Curriculum

Kindergarten Curriculum Overview

Reading
Kindergarten children begin to realize that print conveys meaning. They are curious about the print that is all around them and are beginning to find out some of its secrets. They are familiar with a variety of types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books, short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word play, puppet plays). Kindergartners are offered many opportunities to read daily.

Writing
Kindergarten students are becoming aware of the purpose of written language in the environment. They write their own names and use a mixture of drawings, random letters, and words. They are asked to write daily.

Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum is organized into five strands:
(1) number and operations; (2) measurement; (3) geometry; (4) data analysis and probability; and, (5) algebra. Problem-solving strategies are embedded into each of the 5 strands.

  • The early grades focus on building a strong understanding of number and fluency with mathematics to solve problems.

  • Fundamental to these skills is knowledge of number facts, the computational processes, and the appropriate use of each operation.

  • Together with an emphasis on using mathematics to solve problems, elementary students will build a depth of understanding enabling them to apply the content in a variety of contexts

Social Studies
Students in kindergarten study themselves and their families, how they grow and change, and their similarities and differences.
Children develop and expand their understanding about themselves and about the family as a basic institution in society. They learn to understand that here are basic needs common to all people, but that people my meet these needs in a variety of ways.

Science
The focus for kindergarten centers on students using all of the five senses to make observations of events in both indoor and outdoor settings that make up their world. Science Concepts: Plants and Animals, Use of Tools, Weather, Properties/Movement of common objects
and organisms.

Art/Music
Arts Education includes four separate and distinct disciplines; dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts. Involving the “whole child” in the arts gradually teaches many types of literacy while developing intuition, sensitivity, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity. Learning in the arts nurtures active engagement, disciplined and sustained attention, persistence, and risk-taking.

Health/PE
The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that contribute to a healthful life-style and improved quality of life for all students. The Healthful Living Education portions of the NC Standard Course of Study support and reinforce the goals and objectives of its two major components—health education and physical education.