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Kindergarten - Curriculum

Language Arts

Listening/Speaking
Develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
Listen to information, rhymes, songs, conversations, and stories.
Listen and talk about experiences, customs, and cultures.
Make announcements, give directions, and make introductions.
Act out plays, poems, and stories.
Clearly request, retell and/or describe stories and experiences.
Listen responsively to contemporary and classic stories and other text read aloud.

Reading
Recognize that print represents spoken language and conveys meaning, such as their own name.
Recognize upper and lower case letters in print and understand that print represents language.
Manipulate sounds in spoken words (phonemic awareness).
Decode simple words using letter-sound knowledge.
Identify words that name person, places or things, and words that name actions.
Learn new vocabulary words through selections read aloud.
Retell or act out important information and ask relevant questions.

Writing
Write their own name and each letter of the alphabet.
Write messages using their knowledge of letters and sounds.
Record or dictate questions, ideas, stories.
Write labels, notes, and captions for illustrations, possessions, charts, and centers.

Science
Safety
Demonstrate safe science practices in the classroom and field.
Use and conserve resources.

Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Use their senses and common tools such as hand lenses, balances, cups, bowls to make observations.
Collect information by asking questions, gathering information, communicating findings, and making informed decisions.
Use computers and information technology tools to suport their investigations.

Patterns, Systems, and Cycles
Describe patterns including seasons, growth, day and night, and predict what happens next, usinig charts and graphs.
Learn how systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of parts, such as those in toys, vehicles and construction sets.
Understand structures, interactions, and processes found in systems that, when put together, can do things they cannot do by themselves.

Change
Observe, describe and record changes in systems, cycles, and models.
Record changes in size, mass, color, position, quantity, time temperature, sounds, and movement by observing weather changes and life cycles of organisms in their natural environment.

Living Organisms and Non-Living Objects
Identify organisms and objects and their parts.
Explore the basic needs of living organisms and give examples of their dependence on each other.
Identify how the earth provided resources for life.

Understanding the Natural World
Observe and descrive properties of rocks, soil and water.

Social Studies
History
Learn about patriotic holidays.
Identify contributions of people, such as George Washington.
Place events in chronological order.

Geography
Locate and describe the relative location of places.
Identify physical and human characterisitics of places.

Economics
Identify basic human needs and explain how they can be met.
Identify jobs and why people have them.

Government
Identify rules and reasons for having them.
Identify authority figures.

Citizenship
Identify U.S. and Texas Flags.
Recity Pledge of Allegiance.

Culture
Identify similarities and differences among people.
Identify family and community customs.

Science, Technology, and Society
Identify examples of technology and describe how they meet peoples needs.

Social Studies Skills
Obtain information from a variety of oral and visual sources.
Sequence and categorize information.
Identify main ideas.
Express ideas orally and visually.
Use problem-solving and decision-making processes.


Math
Number, Operation, and Quantitative Reasoning
Use words and numbers to describe relative sizes of objects.
Describe position in a sequence of events.
Name ordinal positions (first, second, etc.).
Separate a whole into equal parts.
Explain half of a whole.
Model addition and subtraction.

Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic Thinking
Identify, extend, and create patterns.
Use patterns to predict what comes next.
Count to 100 by ones.

Geometry and Spatial Reasoning

Describe one object in relation to another using informal language.
Place objects in a give position.
Describe and identify objects.
Compare and sort objects.
Describe and compare solids.
Recognize shapes.
Describe, identify and compare shapes.

Measurement

Compare and order by length, capacity, or weight.
Identify objects greater than, less than, or equal to a given object.
Compare temperatures.
Compare times.
Sequence events.
Read a calendar using days, weeks, and months.
Probability and Statistics
Identify mathematics in everyday situations.
Use problem-solving model with guidance.
Select or develop an appropriate problem-solving strategy.

