Kinderbear Curriculum

Ms. Cook, Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Gilbertson

Rush Kindergarten Team

2006-2007

Welcome to an exciting year of learning, discovery and growth. Our goal in kindergarten is to provide your child with the opportunities and skills necessary to grow in his or her ability to socialize, communicate and problem solve. Recognizing that every child has his or her own learning style, your child will experience an accepting and encouraging environment that offers a variety of learning opportunities. On a daily basis, the students experience large group instruction, small group work, cooperative learning and individual work time. There are also opportunities for them to direct their own learning and make choices based on their own interests and abilities.

Language Arts

On the Road to Literacy! Literacy is a journey and each child comes to school at a different place on the developmental continuum. Our goal is that every child will grow in his or her abilities and make progress in becoming a reader and writer. We will be using two different reading programs throughout the year.  We use Scott-Foresman Language Arts program as well as Marilyn Sprick's Read Well program.  Scott-Foresman is a concept-based approach that incorporates reading, writing, listening, oral language and speaking skills. Throughout the year, the children will be involved in reading a variety of Big Books and picture books, either as a collective group or by themselves.  Read Well is an excellent phonics-based reading program where the children learn sounds,blending,and sight words (tricky words). They will practice their new skills using our ActivBoard where all reading will be introduced, practiced, and perfected before the children are asked to read the books provided.

Writing Workshop will also be introduced as a means of providing the children the opportunity to explore, play with, and learn about print and the mechanics of language. They will make class books and individual books that they will be able to read independently. The children will learn many poems, nursery rhymes, songs, and chants that they both recite and read. The children will be read to at their highest listening level, as this expands their understanding of plots, characters, descriptions, vocabulary and helps develop higher levels of thinking. They will have many opportunities to write, including a personal on-going writing journal, which will encourage them to think about and try out all that they are learning about sounds and symbols. Our combination language program immerses the students in language and print, plus teaches the basics of phonics. Our goal is for children to becoming excellent  readers and writers.

READING

Retelling The Knight Who Took all Day	Reading to the rest of the class!
	Celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday
We made hats with our Big Buddies

A Plan for Writing

Math

Our mathematics program focuses on the importance of observing, exploring, gathering information, and drawing conclusions based on that information.
The math program will help students develop an understanding of all areas of mathematics (number, geometry, sorting, pattern, logic and measurement) and be able to use these understandings to solve problems that are developmentally appropriate and interesting. The focus will be on concrete (hands-on) understanding before moving on to abstract concepts. The math program will involve the use of many different materials (i.e. buttons, blocks, cubes, tiles, links) which, in themselves,  are appealing and enjoyable, and from which students will make many discoveries about mathematics. The activities using manipulative materials are taken from Investigations and Scott Foresman. The children have a math journal to record their findings.

Handwriting

Throughout the Lake Washington School District, elementary teachers teach the D’Nealian handwriting method leading to consistency among all of the schools in the district.  The D'Nealian also helps children  make an easier transition to cursive writing in third grade because the letters are formed with most of the same strokes used in cursive. The lower case letters are all written with one continuous stroke in which the child does not lift the pencil from the paper except to make a dot or cross a line. We begin by teaching each child to write his or her name in D’Nealian and later we teach the formation of all the other letters. We recommend that you
do the same at home. Please start with having your child learn to write his or her name “the kindergarten way” with on upper first letter and following with lower case D'Nealian letters.

Science

During the course of the year, we will explore many topics that stimulate your child’s curiosity about the world all around. Through studying such topics as five senses, hygiene, living and non-living things,  weather and seasons, and the new district Foss Science study of "Wood and Paper." students will not only learn interesting facts, but will also develop their thinking and language skills. Science topics are often the most exciting content on which many of the skills in reading and writing are built.

                                                             Learning about tarantulas;  

we made spiders

Social Studies

Throughout the kindergarten year, children learn how to function effectively in the school environment. The emphasis in social studies is on ‘me’ and my relationship to my family, my neighborhood, my school and myself. We will do many activities to promote each child’s understanding of these relationships.

Art and Music

Art is incorporated into every area of the curriculum, using a variety of mediums and media.  The children attend a twice weekly music class taught by a music professional.

Physical Education and Library

The children attend twice weekly P.E. and Library classes taught by teachers trained in those specialties.

Computers

The children have at least a half hour to work on a computer four times during each week.  During at least half of this time, reading concepts are reinforced using the Headsprout Reading Program.  The Lake Washington School District provides the Headsprout Program for at-home use as well.  In September, each parent has an opportunity to sign up for this district provided curriculum.  When children complete the eighty lessons provided by the school district, they work on Type to Learn, Jr., a program that teaches keyboarding skills and reinforces reading skills.

Peacebuilders

Ben Rush is the first Peacebuilder school in the Lake Washington School District.

We operate within the following guidelines:

PRAISE PEOPLE
GIVE UP PUT-DOWNS
SEEK WISE PEOPLE
NOTICE HURTS
RIGHT WRONGS
 

Our goals are the following:

INTEGRITY
To be honest, sincere, and of sound moral principle
INITIATIVE
To do something because it needs to be done
FLEXIBILITY
The ability to alter plans when necessary
ORGANIZATION
To plan, arrange and implement in an orderly way
SENSE OF HUMOR
To laugh and be playful without hurting others
EFFORT
To try you hardest
COMMON SENSE
To use good judgment
PROBLEM SOLVING
To seeks solutions in difficult situations
RESPONSIBILITY
To be accountable for your actions
PATIENCE
To wait calmly for someone or something
FRIENDSHIP
To make and keep a friend through mutual trust and caring
CURIOSITY
A desire to learn or know about a full range of things
COOPERATION
To work together toward a common goal (purpose)
CARING
To feel concern for others

Classroom Help Signup Sheet

Parental help and involvement in classroom activities and special events is highly appreciated. To view the signup sheet click here.