Summers-Knoll school believes in integrated curriculum. That is, students don't move from one subject to the next. Rather, students engage in interdisciplinary projects where they can be the leaders of their education. Teachers, in this sense, act more as facilitators than "keepers of knowledge", helping students to take risks, follow their interests, and develop their curiosity and exploration of the world around them.
Often, our studies extend way beyond the walls of our classroom to the parks, museums, landscapes, and local experts in our communities. Basing our explorations in our local place helps students to strengthen their academic concepts and feel connected to the work they engage in.
Below, you can find the social justice based standards and academic standards for Kindergarten.
Kindergarten Academic Skills
Social/Emotional
E.L.A.
Science/Math
Uses language to name emotions in self
Connects emotions to an experience (I feel this way because __)
Offers solutions to conflicts
Demonstrates empathy for others (checking in/asking questions) and is observant of others’ emotions
Feels confident in initiating play, asking questions, offering ideas to group
Able to take care of classroom environment (knows where items go and puts items in their place)
Able to take care of cubby items (distinguishing their space from others, able to check/adjust space if redirected)
Able to transition through activities with guidance of steps
Recognizes upper and lower cases of alphabet
Identifies consonant sounds and can blend sounds
Recognises rhyming patterns orally and in text
Distinguishes syllables in a word orally
Reads and writes own name
Independently uses invented spelling, phonemic awareness, and letter knowledge in writing
Build simple words and sentences
Handles writing tools correctly
Tells a story using pictures and can add words to describe
Demonstrates left-to-right progression, and top-to-bottom progression
Recognize sight words
Identifies story elements (setting, plot, characters)
Observant of book format/parts (author, illustrator, table of contents)
Identifies punctuation
Shows interest/engagement in reading (chooses books, makes predictions, asks questions, relates to text)
Uses beginning reading strategies
Generates topics for writing
Names numerals 0 through 30
Counts by 1s to 100
Accurately writes numerals 0 through 30
Classifies and compares objects
Reasonably estimates number of objects in a group
Be able to articulate the position of shape relative to other objects (before, next to, etc.)
Collects data and makes records using lists or graphical representations
Shows interest in solving mathematical problems - knows that adding is putting together and subtracting is taking away
Recognizes mathematical symbols (+, -, =)
Solves problems by guessing and checking using manipulatives or fingers
Knows days of week and months of the year
Knows the value of a penny, nickel, dime and quarter
Makes observations and predictions connected to what they see (cause/effect)