Kindergarten Curriculum Overview
Reading
Kindergarten children begin to realize that print conveys meaning. They
are curious about the print that is all around them and are beginning
to find out some of its secrets. They are familiar with a variety of
types of books and selections (e.g., picture books, caption books,
short informational texts, nursery rhymes, word play, puppet plays).
Kindergartners are offered many opportunities to read daily.
Writing
Kindergarten students are becoming aware of the purpose of written
language in the environment. They write their own names and use a
mixture of drawings, random letters, and words. They are asked to write
daily.
Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum is organized into five strands:
(1) number and operations; (2) measurement; (3) geometry; (4) data
analysis and probability; and, (5) algebra. Problem-solving strategies
are embedded into each of the 5 strands.
The early grades focus on building a strong understanding of number and fluency with mathematics to solve problems. Fundamental to these skills is knowledge of number facts, the
computational processes, and the appropriate use of each operation.
-
Together with an emphasis on using mathematics to solve problems,
elementary students will build a depth of understanding enabling them
to apply the content in a variety of contexts.
Social Studies
Students in kindergarten study themselves and their families, how
they grow and change, and their similarities and differences. Children develop and expand their understanding about themselves and
about the family as a basic institution in society. They learn to
understand that here are basic needs common to all people, but that
people my meet these needs in a variety of ways.
Science
The focus for
kindergarten centers on students using all of the five
senses to make observations of events in both indoor and outdoor
settings that make up their world. Science Concepts: Plants and
Animals, Use of Tools, Weather, Properties/Movement of common objects
and organisms.
Art/Music
Arts Education includes four separate and distinct disciplines; dance,
music, theatre arts, and visual arts. Involving the “whole child” in
the arts gradually teaches many types of literacy while developing
intuition, sensitivity, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity. Learning
in the arts nurtures active engagement, disciplined and sustained
attention, persistence, and risk-taking.
Health/PE
The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that
contribute to a healthful life-style and improved quality of life for
all students. The Healthful Living Education portions of the NC
Standard Course of Study support and reinforce the goals and objectives
of its two major components—health education and physical education.