Kindergarten is a wonderland of painting and story time; of talking and listening; of exploring the world; and of making new friends.
Children begin to build on what they have learned at home. This includes their understanding of language – that language is made up of words, that written words are made up of letters in the alphabet, and that spoken sounds can be written down. They also learn about numbers and shapes, and the many different ways we use maths in our lives every day.
These early lessons help children later with reading, spelling, language and maths skills. Teachers take into account the many different experiences and backgrounds of children in the classroom to make sure the learning program helps each child.
Children learn social skills by playing with other children and sharing equipment. Play allows children to share and take turns while developing coordination and confidence.
Kindergarten curriculum starts by building familiarity with a wide number of aspects of the written and spoken word. Does your child understand "concepts of print," for example--the look and feel of books and text? Can your child identify virtually every letter and make its correct sound, then identify the sound in the beginning or end of a word? Look for alphabet letters and letter-sound activities throughout the year, along with early-levelled readers and simple reading groups. Plan to support your child in learning to write the full alphabet, often with both capital and lower case letters. Your child will also begin writing full words using correct pencil grip, though expect that spelling will be largely phonetic and “invented.”
Another beloved feature of kindergarten classrooms is full-class "story time." Although this may look like a simple "cosy" activity, look again: increasingly over the year, teachers will ask students to predict what comes next; evaluate character's thoughts; and retell the story afterward in sequence. These are all critical skills for reading comprehension, and great ones to reinforce at home.
Learning a language at a very young age is so beneficial and rewarding for children. The opportunity to go on such a great adventure allows children to gain so much. The simple joy of being able to explore another language through singing, dancing, counting, cooking or just by introducing key vocabulary through stories, visuals and games can give children the enthusiasm to extend further upon their skills.
Children who are discovering another language can often find their confidence growing. The feeling of accomplishment that comes once you are grasping a new language can spur children to deeper levels andbroader passions for learning in general. At these young ages language learning should be natural, it should have ease and pleasure in the experience as this creates a desire for new discoveries and ideas.
Much of today’s research into the effects of bilingualism on children suggests that exposure to more than one language is an excellent way of flexing those brain muscles and building them up too. It really should be an investment given to all young children as the benefits last a lifetime!
It is for this reason that at Little Babes ELC 4 year-old kindergarten children have the opportunity to learn different languages. Our Bilingual teachers teaches Arabic, Italian and Maltese through dance, movement, songs and art.
Many pre-schoolers have already learned to chant the numbers from 1-10 and often much higher. But in kindergarten math teacher’s work on key early concepts of mathematical reasoning. In the very beginning of the year, expect to see lots of objects for counting; this is because teachers want to make sure that students deeply understand that numbers aren't just singsongs, but symbols that represent real things whether it's cubes or blocks or shoes. They'll also work with pattern blocks and shapes, learning to create and recognize repetitive patterns that they'll translate into abstract skills in upper grades. As kindergarteners work with these patterns, they'll also compare sizes, discovering concepts like more, less, and same. When they have fully grasped early counting, they may also go on to break up numbers: odd and even, counting by twos; and doing early addition, especially with hands-on discovery activities.
Kindergarten science is frequently embedded in math and literacy work. A common core science skill in kindergarten, for example, is sorting objects and categorizing them by a variety of criteria, such as "dead" and "alive," or "plant" and "animal." Don't expect those skills to be taught with lab coats and beakers. Instead, teachers will often use books, or hands-on activities, or create mathematical representations such as bar graphs. You can help your child learn to fall in love with science, by introducing fun, hands-on activities at home.
Virtually every kindergarten curriculum includes work on understanding that kids live in a town or community beyond the boundaries of their home and examines rules that everyone must follow so that home, school, and community are all safe places.
According to Ruppert (2006) learning experiences in the arts contribute to the development of academic skills, including the areas of reading and language development, and mathematics. In Ruppert’s study on the benefits of art on student achievement, he found that, “certain forms of arts instruction enhance and complement basic reading skills, language development and writing skills”. He explains how dance has been employed to develop reading readiness in very young children, and the study of music has provided a context for teaching language skills. Providing students with the opportunity to practice the arts, have multiple benefits, some of which are:
According to Wright (2003) children wonder at the world, and they look and touch and listen as they learn more about their surroundings. For this reason we have to provide activities that can encourage children to make images, to explore their thoughts and ideas, and to communicate their thinking to themselves and others. A good curriculum that includes art education can assist children to find logical connections and to develop expression, and assimilation through their artistic play. Art is an important means for self-expression (Wright, 2003).
