Kindergarten is a new phase of learning that builds independence and teaches children to follow daily routines. It’s also where kids develop the foundational skills of math and literacy.
At Willow, teachers use a balanced approach to help children learn through discovery. Science lessons and hands-on explorations encourage kids to question, experiment, discover and document their findings.
Social and Emotional Development
Kindergarteners learn social-emotional skills by interacting with their teachers and peers in the classroom. They also develop self-awareness as they gain independence in a new school environment. This can include everything from dealing with separation to learning how to communicate effectively in a group setting.
The development of these basic skills is why many educators say that children’s social-emotional development is a more important predictor of their academic success than their cognitive abilities or familial background. For example, if children can’t follow directions and manage their emotions in a classroom setting, they won’t be able to focus on their learning.
Parents can support their kids’ social and emotional development as they prepare for kindergarten by reading to them daily, playing counting and number games and going on nature walks. They can also encourage their curiosity and help them develop problem-solving skills by asking questions and discussing their observations with them.
Language and Literacy Development
The foundation of children’s literacy development is rooted in the interactions they have with the people and things around them. They learn receptive language (listening to and understanding spoken words) and expressive language (using verbal communication to express ideas, feelings, and needs).
Kindergarteners become more familiar with letters, sounds, and words as they play games like rhyming and read stories aloud. They also practice writing, blending individual sounds to form words and sentences.
In addition to learning the alphabet, kindergarteners often begin to recognize numbers and understand how to count objects or groups of objects. They can also follow simple story lines and use picture books to help them understand sequencing.
Math and Science Development
Kindergarten is where kids start to learn more academic skills, like recognizing letters and their sounds, learning numbers, and developing basic math skills such as comparing sizes of objects. It’s also where many children receive their first exposure to science through hands-on activities that encourage exploration and a greater understanding of the natural world.
This coding system was developed to evaluate the extent that early childhood classrooms are providing children with opportunities to develop their mathematics and science knowledge. It was found that classrooms are providing some science and mathematics learning opportunities, although there is considerable variability in the amounts of these opportunities.
The study also examined whether these opportunities were associated with different classroom and program characteristics. For example, it was determined that more learning opportunities are provided in preschools staffed by lead teachers with a college degree compared to those led by a teacher without one. This may reflect a need for more professional development in these areas.
Social Studies Development
Social studies learning is an essential part of the overall curriculum in kindergarten. It includes understanding the relationships between people and places, examining cultural values, developing an appreciation of conventions and rules, and exploring important issues related to citizenship.
One of the most effective instructional practices that capitalize on young children’s natural curiosity is inquiry-based learning, which puts children’s interests at the heart of learning (Helm & Katz 2000). The National Council for the Social Studies has adopted an early childhood pedagogy statement called “Powerful, Purposeful Pedagogy in Social Studies” that supports the development of students’ skills as active citizens committed to inclusion and equity.
Another way to support young children’s social studies learning is through project-based instruction, where children investigate a topic of interest to them, such as why people wear different clothes in Florida and New York. Teachers can help children collect data by looking at weather maps, using weather instruments such as thermometers and barometers, making charts and graphs, and reading stories about the differences in clothing that result from climatic conditions.