Junior Kindergarten Program
Our Junior Kindergarten Curriculum
Reading Readiness
Junior Kindergartners engage in a rich array of language experiences that develop the essential prerequisites for reading and writing. We have both structured and unstructured activities and use flannel boards, puppets, dramatic play, and children’s literature to develop comprehension skills, visual and auditory discrimination skills, the use of the written word, and foster a love of reading. Handwriting Without Tears Program is implemented in our curriculum to teach how to form and fluently write the letters of the alphabet. It is a unique and developmentally based program which works for all different learners. We also provide age-appropriate drawing and writing activities to encourage emergent writing success. Drawing is a powerful tool for early writers. Junior Kindergarteners will do drawing journals as part of their morning routine. This offers a way to express their feelings, thoughts, and creativity even though they do not know how to write yet. Teachers give the students a subject to draw about. By the end of the year, they will be able to start adding some words of their own to the pages.
• Listen to a wide variety of literature and talk about personal experiences
• Discuss the main ideas of a selection; sequence events in a story
• Demonstrate comprehension by retelling
• Follow a set of verbal directions to complete a task
• Use pre-writing strategies such as drawing pictures, dictating stories
• Develop vocabulary, use appropriate language, and ask questions for information
• Chime in with rhyming pairs and repeated/predictable phrases
• Recite poems, songs, chants
• Names the letters of the alphabet both upper and lower case
• Learns the sounds of the letters of the alphabet
• Understands how print is organized and read (reading top to bottom, left to right, sweeping back for the next line)
Math
In our Junior Kindergarten program, manipulative skills are used to develop mathematical thinking, including counting, number and numeral recognition, and one-to-one correspondence. We use number and geometric patterning activities such as graphing and charting, games, and collections to reinforce number skills. Students develop problem-solving abilities by engaging in real life mathematical situations, such as sorting and classifying objects in the classroom.
• Count orally from one to thirty; identify and write numerals zero to ten in and out of sequence
• Use language such as “before” or “after” on a number line, next to, right and left, above and below
• Compare two or more sets and identify which is equal to, more than, or less than the other
• Recognize and continue numerical and geometric patterns
• Sort and classify objects according to selected characteristics, such as by size or ordinal position (first, second, third…)
• Describe concepts of time (morning, evening, yesterday, tomorrow), temperature (hot or cold), and weight (heavier or lighter)
• Demonstrate the ability to solve a pictorial representation of simple addition and subtraction problems
Social Studies
Junior Kindergarten students learn about their immediate community, develop a respect for the natural environment, and become contributing members of a diverse classroom community. Children focus on themselves, their families, and the school community and neighborhood.
Science
Awareness and appreciation of science are developed through a focus of hands-on investigations. Students observe, predict sequence, analyze, and apply knowledge they have learned. Units such as oceans, the solar system, seasons, insects, and sinking and floating are integrated with language arts and mathematics.
Music
Each student develops a strong sense of musical self-worth. Activities include listening, singing, and physical response to the rhythm of music. Language skills are enhanced by the creation of verses and in the use of rhyming.
Art
We use a wide variety of media such as clay, paint and collage to allow children to explore and develop an appreciation and love of artistic expression. Emphasis is placed on exploration and creativity rather than the end product.
Ballet
Appreciation and love for dance and music are developed through the fundamentals of ballet and the self expression of creative movement. Students express themselves physically and freely through exercises intended to increase their coordination, balance, strength, flexibility, listening skills, and their awareness of spatial concepts. They gain self confidence and improve motor skills in a fun and creative environment.
Physical Education
Students develop gross motor coordination through a variety of movement activities. They develop listening skills, an awareness of space and how to move in it, and they learn to work together.
• Kicking, throwing, and catching
• Running, skipping, hopping, and jumping
• Age-appropriate games
Spanish
Junior Kindergartners begin to develop basic speaking and comprehension skills in Spanish. By singing and role playing, they learn to follow basic directions and commands using simple, everyday words relating to their surroundings, such as family members, greetings, colors, and pets.
Outside Time
This is an unstructured time for children, encouraging them to socialize and to develop their large muscle skills by running, climbing, swinging, and exploring our child-centered playground.
Reading Buddies Program
Junior Kindergartners develop “reading buddy” relationship with older children. Each student is paired with a 5th grade book buddy. The book buddies visit the preschool regularly throughout the year and look at books with their partners for 15 minutes.
Mad Science
We bring engaging, hands-on experiments to every preschool classroom to enrich the science learning experiences.
We believe that developmental readiness is crucial to success in school. Just as adults do not decide when children will crawl or walk, we do not determine when they are ready to read or write. Therefore, we offer both Junior and Academic Kindergarten programs to give our students a successful start in school. Acting as a bridge between preschool and kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten provides our students with an extra year to develop before beginning our challenging academic program.
