Kindergarten curriculum guide - Middleton Cross Plains Area School ...

To educate all students to be
contributing members of a
global society Middleton-Cross by inspiring Plains Area them
School District
with a lifelong love of learning,
Elementary Curriculum Brochures
challenging them
Kindergarten
with rigorous
http://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/
curriculum, and empowering
them with 21st century skills. To
be an innovator and leader of
public K-12 education within the
state and nation by meeting the
needs of all students with
excellent programs and staff.

Literacy
Students in grades
kindergarten through
second have a literacy block with a minimum of 90
minutes daily. This provides a focused time to
develop skills in reading, writing and word study.
MCPASD teachers use whole group instruction,
small group instruction, individual instruction and
independent practice to differentiate for the
student learner.
All students are actively engaged in learning
whether they are in a small teacher led group of
students or reading independently, or writing.
Independent activities will often focus on concepts
being studied in science, and social studies.
Reading
The National Reading Panel identified key skills and
methods central to reading achievement. The five
essential elements of reading instruction are what
we teach. The elements are phonemic awareness,
phonics, vocabulary,
fluency, and
comprehension. Current
research states that
systematic and explicit
approaches to instruction in
each of the major
components are
imperative.
Balanced Literacy
Balanced literacy is how we teach literacy. It
involves several methods for teaching reading and
writing. These essential literacy skills are taught in
the context of authentic reading and writing
experiences. There are eight components of
balanced literacy: reading aloud, shared reading,
guided reading, independent reading, modeled &
shared writing, guided writing, independent
writing, and interactive writing.
The power of the balanced literacy framework is
the manner in which students are supported as
they are exposed to new learning and guided as
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they learn to use skills and strategies
independently. During read alouds and modeled
writing lessons, the teacher explicitly models
his/her own thinking for students. Students are
supported as they learn to apply new skills and
strategies in authentic reading and writing tasks.
Our ultimate goal is for students to take on the
responsibility for these skills and strategies and be
able to use them independently.
Writing Process
We use Units of Study for
Primary Writing, developed by
Lucy Calkins and her colleagues
from the Teachers College
Reading and Writing Project.
Each year, teachers deliver
seven “units of study,” each lasting four to six
weeks.
Launching the Writing Workshop
Small Moments: Personal Narrative Writing
The Craft of Revision
Authors as Mentors
Nonfiction Writing: Procedures and Reports
Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages
6 + 1 Traits
Not only do we talk about the writing process, we
also talk about the craft of writing. We use the
common language of the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing to
discuss and describe authors’ craft. The 6 + 1 traits
include the following: ideas, organization, voice,
word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and
presentation.
Handwriting Without Tears
Handwriting Without Tears is a
research based developmentally
appropriate program. It is the
selected manuscript handwriting
program because it is an easy-toteach,
easy-to-learn curriculum that
makes handwriting mastery joyful
for students and their teachers.
MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure

Mathematics
Children’s experiences shape their attitude toward
mathematics. The Everyday Mathematics
curriculum is engaging,
encouraging, and designed to build
children’s understanding over time.
This program respects children’s
intuitive understanding of
mathematics and helps them
develop the range of sophisticated mathematical
knowledge and skills necessary for success in our
information and technology oriented world.
In Everyday Mathematics, all students in grades K-5
develop a broad background by learning concepts
and skills in the six content strands of Number and
Numeration; Operations and Computation; Data
and Chance; Measurement and Reference Frames;
Geometry; and Patterns, Functions, and Algebra.
The Kindergarten program emphasizes the
following content.
Number and Numeration
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Counting orally forward and backward
beyond 10
Counting objects with oneto-one
correspondence
Exploring concepts of
quantity, “more,” and
“less” using concrete
materials
Beginning to recognize numerals
Understanding the uses of numbers
Operations and Computation
Exploring addition and subtraction concepts
Using fingers, manipulatives, or other
strategies to solve number stories
Data and Chance
Working together to collect and visually
represent meaningful data
Answering questions and learning
information from data displays
Measurement and Reference Frames
Making direct comparisons of length,
weight, and capacity
Using language to describe the sizes of
objects and size comparisons
Beginning to explore
measurement using
nonstandard units
Experimenting with
standard measuring
tools
Sequencing familiar events in time
Geometry
Exploring 2- and 3-dimensional shapes
Developing an understanding of position
and spatial relations concepts
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Identifying, describing and extending sound,
movement, and visual patterns
Identifying,
comparing, and
describing attributes
of objects
Sorting objects by
attributes
In Everyday Mathematics you can
expect to see…
A problem-solving approach based on
everyday situations
Key mathematical ideas repeated over time
in slightly different ways
Learning through age-appropriate, playful
activities
A broad range of mathematics topics based
on an optimistic view of children’s
capabilities and motivation to learn
Opportunities to “do math” at home
MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure

