Private Kindergarten only available at our Chesterfield Location

Language Arts  
The language arts program includes reading, writing, and listening activities which are centered around thematic units and quality literature.  We integrate  the systematic study of phonemic awareness and phonics.  Phonemic awareness activities teach the students to discriminate and manipulate the sounds they hear, while phonics activities take this learning a step further by connecting sounds to letters in print.

Reading/Phonics
Students follow the following learning process

1. Review consonant sounds
2. Intro to short vowel sounds
3. Recognizing beginning and ending sounds
4. Begin phonetic rules
5. Use context clues (picture walks)
6. Identify upper and lower case letters
7. Recognize sight words such as colors, numbers shapes and beginning sight words from Word Wall
8. Sounding out simple words
9. Read easy readers
10. Phonetic spelling
11. Using writing to convey meaning:  Picture writing, scribble writing, random letters, phonemic spelling, daily writing.
12. Writes 1st name w/proper capitalization by December
13. Write both first and last w/ proper capitalization by May
14. Copies sentences correctly
15. Concepts of Print: directional rules –left to right, top to bottom, letter/word relationships; spaces between words; phonemic awareness; punctuation
16. Concepts of Reading: print carries message; one-to-one correspondence between spoken word and written word

Math
The kindergarten math curriculum  uses the daily calendar time to present math concepts in a meaningful, interactive way.  The activities centered around the calendar teach counting, one-to-one correspondence, number sense, pattern recognition, place value, estimation, probability, graph making and interpretation, sorting and classifying, measurement, geometry, and problem-solving.  Math activities are reinforced in a small-group setting as center activities, using quality manipulative materials such as pattern cubes, shape blocks, counting bears, pattern/measuring links, geoboards, and math games.  The students also use hands-on materials to group objects and then write a number sentence (e.g., 2+2=4) representing the actual items.

Handwriting
Your child will be exposed to the correct way to form letters and numbers. Correct posture, left- to-right orientation, and pencil grip will also be presented and encouraged.

Social Studies  
The Social Studies curriculum explores the ideas of self and others.  It introduces the basic areas of social studies, history, economics, geography, civics and government that form the basis of the social studies curriculum throughout the educational system.  These themes are integrated into the other subject areas, including literature selections and games in the math curriculum and literature selections in the language arts curriculum.  We will learn about selected events in our nation’s history as well as cultures in other parts of the world.

Character Education
a Character Education curriculum that reinforces the concepts of Respect, Honesty, Justice, Love, Courage, Loyalty, and Hope. Each month one character attribute is featured through stories, discussion, activities, and and interdisciplinary projects.

We will share your child’s character education booklet at the January conference. The booklet will become part of your child’s portfolio that will be sent home in June.

Science

1. Ecosystems and Environment:
2. environmental problems, water
3. Intro to solar systems
4. Earth and Space: earth, rock, soil, sand, weather
5. Force and Motion: push and pull
6. Matter and Energy:  living things need energy
7. Scientific Inquiry: observe, infer, communicate, describe, identify, model
8. begin to understand the need to protect our environment  and to recycle
9. participate in a recycling project
10. develop the ability to discriminate between textures, smells, tastes, sights, sounds
11. develop the ability to describe different qualities among smells, tastes, textures, sounds
12. weekly Hands on science experiments

Health
Our health program will use the  Michigan Model Kindergarten School Health Curriculum. The materials use discussion, role play, and simulations to introduce the idea of what a drug is, talk about poison prevention, discuss feelings, and reinforce social skills.

Technology
The students will be working with computer in the classroom throughout the year. The software used reinforces skills introduced in our language and math curriculums. Students are taught the basic parts of a computer and how to use the mouse to navigate through the learning activity.

Music / Art / Gym
Music and art are a part of the kindergarten day and are integrated into the language art and center activities.  Gym class occurs once a week when the students go to the gymnasium to play games, do dance and movement activities, and learn to use basic sports equipment and skills. Please have your child wear tennis shoes on Fridays!