Kindergarten

Reading and Writing

Kindergarten uses the Wonders Reading Series by McGraw-Hill. Over the course of the year, all students will begin to read, write, and advance their existing skills. The Wonders Reading Series consists of a rich array of “read-aloud” stories, nonfiction, and poems combined with phonics and writing, as well as listening and speaking activities. By the completion of the year, the students will:

• Learn and identify all 26 letters.

• Learn how to blend sounds to read and how to segment sounds to spell.

• Read 54 high frequency words.

• Apply comprehension skills and strategies to leveled reading books.

• Learn vocabulary and fluency skills.

Phonemic Awareness

Kindergarten uses the Michael Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Program. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to focus on and manipulate phonemes (individual sounds) in spoken words. This daily program teaches children to isolate sounds, manipulate the sounds, and blend and segment the sounds into spoken and written words. Others skills this program exposes to the children are rhyming, identifying onsets, identifying final and medial phonemes, substituting phonemes, and adding and deleting phonemes.

Phonics

Kindergarten uses Fundations Phonics. Fundations is a systematic and explicit phonics instruction effective for all children.

Mathematics

Kindergarten uses the Bridges Math program. This comprehensive Kindergarten program was developed to support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Bridges helps make math meaningful and exciting. Bridges Math emphasizes the following content standards, skills, and concepts:

• Counting and Cardinality—know number names and the count sequences, count to tell the number of objects, and compare numbers.

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking—represent addition and subtraction to 10 with objects, drawings, fingers, mental images, and ten frames.

• Numbers and Operation in Base Ten—work with numbers to gain foundations for place value, compose and decompose numbers in more than one way.

• Measurement and Data—describe and compare measurable attributes, classify and sort data.

• Geometry and Positions—identify and describe two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes, analyze, compare, and create shapes.

Students will also be exposed to interactive SMART board lessons and games that will enhance and support the curriculum.

Religion

Kindergarten uses the God Loves Us Program by Loyola Press. The God Loves Us Program recognizes young children have a readiness to learn about God. The program integrates Scripture in each lesson to help children relate the richness of our Catholic Faith to their everyday lives. Each day God will be an integral part of our routines as we begin each day with prayer as well as a prayer before eating. We will use teachable moments to pray to God to help guide us in making good decisions. The main unit themes are:

• Learning about God’s Love.

• Growing in God’s Love.

• Sharing God’s Love.

• Celebrating God’s Love.

• Special Seasons and Days in the Church.

Science

We use the FOSS (Full Option Science System) Next Generation Science Program which represents more than 20 years of working with teachers and students with the goal of finding the most effective ways to help all teachers teach science and all students learn science. FOSS includes a wide range of experiences that help build student understanding of science concepts. Students are actively engaged and have ownership of their learning through interactive journals and hands-on experiments. The three modules are as follows:

• Trees and Weather; Earth Science.

• Materials and Motion; Physical Science.

• Animals Two by Two; Life Science.

Handwriting

Kindergarten uses the Handwriting Without Tears Program. This program uses developmentally appropriate lessons, multisensory teachings, and explicit demonstrations. The students will be instructed how to use the correct grip to form upper case and lowercase letters, numbers, words, and sentences through multisensory tools with reinforcement at home.

Social Studies

• Students will learn about community workers and their jobs, as well how we are part of a family and community. We will also discuss our family traditions.

• Students will explore holidays at the appropriate times of the year.

• Students will also complete units based on American symbols and landmarks and the Great Big World (continents).

Kindergarten Events

• Donuts for Dads

• Muffins with Moms

• Field Trips

• Weekly Buddy Reading