Kindergarten
The kindergartners at Symonds School work and play together to build a community of learners where students feel safe, welcomed, and successful through the year.
All areas of curriculum, such as science, social studies, literacy, mathematics, and social/emotional learning are integrated into themes. A few of the topic areas covered include trees, where we live, healthy bodies, and life cycles. A variety of learning styles are addressed through the use of differentiated instruction and integration of the arts.
Literacy instruction is carried out following the Keene School District’s Comprehensive Literacy Framework. This is done with developmentally appropriate activities relating to phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary development, and writing. Some of the programs used include Fundations, Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness, and Handwriting Without Tears. Children experience daily read alouds that integrate poems, songs, chants, along with fiction and non-fiction texts. Children read and write numerous predictable books which foster their emergent reading and writing skills, as well as build confidence.
Kindergarten math experiences are hands-on and integrated throughout the school day, and follow the scope and sequence of the Eureka Math program. Developmentally appropriate activities to build number concept, number sense and geometric sense are included. Through these daily activities, we offer children a variety of avenues to discover the world of math around them.
Additionally, kindergarten classes have the opportunity to visit one of the special area teachers each day. Our specials program includes music, physical education, art, library, and Spanish.
Social and Emotional Learning is a key component of kindergarten at Symonds. Learning who you are and how to get along in a community is as important to us as “the three Rs.” A number of programs are used to guide social/emotional instruction throughout the year. The children are introduced to the Responsive Classroom approach, Social Thinking instruction, Second Step violence prevention, and the Zones of Regulation. The skills gained in these areas allow Symonds kindergarteners to more easily access all other areas of the curriculum.
Symonds School kindergarten days are filled with play-based learning experiences both indoors and out. The skills that children learn and practice during play carry over and enhance their learning and contribute to a developmentally appropriate kindergarten experience.
All areas of curriculum, such as science, social studies, literacy, mathematics, and social/emotional learning are integrated into themes. A few of the topic areas covered include trees, where we live, healthy bodies, and life cycles. A variety of learning styles are addressed through the use of differentiated instruction and integration of the arts.
Literacy instruction is carried out following the Keene School District’s Comprehensive Literacy Framework. This is done with developmentally appropriate activities relating to phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary development, and writing. Some of the programs used include Fundations, Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness, and Handwriting Without Tears. Children experience daily read alouds that integrate poems, songs, chants, along with fiction and non-fiction texts. Children read and write numerous predictable books which foster their emergent reading and writing skills, as well as build confidence.
Kindergarten math experiences are hands-on and integrated throughout the school day, and follow the scope and sequence of the Eureka Math program. Developmentally appropriate activities to build number concept, number sense and geometric sense are included. Through these daily activities, we offer children a variety of avenues to discover the world of math around them.
Additionally, kindergarten classes have the opportunity to visit one of the special area teachers each day. Our specials program includes music, physical education, art, library, and Spanish.
Social and Emotional Learning is a key component of kindergarten at Symonds. Learning who you are and how to get along in a community is as important to us as “the three Rs.” A number of programs are used to guide social/emotional instruction throughout the year. The children are introduced to the Responsive Classroom approach, Social Thinking instruction, Second Step violence prevention, and the Zones of Regulation. The skills gained in these areas allow Symonds kindergarteners to more easily access all other areas of the curriculum.
Symonds School kindergarten days are filled with play-based learning experiences both indoors and out. The skills that children learn and practice during play carry over and enhance their learning and contribute to a developmentally appropriate kindergarten experience.