Classroom
The Junior Kindergarten classroom reflects a kindergarten environment, offering opportunities for children in six individual learning areas.
Where Young 5-Year-Olds Find Their Path
Adjusting to the routines of a kindergarten school day is an essential skill for children entering elementary school. In this program, children have kindergarten-level learning experiences in reading, writing, and math that are presented using nationally recognized, award-winning curricula.
This classroom provides young 5-year-olds and older 4-year-olds with a strong focus on:
- Following multi-step instructions
- Finding multiple ways to solve problems
- Organizing work
- Controlling impulses and sustaining attention
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Dramatic Play Center
Pretend and imaginative play opportunities allow children to try on different roles and materials, and to practice their social-emotional skills.
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Block Center
Learning how things work and fit together is the essential result of using different materials to build constructions and creations.
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Fine Arts Center
Children work with a variety of art materials and color concepts, as they develop their creative skills, solve problems, and express themselves.
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Science & Math Center
Science and math concepts are explored through experiments that help children practice investigative and critical-thinking skills.
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Writing & Language Center
Through letter and word recognition and formation, separating words into sounds, and assembling sounds to make words, children develop their written communication skills.
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Library Center
In a cozy space filled with books, children work on their literacy skills, such as story reasoning, print awareness, and word recognition.
Curriculum & Developmental Benchmarks
Junior kindergarten offers comprehensive learning experiences in science, social studies, the arts, literacy, and math, highlighted by these nationally recognized, award-winning, research-based curricula:
Literacy by Design™: Highlighted by large class and small-group instruction, plus independent reading experiences, this curriculum ensures a seamless reciprocity between reading and writing. Fully correlated to state standards, this program inspires students with the art of active literacy.
McGraw-Hill Everyday Mathematics®: Children develop lifelong mathematical power, through studying research-based and field-tested strategies that teach basic and conceptual math thinking. Used by 4.3 million students across the country, this curriculum was developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project.
Handwriting Without Tears®: As children learn the proper formation of letters, handwriting becomes an easy and automatic skill, while the program improves their spacing, letter size, and overall eligibility. This unique program was developed for children by occupational therapists.
In this classroom, children work to develop kindergarten-level skills, without the expectation of mastery. Their development is tracked across five important benchmarks:
- Language & Literacy
- Math
- Science & Social Studies
- Self-Help & Social Skills
- Physical and Creative Development
Language & Literacy
The ability to name the letters in the alphabet, upper- and lowercase; the ability to assemble sounds in order to make short words.
Sample Activity: Finding Mm in text!
Benchmark: Names all letters of the alphabet, upper- and lowercase.
Desired Outcome: Students have the ability to name all 26 letters of the alphabet, upper- and lowercase.
- The teacher introduces the whole class chart, pointing out words that begin with the letter M.
- The teacher instructs the students to listen for words that begin with the letter M, as they read the chart, modeling finding and placing a sticky note under the first M word.
- The students volunteer to place sticky notes under the other M words while saying /m/ before reading and underlining the words with their finger.
Math
The ability to solve problems with the use of concrete materials to solve problems; the ability to count out how many in a group up to 10.
Science & Social Studies
The ability to demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and to use terms that are related to location, direction, and distance.
Self-Help & Social Skills
The ability to demonstrate compromise in resolving conflicts; the ability to question in order to learn more about topics shared in the classroom.
Expert Corner: Resolving Conflicts
Children and adults alike can experience anxiety and fear when encountering any type of conflict. To overcome that fear, it’s important to teach children how to positively address conflicts.
Expert Corner: Resolving Conflicts
Children and adults alike can experience anxiety and fear when encountering any type of conflict. To overcome that fear, it’s important to teach children how to positively address conflicts.
Conflict can be an excellent source for learning, if facilitated properly, and in a peaceful way.
Dr. Susan Canizares
Physical and Creative Development
The ability to use alternating feet when climbing up or down stairs; the ability to draw representations of human and animal figures.