APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Kinderstages Program promotes an active learning environment. A variety of instructional programs are used to ensure each student's needs are met. Some examples of what you might see include:

•  Whole group instruction
• Teacher-directed small group activities
• Open ended projects
•  Children working independently or cooperatively in learning centers.

LANGUAGE ARTS

The Kinderstages Program proudly uses the Wright Skills Program which employs a balanced approach to learning to read  write. Reading comprehensive strategies include, oral language ,vocabulary development, phonics are all taught to provide well-rounded instruction. Children are introduced to a variety of genres of literature and learning activities to create a love and interest of reading. Instruction is provided in the following areas:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Decoding: Rhyming ,
• segmenting syllables letter sounds in words,the sounds of individual letter and some sound blends such as th, sh, ch.
• Concepts of Prints: Learning how books work, understanding that print conveys a message, reading top to bottom and left to right, tracking words and using punctuation.
• Comprehension: Retelling stories, identifying cause & effect, sequencing stories & predicting a story's outcome.
• Reading Strategies: Using picture cues, using structure cues (such as beginning and ending sounds) & reading to search for information.
• Learning to write is approached from a developmental standpoint.
• Students are given instruction in letter formation, writing conventions, organizing ideas, word choice and writing fluency.
• Students are encouraged to write in a variety of ways including journaling, learning activities, poetry & our Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum

• Speaking and listening are also important areas of language development.
• Teachers pay attention to provide learning opportunities that increase vocabulary and language development.

MATH

Kinderstages uses the Math Their Way program in order to provide a comprehensive math curriculum that makes math meaningful for children. Math instruction focuses on the following skills:

• Number Concepts:  Count with one to one correspondence: recognize and write numerals 1-20, build sets of matching numerals, as well as recognize1/2 of an object.
• Addition &Subtraction: Find totals for combined sets of objects, as well as use objects, illustrations and number sentences to solve story problems.
• Geometry: Identify, compare, classify and create basic shapes. & Identify geometric shapes found in the real world.
• Measurements: Use non-standard units to measure an object's length, width, weight and volume.
• Introduction to coins, uses of a calendar, telling time to hour and 1/2 hour.
• Probability & Statistics
• Participate in constructing, reading and interpreting class graphs and collections.
• Collecting, organizing and describing simple data.
• Patterns
• Relationships: Sort and classify objects according to one or two attributes, as well as recognise, extend and create simple patterns.
• Communication About Math: Show an understanding of the concepts of equal to ,more than and less and explain problem solving strategies.

SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, HEALTH& ARTS

These study areas will be integrated into multi-disciplinary projects.Children actively help plan and implement these units.For example if the students are studying Insects, the children and teachers will compile a list of what the children know about insects, what they do not know about insects and how they might go about finding out what they do not know. This is a teacher guided process that directs the formation of each project. Embedded within these projects are reading, writing, math, speaking and listening skills. The benefits of this approach include:

• Children are highly motivated to learn.
• Children see how things are connected in the real world and how these concepts apply to their own lives.
• Children gain an understanding of the subject of the project as well as research and study skills.