K2 Curriculim

PHONICS AND HANDWRITING
K2 uses Wilson Fundations, a multisensory, structured language program which includes letter formation, phonological and phonemic awareness, and phonics. Each week, I will introduce two lowercase letters; students will learn the sound or sounds associated with each letter and how to write the letter. Later in the year, the students will be introduced to digraphs (two letters that spell one sound) and blends, learn how to separate words into syllables and syllables into sounds, tap out words, and read and spell CVC (Consonant Vowel Consonant) words.

MATH
St. Peter School uses Sadlier’s Progress in Mathematics Curriculum. This program aligns with Common Core standards and teaches students problem-solving strategies and higher-order thinking skills. The kindergarten math curriculum includes sorting; geometry and patterns; positions (such as above/below, left/right); identifying, writing, ordering and comparing numbers 0-31; tables, graphs and fractions; addition and subtraction; money; time; measurement; and counting to 100 by ones, twos, fives, tens, odd numbers and even numbers. Students participate in daily, whole-group lessons using math manipulatives and worksheets, and receive bi-weekly math assessments to monitor their progress.

READING AND LITERACY CENTERS
Students will participate in small, guided reading groups at their instructional levels, and listen to and discuss books during class read alouds of big books, picture books, and nonfiction stories. Students will engage in center-based learning during reading workshop where they participate in differentiated centers focusing on sensory-based activities. Each lesson will begin with a mini-lesson with a targeted learning goal such as identifying print concepts, making predictions, using picture clues, or sounding out words. Then students go into a variety of activities focusing on the areas of: letter identification and formation, letter-sounds, initial/medial/ending sounds, sight words, rhyming, word families, CVC words, writing development, and reading comprehension.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP
In writing workshop students will start by making “All About Me Books” where they write information about themselves by completing a prompt using one to two words. From there students will start weekend journaling where they write about one thing they did over the weekend. Later on in the year students will start our three main writing workshop units: personal narratives, how-to-writing, and opinion writing. Each step of the writing process will be modeled and scaffolded for students in a way that is developmentally appropriate for each individual child. In the spring students will learn about author studies and make their own non-fiction books about sea creatures. 

SCIENCE
K2 uses Nancy Larson Science Curriculum for Kindergarten. Students will engage in hands-on lessons and experiments across the science curriculum. Topics include nutrition, characteristics, forces/motion, living and non-living things, plants, and life cycles. K2 students will explore hands-on centers and conduct simple science experiments, which will give them the opportunity to ask questions, make observations, record evidence, and use scientific concepts to find solutions to problems. 

SOCIAL STUDIES
Integrated across the curriculum, K2’s social studies program includes U.S. symbols and holidays, holidays and traditions in other parts of the world (such as Chinese New Year), social skills, All About Me presentations, family traditions, and community.

RELIGION
Through daily practice, K2 students will learn several prayers, including The Our Father, The Hail Mary, and the Guardian Angel Prayer. The class also says Grace before snack and lunch, attends Mass once a week on Thursday mornings and uses Sadlier’s We Believe workbook for religion lessons.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS
In K2, we educate the whole child. Learning to master social-emotional skills– such as listening and self-control– are just as important as academic subjects. I use a variety of strategies and incentives to encourage the children to be kind and respectful each other, as well as their teachers and their school. We have a class gem jar where every time I notice a positive group behavior such as when students do their best work, they earn a few gems in the jar. Once the jar is full the whole class gets a reward such as an extra recess or movie party. We have a class kindness tree where every time a child does something very kind for another student they get their name on the tree. The first week of school, the children, we work together to come up with a list of class rules. To help students who are struggling to follow the rules, sticker charts are utilized on a case-by-case basis. Additionally we have a sensory space in the classroom with different manipulatives for students who need a break from their work for a few minutes, as a way to teach them self-regulation. 

SPECIALS
K2 attends art, music, library, computer, Spanish and gym class once a week. Students also enjoy a weekly reading time with their 3rd grade book buddies. The students also meet with the school Reading Specialist to provide your children with differentiated instruction.