In The Classroom : Kindergarten – English / Language Arts
Stephanie Megaro
Kindergarten Teacher
Fran Strauss
Reading Specialist
Jessica Strumpfler
Kindergarten Teacher
Marie Van Der Horn
Kindergarten Teacher
The kindergarten English/Language Arts (ELA) curriculum emphasizes a balanced literacy program. For more information on balanced literacy, click on the link to the right titled "OVERVIEW OF BALANCED LITERACY".
In the beginning, students focus on recognizing and writing the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. While building upon these skills, students are immersed in a literacy-rich environment that focuses on building a sense of story and constructing meaning from text and pictures. The students begin to tell stories based on the illustrations, and they begin to write stories by illustrating a series of events, slowly adding words to match the pictures. As the year progresses, the students work with sight words and books that follow a simple pattern. The students also begin to listen to the sounds they hear in words and record them in their writing. While reading, they learn print strategies to assist them with unknown words and constructing meaning from the text. Students point to the words as they read and practice one-to-one correspondence (each spoken word matches one printed word). They use the pictures to construct meaning and their knowledge of letter sound relationships to identify possibilities for unknown words. The students in Kindergarten learn to ask themselves questions while they are reading and writing: Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense? The students engage in book talk and make connections to their own lives as well as other books they have read.
Following is a list of the genres covered throughout the school year; descriptions follow each.
In the beginning, students focus on recognizing and writing the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. While building upon these skills, students are immersed in a literacy-rich environment that focuses on building a sense of story and constructing meaning from text and pictures. The students begin to tell stories based on the illustrations, and they begin to write stories by illustrating a series of events, slowly adding words to match the pictures. As the year progresses, the students work with sight words and books that follow a simple pattern. The students also begin to listen to the sounds they hear in words and record them in their writing. While reading, they learn print strategies to assist them with unknown words and constructing meaning from the text. Students point to the words as they read and practice one-to-one correspondence (each spoken word matches one printed word). They use the pictures to construct meaning and their knowledge of letter sound relationships to identify possibilities for unknown words. The students in Kindergarten learn to ask themselves questions while they are reading and writing: Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense? The students engage in book talk and make connections to their own lives as well as other books they have read.
Following is a list of the genres covered throughout the school year; descriptions follow each.
READING WORKSHOP UNITS
Readers Build Good Habits
- Choosing books with a purpose in mind
- Handling books
- Building early concepts about print
- Talking about books with a partner
- Using illustrations to help make meaning
Readers Can Read Emergent Story Books
- Using pictures to construct meaning
- Using story language to construct meaning
- Talking about books with a partner
- Reading with expression and intonation
Readers Talk about Books to Grow Ideas
- Thinking and talking about text before, during and after reading
- Retelling a story
- Using conversation to deepen understanding
- Reading with expression
Readers Read Just-Right Books
- Choosing and reading books that are just-right while paying attention to print
- Using prior knowledge/wondering about books
- Recognizing and reading sight words in just-right books
- Using sound/letter knowledge to figure out words
- Using appropriate print strategies
- Talking about text before and after reading
Recognizing Patterns in Text
- Discovering patterns in text and using patterns to help one's reading
- Retelling details of the story
- Comparing/Contrasting books
- Using text evidence to support thinking ("Show me in the book")
Reading Non Fiction
- Reading with a purpose
- Monitoring for meaning
- Using text structures and features to gain information
Using prior knowledge - Comparing/Contrasting information
- Using talk to deepen understanding of a topic
Reading Strategies Coming Together
- Using appropriate print strategies
- Reading with fluency, phrasing, intonation and expression
- Retelling text
- Synthesizing the meaning of text
- Determining the most important parts of the text
- Talking before, during and after text
- Making personal connections
- Understanding character development
WRITING WORKSHOP UNITS
Launching the Writing Workshop
- Telling a story through pictures and then adding words to match the pictures
Small Moment
- Writing a story about one "small moment" or event and stretching it out over multiple page
- Stretching out words independently to hear the sounds they contain and using them to record their stories
- Developing a sense of "story"
List Books
- Composing list books about a particular topic
- Creating their own ABC list book, where they must write words that begin with each letter of the alphabet
Writing for Many Purposes
- Learning the many ways writing is a part of daily life
- Writing labels, lists, letters, signs, posters, menus
Non Fiction
- Researching a particular insect (in conjunction with the Insect Science Unit) and using the features of informational text to create their own non fiction insect book
- Using the program Inspiration, adding labels to scanned pictures they have "scientifically" drawn
- Adding a diagram, a list, a "Table of Contents" and an "All about the Author" page
Poetry
- Exploring the five senses and finding descriptive words in poetry
- Using descriptive words in their own poetry
Realistic Fiction
- Writing realistic fiction stories based on themes they have read in other stories
- Using the basic story elements: characters, setting and plot (a problem and a solution)
Suggested Reading:
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Pigs by Gail Gibbons
Patches Lost and Found by Steven Kroll and Barry Gott
