Kindergarten is an important step in a child’s formal education. Children in kindergarten learn to read, count, and write. They also begin to understand socialization skills, such as taking turns and following classroom rules.
The word “kindergarten” is derived from German educator Friedrich Froebel’s preschool educational approach. His ideas influenced early-years teaching worldwide.
Language
A good kindergarten curriculum includes developing children’s oral language skills. The development of these skills has a significant impact on how well they will do in reading and other academic subjects.
Kindergarteners learn to name uppercase and lowercase letters, associate letter names with their sounds and blend the sounds of letters together to form words. They also learn rhyming and high-frequency words, which are words that do not follow regular spelling or phonics rules and therefore need to be memorized.
Kindergartners also develop their ability to read by using context clues and illustrations to make predictions, ask questions and find answers in stories. They learn how to sequence events in a story and recognize characters, settings and main events. They also begin writing, by reciting what they have written and drawing pictures on paper.
Math
Whether your child attends public school, private school or home school, kindergarten math is about building a foundation for future learning. Among the “big ideas” in early childhood mathematics is the notion that objects have predictable similarities and relationships, a concept that is nurtured through play and classroom activities like sorting and seri- ating.
Children also start to learn about numbers, counting and recognizing shapes. They work to develop their problem-solving skills and gain an understanding of basic mathematical concepts such as numbering, comparing, classifying, and adding and subtracting.
These are all goals that kindergarten Common Core standards seek to accomplish. However, these standards vary by state and school. They are intended to provide a standardized approach to math education that aims for consistency across the country.
Science
Young children’s natural curiosity, when channeled in the right direction, can lead them to discover how things work. This discovery can happen in a range of settings. For example, the study of snails can help kids learn about a variety of science concepts such as adaptation and life cycles.
For this reason, it is important that the science used in kindergarten includes both life and physical sciences. This is not always the case, as some teachers tend to lean more toward the life sciences and steer away from the exploration of physical phenomena such as motion or sound.
The Sonlight Science K curriculum is written in a story format that engages students and is all about exposure. But it also includes a second half that serves as the parent guide and provides carefully crafted activities that are easy to incorporate into daily experiences with their children.
Social Studies
All children must learn to interact with others, even if they all come from different cultural backgrounds. That’s why teaching social studies is so important for early childhood education.
Teachers can encourage social skill development by utilizing classroom meetings, discussing daily news and weather, and by incorporating learning expeditions, projects, case studies, or problem-based content. These approaches can help young students develop the capacity to interpret their world critically and engage productively in civic activity.
KinderSocialStudies offers kindergarten curriculum that integrates all aspects of students’ lives into their learning. Each lesson is quick-paced and written in teacher language that’s kinder-friendly. Each lesson includes a list of objectives, “I can” statements, vocabulary, detailed activity lesson plans and student follow-up practice sheets. These lessons can be used as a stand-alone unit or easily integrated into a full school year plan.
Art
At this age, children are interested in learning about their world. The arts help them develop a better understanding of themselves, other cultures and new ways to express themselves.
Kindergartners love art projects that allow them to explore line, color and shape. They learn about different types of lines, such as straight and curved, and they begin to distinguish between bright and dull colors.
They learn about symmetry and texture by painting with their hands, and they also learn about form by molding clay. Try a salt print on paper, or make a fizzy baking soda print that incorporates science and art. Other fun ideas include making paper towel flower prints, painting with rubber bands or creating a Dale Chihuly glass art collage or Monet’s water lily paintings from tissue paper.