Kindergarten Curriculum

Workshops

Kindergarteners at RPDS grow their independence everyday by participating in “Workshops.” Workshops provide a centers-based curriculum built on thematic units of study designed to intentionally develop kindergarten skills, to inspire personal responsibility for learning and to encourage children to work co-operatively with others. Workshop activities might, for example, include painting, computer, writing, math, a fine motor activity, a thematic project, letters and sounds, and/or science and social studies.

Language Arts

Building upon the RPDS pre-kindergarten program, the kindergarten curriculum provides skill building in the areas of phonemic analysis, phonemic awareness, handwriting, recognition of some basic sight words, phonemic awareness song and story activities, phonics readers, comprehension, critical listening and building organizational skills, which lead students toward functioning independently in the classroom. A strong emphasis in phonics provides a supportive pre-reading and early reading foundation. A beginner reader series is introduced at this level to challenge and expand the student’s print awareness, decoding skills and reading comprehension.

Emerging Literacy

A literature based approach to learning weaves language arts skills into the curriculum throughout the day. In kindergarten, we teach reading through writing. The privilege of kindergarten teachers is traveling that road beside an emerging reader, knowledgably recognizing the signs of reading readiness and guiding the emerging reader at each turn. Common signs seen are the ability to translate matching sounds and letters, to discover that words are made of beginning, middle and ending sounds, to build a sight word vocabulary, to establish a schedule for utilizing the accelerated reader program or to select appropriate chapter books. The children are encouraged to draw from their imaginations and life experiences to author their own stories with guidance from the teacher using the inventive spelling technique. This provides a unique opportunity to meet each child at his/her level of understanding and accomplishment. The use of books, magazines, listening centers, computer games and activities, poetry, and Big Books enhance this language-rich approach.

Fine Motor Skills

The kindergarten curriculum is designed to intentionally support the acquisition of strong fine motor skills. One of the ways that fine motor skills are witnessed is in controlled formation of letters when writing with a pencil. Neat handwriting is not the process of developing fine motor skills, it is the product of having developed strong fine motor skills and receiving direct instruction. RPDS uses the Handwriting Without Tears program to support the acquisition of this important skill. The transition of a kindergartener’s fine motor skill development to that of a first grader is when the pencil is no longer a task in itself; but rather when the pencil becomes a tool facilitating learning.

Mathematics

There is no greater place to experience hands on learning than in math. Concepts and skills, which have been presented in pre-kindergarten levels are expanded and developed to include critical and abstract thinking. The children are encouraged to seek alternative solutions in their problem solving. Measurement, patterning, graphing, calendar skills, coin identification, coin value, even and odd numbers, sorting by attributes, counting to 50, counting objects to 25, counting by 10’s, telling time on the hour and half-hour, combining sets, identifying numerals 0-20, writing numerals 0-9, and understanding cardinal and ordinal numbers are some of the extended concepts in Kindergarten. Many of the math manipulatives used in class are items from a kindergartner’s world ensuring their math experiences are more personal and meaningful. Numbers become more than formed lines on paper. Numbers have a concrete value that can be used in the life of a six-year-old child. This is discovery, not drill.

Science and Social Studies

The excitement of a multi-cultural world is explored within science and social studies workshops, through study trips, hosting guest speakers, musical performances, and technology experiences. Utilizing each of these resources provides the opportunity to fully explore age appropriate aspects of Physical Science (the study of nonliving matter and energy), Life Science (the study of how living things relate to one another and their surroundings), and Earth Science (the origin and physical makeup of our earth).

Enrichment Areas for Kindergarten Include:

  • Art
  • Physical Education
  • Music
  • Computer
  • Spanish
  • Library
  • Chapel
  • Bible
  • Masterpiece Connections

Learn more about Riverside's First Grade Program »»