Hebrew and Judaics
Listening and Speaking
Listen attentively and engage actively in a variety of oral and aural language experiences
Listen and speak to gain a knowledge of their Jewish culture and heritage
Listen and speak to gain knowledge of their connection to the culture and heritage of Israel
Read from a variety of Hebrew language books and other resources
Use a variety of Hebrew language books and other resources
Use a variety of strategies to comprehend selections read aloud to them
Speak Hebrew, first through labeling (vocabulary building) and gradually building to include simple sentences and questions. Story tapes, songs, chants, prayers, etc. will be employed to assist in oral and aural Hebrew development

Reading and Writing
Students will be exposed to the alef-bet and phonetic associations iwth the letters and vowels
Students will be encouraged to practice writing letters and experiment with combining letters to create combinations of phonetic sounds and words
Students will be exposed to a Hebrew "literature rich" environment offering significant exposures to written and oral Hebrew language

Bible (Chumash)
Learn the names of the 5 Books of the Torah
Learn that the Toral is one part of the "Jewish Bible"
Each week Jews read a specific part of the Torah (parsha) and that same portion is read all over the world
Learn that Torah reading cycle begins and ends each year on Simchat Torah
Learn that the Torah is read when a minyan is present on Shabbat, Mondays, Thursdays and certain holidays
Learn about the Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, and discuss the important lessons that we learn from our Biblical ancestors
Exposed to some of the teachings of the weekly Torah Portions

Holidays
Learn about the symbols and specific prayers associated with the Jewish Holy Days of Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat, Purim, Pesach, Lag B'Omer, Shavuot and Yom Ha-Atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)
Learn abou tholidays through a variety of integrated activities including cooking, music, singing, art projects, science, language arts, community field trips, etc.
Participate in school-wide celebrations and programs related to the Jewish holidays

T’fillah
Participate in daily T'fillot
Eventually recite Modeh (Modah) Ani, Ma Tovu, the Shema, Halleluyah, Oshe Shalom, Adon Olam, and the Ha Tikvah
Discuss the meanings and origins of the prayers and how they relate to our lives
Recite the food blessings at snack and lunch and recite the Birkat HaMazon after lunch
Participate in Kabbalat Shabbat celebrations on Friday that include the recitation of the blessing over the candles, the Kiddush for Shabbat and the Motzi

Art
Perceptual Skills
Participate in experiences which are visually stimulating
Interpret personal ideas, feelings and experiences in visual forms as well as verbally
Demonstrate individuality in expression and interpretation
Share art with classmates

Conceptual Skills
Identify colors, shapes, lines and textures

Motor Skills
Cut and Paste
Large expressive mark making
Paint with watercolor in combination with crayon
Practice proper use of materials and tools
Experience creating art with both wet and dry media

Music
Participate in many activities involving movement and dance
Play rhythm games
Practice pitch control
Discover dynamics
Begin to understand the concept of musical notation
Use understanding of rhyming to create original songs

Physical Education
Instill a joy for physical fitness in each child
Develop coordination, strength, flexibility, and endurance
Provide opportunities for leadership, sportsmanship, and team building
Provide children with the opportunity to learn about many different sports
Develop a sense of fair play, cooperation, and the ability to work in groups
Provide opportunities for integration fo P.E. with other subject areas
Learn the fundamentals of movement and begin to understand how the muscles, bones, lungs and heart are affected by physical activity
Jump and land, without falling
Demonstrate ball skills, both using hands and feet
Skip, hop, gallop, and slide

Technology
Using the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETSS) 2007, Kindergarten students will become:
Capable information technology users
Information seekers, analyzers, and evaluators
Problem solvers and decision makers
Creative and effective users of productivity tools
Communicators, collaborators, publishers, and producers
Informed, responsible, and contributing citizens
Sample kindergarten activities may include: Categorizing colors, shapes, animals, etc. using KidPix
Reading practice using programs such as starfall.com
Math games using programs such as kidport.com

Library
Gain familiarity with basic literary terms such as author and illustrator
Learn to correctly identify fiction and nonfiction books
Listen to and appreciate a variety of different genres
Develop an appreciation for reading and checking out books for pleasure

Guidance
In kindergarten, initially, the focus is on identification and expression of feelings. Subsequently, the following topics are presented (but not limited to): friendship, sharing, teamwork, anger control and management, social skills.