Welcome to the Wilmington Public Schools Full-day Kindergarten Presentation May 24, 2007 Joanne Benton, facilitator

The Goal of Full-Day To provide a developmentally appropriate, informal, intellectually engaging all-day kindergarten program that integrates new learning with past experiences through project work and through mixed-ability in an unhurried setting; We will offer a balance of small group, large group, and individual activities that will stimulate your child’s curiosity and develop his/her social skills. We will assess students' progress through close teacher observation and systematic collection and examination of students' work, often by using portfolios.

Kindergarten is TIME FOR ACQUIRING THE TOOLS NECESSARY FOR READING to build vocabulary, to know words and to use words to be introduced to books, learn to use them and love them time for listening to stories read aloud and answering questions about the stories time for being exposed to written words time for experience stories and charts; to learn what can be said and written; and what can be written and read learning to write using sound spelling

Kindergarten is WRITING developing large muscles and fine muscles learning to coordinate hand muscles with eye muscles manipulating toys and puzzles and clay finger-painting, drawing, coloring, and pasting learning to write one's name correctly; using a capital letter for the first letter and lower case letters for the rest of the name

Kindergarten is MATHEMATICS building number concepts getting a feel of numbers by using unifix cubes, blocks, and other materials comparing sizes, recognizing shapes, colors, likenesses and differences, how many and how few manipulating materials that give meaning to terms such as smaller and larger, over and under, and equal to creating and extending patterns estimating, collecting data, and building graphs

WHY WE 'PLAY' IN KINDERGARTEN Play is children's work. Many studies document the importance of active learning. Through play, children are learning to make choices and decisions for themselves. Through play, all facets of development are enhanced.

Kindergarten teachers promote self- discover and self-awareness. They foster independence and help children to gain and use skills necessary for working in small groups as well as the class as a whole. Children learn how to function well as group members, how to ask for help and to be helpful, how to complete a task and put things away. Each child is encouraged to move beyond his/her current level of understanding.

Kindergarten curriculum is designed to address all areas of development (social, emotional, physical and intellectual) and to meet needs of a diverse group of learners. Children are active learners: touching, trying, moving, talking, writing, drawing, questioning. Throughout the kindergarten day, children have opportunities to explore, investigate, and predict.

The kindergarten classroom is a safe, supportive and welcoming environment. It provides children with a variety of opportunities to try out new ideas and be challenged with new experiences that engage budding readers, writers, scientists, mathematicians and artists. Teachers help children to be empowered, to feel valued, to be listened to, to be competent and successful in school.

We welcome your child as he/she enters kindergarten. We share in your excitement as we embark on this journey together.

We will encourage you to become involved in your child’s kindergarten experience and look forward to having you partner with us in your child’s education.

PARENTS CAN MAKE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN BY BECOMING INVOLVED. Anything you do in or outside of the classroom will greatly benefit the children.

The number one thing a parent can do to help their child learn to read is read aloud to him or her. 1. Make listening to a story a regular part of your child’s bedtime routine. This will help your child develop a lifetime habit of reading before he or she goes to sleep. 2. Help your child select the story or book. (Take turns selecting - sometimes you select and sometimes your child selects.) 3. Relax! Sit your child beside you, or make sure that he or she is lying comfortable in bed. 4. Talk very briefly about the cover, illustrations, and the book’s title before you start. 5. Make sure that your child can see the pictures. Pictures help a young reader follow the story or understand the information in a nonfiction book. 6. From time to time, run your finger under the print to show that your voice follows the line of text.

School Hours BoutwellWildwood 8:00-1:15 8:50- 2:05 6 classrooms7 classrooms C.A.R.E.S. program is available before and after school.

Open enrollment If you live in the Glen Road area, you may opt to send your child to Boutwell. Please contact my office if you are interested.

Typical Schedule 8:30-8:45Arrival: lockers, cubbies, question of the day, attendance, arrival activity 8:45-9:15Morning Circle: pledge, greeting, dear class letter, calendar, school jobs, phonemic awareness poem or song 9:15-9:30Shared Reading: big books, theme related literature 9:30-9:45Break: snack, recess, bathroom 9:45-10:15Houghton Mifflin: English Language Arts Lesson (phonics, letters, shared writing, etc.) 10:15-11:00 Learning Centers: guided reading, independent writing, math, journals, art project, phonics, listening center, block area, sensory table, dramatic play, etc. 11:00-11:15 Story 11:15-11:25 Prepare for Lunch: bathroom, hand washing 11:25-11:55Lunch 12:00-12:15Recess 12:15-12:20Afternoon Circle: poem, song, finger plays, lesson activator, sustained silent reading 12:20-12:45Math Trailblazers Lesson 12:45-1:15Specialists (art, music, phys. ed., library, computer lab) 1:15-1:45Theme Related Science/Social Studies Lesson: experiments, learning centers, hands-on experience 1:45-2:00Prepare for Dismissal: summary of the day, class discussion, distribution of take home materials

Next Steps Teacher assignments – First week of July Parent Orientation – August Parent and children orientation – August 29 First day of School – September 4th

Thank you! Questions????