Kindergarten Curriculum

The full-day kindergarten classroom is a busy and joyful place. As experts in early childhood education, our faculty have designed a developmentally based curriculum that emphasizes a balance of creative play and foundational learning. Children extend their time on task and continue to solidify academic and social skills. Activities and materials provide many opportunities to learn about (and from) the world, to organize information, and to solve problems. Students practice working cooperatively with others, communicating their needs and ideas, and becoming valued members and contributors to the community.

Program Highlights

  • Community helpers
  • Life cycles of various organisms (plants, butterflies, chicks)
  • Academic centers
  • Bookmaking
  • Listening centers
  • K-Grade 6 partner visits
  • The school garden
  • Chronicle the adventures of classroom mascot, Sheldon the Sheep, who spends each weekend with a student
  • Mystery guest faculty readers

Specialist Time

  • French once a week for 30 minutes
  • Art studio once a week for 30 minutes
  • Music twice a week for 30 minutes
  • Physical education three times a week for 30 minutes
  • Library once a week for 30 minutes

Kindergarten Subjects

A print-rich environment offers many opportunities to interact with the written word and build phonemic awareness. Literacy centers encourage kindergartners to make their own books in a variety of genres, using words and pictures to build meaningful stories in both fiction and nonfiction. 

Language Arts

A print-rich environment offers many opportunities to interact with the written word and build phonemic awareness. Literacy centers encourage kindergartners to make their own books in a variety of genres, using words and pictures to build meaningful stories in both fiction and nonfiction. 

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Kindergarteners and their teacher work with Unifix cubes

Math

A primary goal of the kindergarten math curriculum is the development of number sense and recognizing the significance of numbers. Centers, games, and activities help students internalize mathematical concepts in an interactive approach. Among other skills, students develop one-to-one correspondence, count forward and backward, recognize patterns and shapes, and are exposed to the operations of addition and subtraction.

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Kindergarteners look closely at their classroom and school community, and more broadly at the community at large. They develop a curiosity about, and a respect for, their world and those within it.

Social Studies

Kindergarteners look closely at their classroom and school community, and more broadly at the community at large. They develop a curiosity about, and a respect for, their world and those within it.

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A student examines a worm

Science

Kindergarten students raise caterpillars into butterflies, hatch chicks, and observe the campus garden as they explore the natural world. They apply the scientific skills of observing, predicting, and analyzing as they seek to make sense of their world.

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Each week kindergartners explore French through puppets, songs, poems, and games. From pre-kindergarten through grade 2, the emphasis is on developing listening and oral skills, with topics revisited and broadened each year. Students interact in groups and pairs, practicing their social and linguistic skills in French. 

World Language

Each week kindergartners explore French through puppets, songs, poems, and games. From pre-kindergarten through grade 2, the emphasis is on developing listening and oral skills, with topics revisited and broadened each year. Students interact in groups and pairs, practicing their social and linguistic skills in French. 

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Kindergartners develop motor skills, visual perception, and self-expression as they explore the connection between visual art, nature, and daily life.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Kindergartners develop motor skills, visual perception, and self-expression as they explore the connection between visual art, nature, and daily life.

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Kindergartners build skills in singing, listening, creating, moving, playing instruments, and dancing.

Music

Music

Kindergartners build skills in singing, listening, creating, moving, playing instruments, and dancing.

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Activities promote balance, spatial awareness, and basic manipulative skills—and reinforce cooperation and ability to understand directions.

Physical Education

Physical Education

Activities promote balance, spatial awareness, and basic manipulative skills—and reinforce cooperation and ability to understand directions.

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Students build healthy habits, personal and community awareness, and positive social skills. Among other topics, kindergartners develop their capacity to understand cooperation, assertion, responsibility, self-control, and empathy.

Social Competency and Health and Wellness

Social Competency and Health and Wellness

Students build healthy habits, personal and community awareness, and positive social skills. Among other topics, kindergartners develop their capacity to understand cooperation, assertion, responsibility, self-control, and empathy.

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Kindergartners explore all sections of the library, on their way to becoming lifelong readers.

Information Literacy and Technology

Information Literacy and Technology

Kindergartners explore all sections of the library, on their way to becoming lifelong readers.

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Our Kindergarten Teachers