幼儿园项目的8个基本组成部分

作者:Jess Keenan (K-1教员)

在太阳城娱乐教了八年书之后, I know that kindergarten is not just about getting students ready for “school.” It’s about laying a foundation for a love of 太阳城娱乐 that students will take with them through the rest of their school years and beyond. Parents are sometimes unsure about 哪一个 aspects of a kindergarten program are most important. Here are eight essential building blocks of a strong kindergarten to consider when you’re looking for a program that is right for your child.

1. 真正的太阳城娱乐始于学生的问题

Young children are naturally inquisitive, curious, and eager to make sense of the world around them. What better way to teach them the things they need to know than by bringing the world inside the classroom?

An approach to 太阳城娱乐 that is teacher-led and driven by student interest can be a powerful platform for 太阳城娱乐. When teachers allow the interest and excitement of students to help shape the curriculum, students feel ownership over their 太阳城娱乐 and are more engaged and invested.

2. 专题研究将太阳城娱乐带入“现实世界”

Thematic studies born out of student interest and guided by teachers allow students to use math, 阅读, 写作, 科学, and geography in deep investigations of nature and other topics. 在最近的一项关于太阳城娱乐蜜蜂的研究中, 一位来访的养蜂人分享了一个观察蜂巢, 哪一个 inspired students to “build” a beehive under our loft and “become” worker bees, 女王蜂, 和养蜂人.

在蜜蜂研究的过程中, 学生太阳城娱乐几何(六边形), 生命周期, 授粉, 通信系统, 测量距离, and the importance of collaboration and teamwork (both in bee colonies and in the classroom!). 太阳城娱乐还探讨了大数字. Our culminating project was to invite the entire 较低的学校 to help us count 80,000 beads to illustrate how many bees might live in just one hive. 这是一堂关于数字感的不可思议的课!

A thematic curriculum not only places 太阳城娱乐 in the context of the “real world,这也激发了更多学生的疑问和探究, 哪一个, 有老师指导, 激励持续太阳城娱乐.

3. 幼儿园的孩子必须玩才能太阳城娱乐

Play is an essential part of cognitive and physical development. It nurtures the imagination and puts children at the center of their own 太阳城娱乐. 在教室里, 给学生选择的机会, 玩材料, 并且相互作用导致发明, 讲故事, 和角色扮演, 哪些都是自主太阳城娱乐的形式. Outdoor play strengthens the body and aids in development of both gross and fine motor skills. Play also provides opportunities for students to practice social interaction with peers as they navigate the complicated transition from parallel to collaborative play.

4. 所有的孩子都以自己独特的方式太阳城娱乐阅读

Sounds, letters, words, rhymes, 书, poems, and songs are the building blocks of early literacy. 因为每个孩子都是独特的太阳城娱乐者, a strong 阅读 program should provide many opportunities throughout the day to engage with written and spoken language as well as materials with 哪一个 to practice skills. 读写技能和其他技能一样，是有一定发展范围的. A dynamic and flexible multiage curriculum that accommodates the needs of both emergent and beginning readers allows for success at every level.

An effective literacy program will also help kindergarteners develop the skills they need to put their thoughts and ideas down on paper. My favorite 写作 activity at Waynflete is the weekly journal, 学生使用插图“写作”, 听写, 以及他们自己的话, 用他们对字母和发音的认识来拼写. In this way, students develop a powerful and independent ability to express their own ideas.

5. Development of math skills should be woven into all aspects of the curriculum

While math lessons and explicit instruction are an important part of 太阳城娱乐 numeracy, frequent opportunities to play with math materials are also essential. Manipulatives are a crucial entry point to skill development; hands-on exploration allows for practice of concepts such as counting, 数觉, 排序, 测序, 模式, 除了, 减法, 位值.

A strong kindergarten program integrates math into daily routines and real-life applications. 在对农场的研究中, Waynflete students visited a farmers market and set up a market in the classroom where students weighed, 测量, 并练习彼此买卖农产品.

6. Teaching should be differentiated to meet the range of 太阳城娱乐 styles in the classroom

因为每个孩子都是独特的太阳城娱乐者, it is important to have a teacher who knows each child well. 幼儿园的发展范围可以很广, 所以材料是很重要的, 书, 课程适应每个孩子的需要. As a teacher in Waynflete’s multiage kindergarten/first grade program, I am fortunate to experience firsthand the benefits of having a range of abilities in the classroom. 小班授课, 混合分组, and individualized work plans help students build skills at each level, 解决他们的优势和挑战, and set appropriate goals for progress in all areas of work 和玩耍.

7. 给 children the freedom to explore extends the natural curiosity they bring to 太阳城娱乐

五、六岁的孩子天生好奇. Teachers can fuel curiosity by creating opportunities for students to ask questions, 观察, 收集数据, 研究信息, 形式的假设, 估计和猜测, and-yes-make错误.

A structured and inviting classroom environment provides multiple opportunities for independent as well as teacher-guided exploration, 太阳城娱乐, 和玩耍. 探索灵活的教室空间，如阁楼, 感官桌, 一个音乐学院, 艺术区, and a block center gives students a range of experiences ranging from play to purposeful investigation. 有趣的探索是所有太阳城娱乐的核心.

8. Children do best when social-emotional support is part of the curriculum

Nurturing students’ social and emotional well-being is as important a preparation for 太阳城娱乐 as is instruction in early 阅读, 写作, 和数学. 对很多学生来说, kindergarten may be the first time they’ve had to navigate the dynamics of a large group of peers. Students need guidance in exploring the social realm—太阳城娱乐 how to lead, 合作, 妥协, 在安全和支持的环境中解决问题. 在太阳城娱乐的教室里, 社会课程贯穿太阳城娱乐的生活, 由太阳城娱乐对学生个体的理解所塑造, 每个年龄组的挑战, 太阳城娱乐的指导原则是:照顾好自己, 照顾他人, 爱护环境.

在Waynflete, 太阳城娱乐希望除了建立社会品格, 每个孩子都会产生一种归属感, 对他人负责, 尊重自己独特的品质. 师生关系牢固, 以及他们的家人, 这是必要的组成部分吗.