LITERACY
We support communication, language and literacy development in our class by providing activities and programs. We teach children phonetics using Jolly Phonics, listening to stories associated with certain letters and their sounds, and through the repetitive practice of sounds. We have daily communication circles with the children where we read stories, learn songs and poems, and have open discussions to promote language and listening. We also practice writing our uppercase and lowercase alphabet to help the children identify their alphabet as well as to help them connect the sound with the written letter. We provide play based activities on a daily basis that encourages language and literacy through the children’s current interests, and provide them with a reading centre and many books so that they may explore the love of literacy and language independently in class. We also have literacy programs that we ask the children and their parents to participate in during the school year. |
MATH
Teaching children basic math skills in kindergarten is a very important part of our curriculum. Over the two year program, we learn how to create patterns, name and identify shapes, recognize and print numbers, and seriate and sort. Math games are provided on a daily basis through play-based programming to promote different avenues to extend their mathematical knowledge. Moreover, it’s important to make the materials interesting, meaningful and relevant to students’ lives. For instance, having lots of manipulatives and hands-on materials available for students to use in the classroom allows students to be more engaged in their learning. Manipulatives can be very powerful tools in teaching math, as they help students move from concrete experiences to more abstract reasoning. Moreover, using concrete materials in math lessons allows students to make connections, and that in turn helps them gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. |