Kindergarten

     Our philosophy is founded on the belief that children learn through active involvement, experience based learning, and individual attention in relation to children’s developmental abilities, interest, and learning styles. Our goal is to lay the foundation for future years of learning. We strive to accomplish this goal without sacrificing the right of the kindergarten child to free, full development at his or her own level.

     The kindergarten curriculum is both literature-based and interrelated and encourages children to do what they do best: make sense of their learning environment by making connections. This theme is the strand which ties the segment of the curriculum together and makes them part of a sensible whole. The children learn through many disciplines and many sensory modes, film, books, art, drama, and music. Curricula are included in a meaningful, integrated way, which strengthens ties between the disciplines. Experiences in computer science, library skills, health, physical education, and Spanish help broaden each child's development.

     We consider the development of the whole child. Our curriculum is designed to develop the kindergarten child’s knowledge and skills in all subject areas; physical, social, emotional, academic and intellectual. The children engage in active learning by manipulating real objects and learn through hands on experiences. Working individually as well as cooperatively in small groups provides the basis for social competence. There are opportunities for interaction and communication with other children and adults.

     The communications program in the kindergarten in supported by the Open Court phonetic approach to Reading Readiness instruction which recognizes that children obtain literacy through the integration of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It is a literature-based program in which children learn to read through the use of reading materials. The children learn to read by reading, learn to write by writing, and otherwise engage in meaning centered language activities. The foundation of learning in all disciplines is built through hands-on activities and exposure to a wide variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom.