PALOS COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 118

KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM

The Palos District 118 Teaching for Understanding Framework has established learning benchmarks, which are those essential concepts, processes, and content that students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. 

District 118 teachers and administrators have developed these benchmarks based on the Illinois State Standards, national standards, and updated research.

Our community's standards and grade level expectations are often higher than those suggested by our Illinois State Board of Education.  Such expectations are incorporated within and continue to produce excellence in our students and staff as indicated on state testing. We are, of course, always looking to continually improve.

While District 118 emphasizes "the basics," our Board-adopted curriculum uses the basics to establish a foundation for students' understanding of the major concepts in each of the content areas.

Reading/Language Arts

The reading/language arts program is designed to balance instruction in reading skills and strategies with instruction in interpretation and oral and written response to literature.  The use of a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature, as well as electronic media, helps develop in-depth understanding of topics and also helps teachers meet the diverse needs of students.  Students will use the 2006 Harcourt Trophies language arts core program. 

Reading

Kindergarten literature is composed of:

• poetry

• rhyme

• songs

• fiction

• nonfiction

Strategies and skills incorporated in the kindergarten reading program include:

• developing phonemic awareness

• recognizing letters and sounds

• identifying beginning and ending sounds of a word

• sounding out words

• recognizing rhyming patterns

• retelling stories

• making predictions

• making connections to real life

• identifying characters and setting

• experiencing sight vocabulary words

• listening to and discussing stories

• identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a story

Writing

Kindergarten students use writing to express themselves.  Students will:

• illustrate to convey a message

• use beginning, middle, and ending sounds

• use inventive spelling

• use conventional spelling when appropriate

• use grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure as developmentally appropriate

• write a story about an experience

• write for a range of purposes

Handwriting

Correct formation of letters and numbers will be modeled and practiced throughout the school year.

Listening

Kindergarten students listen for understanding.  Students will:

• follow directions

• focus attention on the speaker

• distinguish between asking and telling

Speaking

Students will use language to communicate in whole and small group settings.  "Show and Tell" type experiences will be used to stimulate discussion.

Information Fluency Skills/Technology

Technology skills, taught to students in the classroom and media center, are integrated throughout the curriculum to support and enhance learning.

Mathematics

Mathematics skills, strategies and concepts are taught through a variety of resources including manipulatives for "hands on" experiences.  Thinking skills are developed as students learn different problem solving strategies.  Students will be taught the following:

• shapes and patterns

• meaning of numbers

• identifying and writing numbers

• counting

• comparing numbers and objects

• addition and subtraction

• problem solving

• days of the week

• months of the year

• exposure to money and time awareness

Science

Science is a content area consisting of a variety of topics.  Inquiry into topics is pursued using nonfiction literature, "hands on" experimentation.  The teaching and learning emphasis goes beyond coverage of facts to understanding concepts related to topics being studied.  Students will develop an understanding of concepts through the following topics:

The Garden

• Living things grow and change.

• Survival depends upon meeting needs.

The Five Senses

• Interactions lead to awareness

Seasons/Weather

• Change occurs over time.

Social Studies

The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability an understanding of self, family and community.  In kindergarten students will develop an understanding of concepts through the following topics:

• Self/Environment

• Family Structures

• Community

• Cultures and Traditions

Physical Education

The physical education program is planned around the growth and development of the child.  It provides a wide range of activities consistent with the requirements of our state goals.  Students will:

• acquire movement skills that affect personal and general space

• identify various body parts

• develop directionality skills (in front, behind, beside, etc.)

• perform basic gross motor skills

• explore create movement activities

• use a variety of manipulatives

Fine Arts

Activities integrated into the kindergarten curriculum provide students with exposure to skills and concepts in art and music.

Supporting Your Child's Learning at Home

Suggestions from the kindergarten teachers:

• Read to your child every day.

• Make sure your child often sees you reading.

• Listen and talk to your child about everyday activities.

• Turn everyday experiences into learning: count cars, point out colors, etc.

• Work with your child to recognize the upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet both in and out of order.

• Help your child recognize numbers 1-30 both in and out of order.

• Work with your child to recognize and finish simple patterns.

• Help your child look at books from left to right.

• Work with your child to recognize the difference between a word and a letter.

• Help your child understand a story by having him/her retell the story in his/her own words.

Last updated September 2007

Copyright © 2006 Palos Community Consolidated School District 118. All rights reserved.