Kindergarten

Through an immersive phonics, handwriting, writing and reading program, students In Kindergarten develop foundational skills that will support them throughout their school experiences. Utilizing a systematic approach to develop phonemic awareness, reading and writing skills, the children integrate and meaningfully practice literacy concepts, skills and strategies. In addition, children are immersed in a variety of guided literacy experiences that serve to foster listening skills and to develop strong expressive language. Through daily exposure to rich class discussions, fiction and non-fiction books and group discussions, each child is encouraged to express their ideas, thoughts and opinions, to ask and answer questions or to reflect on activities.

Library: Kindergarteners continue to look closely at a book’s illustrations to enhance their understanding of a story and their empathy for the characters in the story. They dive more deeply into non-fiction, beginning to identify some of the text features that are unique to informational books. They begin to engage in genre studies, looking for patterns and commonalities in genres such as poetry, tales, and adventures.  Their understanding of the library’s organizational system continues to develop as they are guided in how to use a book’s spine label as a source of information about genre and content.

Math is woven into the fabric of the entire Kindergarten curriculum as well as taught explicitly through the Bridges Math Curriculum for Kindergarten. The combination of organic, daily math learning experiences and Bridges allows the children to develop a broad understanding of mathematical concepts and exposure to a variety of ways to think and talk about math ideas. Carefully designed math experiences allow students to have hands-on practice with sorting, counting, one-to-one correspondence, making comparisons, estimating, patterning, measuring, and deriving logical conclusions. In addition to these hands-on experiences, Kindergarteners gain experience and practice documenting their math knowledge, accurately recording mathematical concepts and moving toward more abstract representation of math ideas.

In Kindergarten, we continue to build on our observation skills. In addition to discussions, the students gather information and explore through hands-on activities, simple experiments, non-fiction texts, and intentional time outdoors. Students also gain experience with scientific tools, such as magnifying glasses and thermometers. Children make careful observations and share their thinking through drawing, making, and finding creative ways to express their understanding of the world. Working collaboratively and sharing observations with each other are central to this work. To start the year, we immerse ourselves in observing and tracking the changes around us as summer ends and autumn begins. Throughout the year, students also investigate many aspects of weather, magnetism, animal tracks, and the ways that animal communities respond to seasonal change, especially in our campus wetlands. We also observe the way plants change throughout the year when raised in our campus greenhouse in comparison to outdoors. Work is done with greater attention to details, such as considering the terms for the different parts of a flower, or adaptations of squirrels to their environment.

French and Spanish classes are designed to follow as closely as possible the process by which children acquire their first language. The children are immersed in a language-rich environment made comprehensible through the use of body language, visual aids and abundant repetition in a variety of contexts. The teacher uses mainly story-based activities to bring the language to life. Through careful scaffolding of new and recycled words the children acquire a foundation of basic vocabulary, and simple useful phrases. To engage the students and make the learning memorable, the instruction is based on the children’s immediate environment and fantasy world. The class relies on basic vocabulary and simple language structures which the children become familiar with over time. A typical lesson may include puppets, movement, imaginative play, games, music, drawing, and storytelling.

Music: Our music goals in Kindergarten are to inspire appropriate and imaginative responses to music using the voice and the body, and to lay groundwork for music literacy through guided critical listening. Materials include American folk songs and games, Far Brook songs, songs and games from around the world in their original foreign language, and formal repertoire of the classical canon, with a focus on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Children learn to access their head voices and to aurally recognize basic elements of music, such as beat and rhythm, high and low, marching and swaying, forte and piano (loud and soft), smooth sounds and bouncy sounds (legato and staccato), walking notes and running notes (quarter and eighth notes), or tutti and solo.

Dance: Dance at the Kindergarten level builds upon the experience gained during the Nursery years, working with a developed movement vocabulary and building toward a community performance piece. The students understand how to create dance with movement qualities they find in nature and collaborate with each other and the dance teaching artists to create dances. In the spring semester, students share dances connected to themes they explore later in the year.

Art: Kindergarten students continue their development and understanding of color and color relationships while exploring media such as tempera and watercolor paint; oil and chalk pastels, marker, and crayon. Throughout the year, students are exposed to the works of master artists across many genres of art history, giving them insight and inspiration to create their own original masterworks. While exploring and creating beautiful art, students are invited to develop critical thinking and critical feeling skills, constantly checking-in on how art makes them feel. Students are encouraged to participate in direct observation as well as imaginative thinking while making art. The core curriculum is referenced as an artist’s study of the world around them; particularly the representations of primary and secondary colors in nature; patterns and symmetry in leaves, feathers, and insects. 

Design Thinking and Woodshop: The Kindergarten curriculum continues to build upon the skills introduced in the Nursery. With a few more advanced projects completed in the beginning of the year, the students gain experience and strength with the woodshop tools before exploring their creativity by free building sculptures.

Daily interaction among the Kindergarten students provides ongoing awareness and conversations centered on a wide range of social and emotional topics. Exploration of these routine experiences through small and large group discussions and related literature further enhances students’ recognition and appreciation for individuality and diversity.  The topic of each child’s uniqueness and differing style and approach to life is explored and celebrated throughout the school year.

In Sports, cooperative games are played daily and students learn to interact with each other and understand their role in the group. Locomotor and visual motor skills are improved through games, drills, and free play with other students.  Students learn the importance of being physically active each day. Every month the students are introduced to a Sports Changemaker. This is an athlete that has made a difference in the world through improving social conditions and fighting for justice and fairness.