Kindergarten Curriculum

Kindergarten is an exciting journey of curiosity, questions, and creativity in an environment where learning and caring are inseparable. Students are exposed to a treasure chest of rich and robust experiences that support their social, academic, and emotional development while developing a love of school and an empowered ability to navigate their world independently. Students will increase their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength through a balanced program of play and developmentally appropriate classroom activities.

Our kindergarten reading program builds on early literacy skills, shaping students into confident emergent readers. Upon entering the classroom, you’ll find students fully engaged in a community of readers. Every day, teachers choose quality picture books to teach mini-lessons during shared reading experiences. Picture books beg for reader participation, expand imagination, develop self-awareness, cultivate critical thinking, strengthen listening skills, and spark questions and discussions. In the classroom, play-based literacy centers and reading instruction hone in on the most important kindergarten reading skills, including phonological and phonemic awareness, letter-sound association, high-frequency words, vocabulary development, and comprehension. Hands-on activities involving the manipulation of letter sounds within words provide students with a deeper understanding of letter-sound relationships, strengthening each child’s reading autonomy. By mastering the ability to blend, segment, and decode words, our kindergarteners become eager emergent readers who are encouraged to take risks as they begin reading decodable books. To promote reading growth at every level, our teachers read with students one-on-one, providing individualized intervention and extension as needed.

Kindergarten students build foundational math skills through counting, number recognition, and basic operations. They learn to count and write numbers up to 20 and develop an understanding of one-to-one correspondence. Students explore addition and subtraction using objects and drawings to represent numbers and solve simple problems. They compare numbers and groups, identify and describe basic two- and three-dimensional shapes, and use position words to describe spatial relationships. Measurement skills include comparing lengths, weights, and capacities using nonstandard units. Students also begin classifying objects based on attributes and interpreting simple data representations.

Emergent writing continues in kindergarten to include dictating, writing, and illustrating original work. Writers begin to explore the structure of a sentence and sequence their ideas into stories. A variety of activities are provided to improve fine motor development and increase writing stamina. In kindergarten, students learn the formation of D’Nealian letters through a kinesthetic approach.

The goal of kindergarten Marine Science is to develop a love and appreciation of the ocean and the animals that dwell within it. Students learn about a variety of marine organisms through literature, role-play, engineering design process, experiments, STEM challenges, and technology. Students develop and hone their collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills throughout the year. Students participate in an annual field trip to Mote Marine Laboratory to explore the estuary and participate in a tailor-made program with marine scientists.

The MITT (Meaningful, Innovative, and Transformative Transliteracy) curriculum is comprised of interwoven strands that explore transliteracy. Using a design thinking framework, students learn to access, use, produce, and share information. They develop as curious and independent learners who are aware of their rights and responsibilities as a digital citizen. In kindergarten, students use a design thinking framework called Super 3 to plan, do, and review when exploring curiosities and solving problems. Through author/illustrator studies, use of print and digital resources, hands-on projects, and book circulation, students actively use the design thinking framework to plan, do, and review.

Kindergarten art is a time for exploring different art mediums, such as paint and clay, as well as enjoying the process of art-making. Students learn how to draw basic objects and figures using shapes and lines, and explore color mixing and painting techniques. They explore texture and three-dimensional art through clay and paper art. Students will have the opportunity to create digital art through the use of our iPads, as well as participate in a variety of activities to develop fine motor skills. Students will be encouraged to let their imaginations guide their art.

Kindergarten is the optimum time to introduce children to a second language. At this age, they can acquire another language easily and are excited to learn. Students learn about the Mexican culture, country, people, music, and much more. They also learn basic conversation and vocabulary through songs and interactive games. Concepts included are; numbers 1-20, shapes, rainbow colors, face parts, greetings, days of the week, months, immediate family members, and the Spanish alphabet.

Students develop musical skills by singing and playing rhythm instruments to songs that revolve around the quarter note pulse or the 'heartbeat.' They work to match pitches and echo rhythms and frequently accompany their own songs on unpitched percussion instruments. Students also participate in a multitude of performances throughout the year.

Students attend Physical Education classes where they are introduced to a variety of activities that assist in learning different ways to move safely in an open area as well as improve locomotor skills such as galloping, sliding, running, skipping, and walking. Students are encouraged to explore alternative ways they can move or manipulate objects. Low-organized, small-group games are used to create excitement and fine-tune these skills. Sportsmanship and team building are reinforced through each activity.