Kindergarten Curriculum Overview

Kindergarten at The Hilldale School is a year of rich introductions to the fascinating academic world. It is a full-day program in which students progress quickly through the usual introductory Kindergarten curriculum and mostly through material normally covered in first grade.

Incoming Kindergarten students must have a long enough attention span to handle an extensive but fun program without nap times by the time they enter school in the fall. They should have adequate social, motor, and language skills to allow them to take part in classroom activities. Academically, they should know most or all of the following: the alphabet and the corresponding letter sounds; how to write their first and last names; be able to narrate a simple story and predict an ending; understand the difference between a question and an answer; be able to draw a picture of themselves and family members; know numbers to 50; understand the basic concepts of one to one correspondence, shapes and sizes, time and space, and simple adding and subtracting; and have an above-average vocabulary for children of their age. Those children who are weak in some of these basic concepts are given special summer assignments or advised to attend our academic summer Pre-K in which they will receive individualized help.

Language Arts
In Kindergarten, a language-rich environment is created where the children have an opportunity to participate in oral communication, develop listening skills, be exposed to many forms of literature, and to express themselves through their drawings and words. Poetry, rhymes, and common sayings are introduced as a means to strengthen vocabulary and encourage imagination. Intensive phonics and decoding instruction and a progression through phonics mini-books is used to quickly develop the early reading skills of emergent readers. Faster students are encouraged to use and increase their reading skills. Handwriting techniques and the basic rules of spelling are introduced from the start. Early grammar skills are introduced through direct instruction during the second half of the year. By January most children are able to read simple stories and to make use of their reading and writing skills in other subject areas. By the end of the year, most are fluent and independent readers.

Mathematics
Kindergarteners enjoy a hands-on approach combined with direct instruction in the development of mathematical concepts. Units and concepts which are explored include number sense, patterns, classification, money, time, space, measurements and tools of measurement, basic geometrical figures, graphing, comparisons, critical thinking, and basic addition and subtraction. Students also learn the process of counting by 2's, 5's, and 10's to 100, the basic concepts of place value, two digit addition and subtraction, simple fractions, time to the half hour and quarter hour, money value and the value of coin combinations, graph interpretation, sorting, estimation, geometry concepts, measurement, and problem solving.

Science
Life science concepts covered in Kindergarten include learning about living and nonliving things, how plants and animals grow, why plants and animals need one another, and what types of life are found in different habitats and places in the world. Earth science concepts include the weather, seasons, earth’s land types and natural resources, and how we can have a part in preserving those resources. Physical science concepts include the basic properties of matter (solids, liquids, and gases), sound, heat and light, push and pull forces, and magnetism. Students are encouraged to observe, measure, and predict through experiments, thematic units, and reading materials. Each year the class joins together to do a group science project for the February Science Fair, helping them to learn the important concepts of observation, prediction, gathering information, and recording results.

Social Studies
The study of geography begins in Kindergarten with the themes of home, school, communities, our country, the world continents, and environmental change. The importance of history is stressed through the study of families, communities, native American peoples, the early exploration and settlement of America, the most famous presidents, and the reason for various holidays and traditions. Students learn about good citizenship, responsibility, social behavior, and the value of community living, whether in school, at home, or in our country. They also learn about the economy by learning about the interdependence of producers and consumers. An appreciation for these topics is encouraged through literature and art.

Spanish
Spanish classes emphasize an enjoyable introduction to the language. Through fun videos about Muzzy, a lovable interplanetary creature, and the total physical response of games, art, songs, drama, and movement, students learn greetings, farewells, commands, colors, days of the week, and other basic vocabulary. Spanish is taught twice a week.

Art
Kindergarten students work with various materials as they experiment and challenge themselves through different art projects. They learn about the basic elements of art  including color theory, lines and shapes, patterns and textures, and types and uses of art.  Students have art class once a week in their classrooms.

Music
Through participation, Kindergarteners become familiar with rhythm (beats), melody, tone, dynamics, high and low, legato and staccato. They listen to and learn to recognize the sounds of different musical instruments. They learn to sing many familiar children’s songs and songs related to their studies and relate them to dance movements or hand actions. Students have music class once a week.

Physical Education
Our physical education curriculum teaches students the basic skills of throwing and catching a ball and moving a ball with the hand or foot. They develop gross motor skills and agility through tumbling movements such as forward rolls, backward rolls and basic cartwheels. Students also begin learning basic game fundamentals and cooperation, and they participate in the Presidential Physical Fitness Program each year.

Technology
Kindergarten students learn some basic computer and typing skills and explore various educational programs. They also use the computer to provide more depth in a fun way to their studies in language arts, science, and social studies.

Character Education, Environmental Education, and Service Learning
Kindergarten students talk about many character issues presented in their books: Friendship, getting along with others, responsibility, perseverance, helpfulness, sharing, and kindness. Each year the class does some sort of school project which contributes to the school environment. One year they planted and maintained a garden which contained butterfly-attracting plants and vegetables. Another year they planted and helped to maintain colorful new bushes to help beautify the school campus. Through these activities, the students learn the basic role of plants in our environment, and they gain a sense of the value of helping others.