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.
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
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
Correct formation of letters and numbers will be modeled and practiced throughout the school year.
Kindergarten students listen for understanding. Students will:
follow directions
focus attention on the speaker
distinguish between asking and telling
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 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
money and time awareness
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.
Senses
Interactions lead to awareness
Seasons/Weather
Change occurs over time.
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
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 creative movement activities
use a variety of manipulatives
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 every day activities
Turn every day 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 having him/her retell the story in his/her own words
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