How Kindergarten Students Learn at Sias IS

 

Kindergarten Development

Kindergarten promotes the development of individual students through whole child learning. In whole child learning, teachers foster the growth of children in four different areas.

 

 

1-Cognitive and Academic Development. Students learn how to use thinking skills and discover how to learn.

2-Physical Development. Students exercise fine motor skills through small movements. Students exercise gross motor skills through full body large movements.

3-Language Development. Students use reading, writing, and speaking as ways of communication. Students build communication skills using their native language and a foreign language.

4-Social and Emotional Development. Students discover how to identify then manage their emotions. Students are taught to acknowledge the feelings of others and work to understand how to build relationships.
 

Kindergarten Transition

As a transitional class, Kindergarten is a bridge between the Early Years Program and the Primary Grades. 

Students are encouraged to learn through play using strategies and techniques which are both age and developmentally appropriate. The classroom is structured for the whole group but still allows for flexibility to address the needs of students as individuals. As students’ progress through the academic year, the class routine is adjusted to prepare them for primary school structure.

Lessons are designed to teach an understanding of the inquiry process. Teachers are intentional and purposeful when designing lessons that are student centered. Students assist in the development of the curriculum by sharing their interest. Students then acquire the knowledge of how to form questions and are guided to look for answers through exploration, research, thinking, and communication.

Strong relationships are necessary for positive student growth. Teachers, students, and families work together to build community culture through open communication. Families are encouraged to extend learning at home by reviewing skills practiced at school. Families are encouraged to share experiences from home with teachers to integrate personal connections into the curriculum.

Kindergarten In Action

Check out a glimpse of kindergarten in action.  View some moments from a previous unit below.


In Unit 2, Sharing the Planet, students gained an understanding of how “sharing the resources in our school cultivate community and fairness.” To understand how we care for the learning community, lessons were integrated through different subject areas to foster interactive play and allow for relationship building. A familiar story of “The 3 Little Pigs” was used to challenge student thinking beyond what they already knew to incorporate more in-depth learning.