarten religion curriculum is I Am Special. Students will be reminded that they are created in the image of God and therefore, special.

 

Beliefs

·         God loves us

·         The world is a gift from God

·         The saints are special friends of Jesus

·         The Holy Spirit helps us

Worship

·         We belong to the Catholic Church

·         We thank God at Mass

We Live as Children of God

·         We live as friends of Jesus

·         Bible stories: The Good Neighbor, Noah, the stories of Jesus as a boy, Zaccheus, Jesus teaches us to pray

Prayer

·         Talking to God

·         Learn the Sign of the Cross

·         Jesus taught us to pray: The Our Father (begin to learn)

·         Formal and informal forms of prayer: Grace before Meals, Hail Mary, appropriate Mass responses

Special Celebrations

·         The liturgical year/Ordinary time

·         Seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter

·         Holy Week

·         Thanksgiving Day

·         The Holy Family

·         Valentine's Day

·         Mary our Mother and her feast days

Building Catholic Character (Virtues)

·         See virtues rotating three year curriculum

·         Year-long service project

·         Global service of sister school in Tanzania