Science
The Middleton-Cross Plains
Area School District utilizes
the Full Option Science
System (FOSS) at the K-5
Level. FOSS strives to
develop students' abilities
to do and understand
scientific inquiry through:
Asking and answering questions
Planning and conducting simple
investigations
Employing tools and techniques to gather
data
Using data to construct reasonable
explanations
Communicating investigations and
explanations
Understanding that scientists use different
kinds of investigations and tools to develop
explanations using evidence and knowledge
In Kindergarten the students are exposed to one of
two content kits within the strands of Physical
Science and Life Science.
Life Science
The Animals Two by Two Module provides young
students with close and personal interaction with
some common land and water animals.
Appropriate classroom
habitats are established,
and students learn to care
for the animals. In four
activities the animals are
studied in pairs. Students
observe and care for one
animal over time, and then
they are introduced to another animal similar to
the first but with differences in structure and
behavior. This process enhances opportunities for
observation, communication, and comparison.
In the Trees Module,
systematic investigation of
trees will bring students to
a better understanding of
trees' place at school and
in the community, and will
provide some solid
experiences on the way to
understanding all plants.
Physical Science
In the Wood and Paper Module
students are introduced to a wide
variety of woods and papers in a
systematic way. They will observe the
properties of these materials and
discover what happens when they are
subjected to a number of tests and
interactions with other materials.
Students learn that wood and paper
can be recycled to create new forms of paper or
wood that have new properties. Finally, they use
what they know about the properties of these
marvelous materials as they change wood and
paper into a variety of products. Throughout the
module, students have ample opportunities to
compare different kinds of wood, different types of
paper, and wood and paper. The concept of trees
as natural resources is introduced.
Fabric, a material so
often taken for
granted, makes a
fascinating study for
early-childhood
students. In the
Fabric Module
students are introduced to a wide variety of fabrics
in a systematic way, so that they become familiar
with fabrics' properties, discover what happens
when they are tested, and discover how they
interact with other materials, including water.
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MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure

Social Studies
The elementary social studies
curriculum is based on the 2010
National Council for the Social
Studies standards. The aim of
social studies is the promotion of
civic competence. Young people
who are knowledgeable, skillful, and committed to
democracy are necessary to sustaining and
improving our democratic way of life, and
participating as members of a global society. The
national standards are focused on ten themes.
These themes represent a way of categorizing
knowledge about the human experience, and they
constitute the organizing strands that thread
through our elementary social studies program.
Culture
Time, Continuity, and Change
People, Places, and Environments
Individual Development and Identity
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
Power, Authority, and Governance
Production, Distribution, and Consumption
Science, Technology, and Society
Global Connections
Civic Ideals and Practices
At the elementary level, these themes are explored
through an age-appropriate “lens.” In
kindergarten, the scope of the social studies
curriculum is “Me, My Family, and Others.”
Teachers and students use the TCI Social Studies
Alive! Me and My World materials. Units of study
include the following:
Who Am I?
What is a Family?
How Do I Get Along With Others?
How Do I Make Friends and Solve Problems
With Others?
How Can I Be a Good Helper and Help Take
Care of My Classroom?
What Is the Difference Between a Personal
Want and a Need?
How Do We Use Technology in the Home
and Classroom?
Visual Arts
Art is a way of understanding ourselves and our
relationship with the world around us. Throughout
the K-12 Art program, students explore the three
essential questions of:
What is art?
How is art created?
Why is art important?
Students explore the answers to the above
questions when engaged in art experiences
focused around the following six Art standards.
Creation
Understanding and applying media, techniques,
and processes
Perception
Using knowledge of structures and functions
Interpretation
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter,
symbols, and ideas
Relation
Understanding the visual arts in relation to history
and cultures
Reflection
Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics
and merits of their work and the work of others
Connection
Making connections between visual arts and other
disciplines
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MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure

Music
What Exactly Do We Do In Music Class?
The short answer to this
question is that in music class
we sing, play instruments, and
learn about how music works.
But there's more to it than that
- music in the Middleton-Cross
Plains Area School District reflects the national
music education standards, also adopted in the
state of Wisconsin. Our Elementary Music
Curriculum is based on students learning eight
main concepts:
Time: beat, rhythm, meter, rhythmic notation,
playing rhythmic patterns on instruments, time
signatures, improvising rhythms
Pitch: matching pitch, relationship of pitches to
each other,
Melody: types of melodic movement, playing
and singing melodies, improvising/composing
melodies
Harmony: performing accompaniments,
learning to sing and play rounds, melodies with an
ostinato, echo harmony, partner songs, countermelodies,
simple harmonic theory
Form: recognizing sounds that are the same or
different; form (structure of songs/compositions),
solo vs. group, types of form: AB, ABA, rondo,
sonata, suite
Expression: tempo,
texture, dynamics, phrasing,
and articulation
Timbre: effects and mood,
instrument families, world
instruments, ensembles, and orchestra
History and Culture: relationship of music to
society, function of music, multicultural music,
music of famous composers, music of American
composers, musical styles
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These eight concepts are geared towards students
increasing in skill level in each of the eight areas.
The curriculum model designed to increase skill
level throughout all conceptual areas as students
get older is also known as a spiral
curriculum. Over the course of the elementary
music experience, the use of each concept
becomes more sophisticated. For example, in
regard to time, students learn about and practice
keeping steady beat in kindergarten, but by 5 th
grade are working on eight and sixteenth notes, as
well as triplets and the offbeat.
Technology
As foundational technology skills
penetrate throughout our
society, students will be expected
to apply the basics in authentic,
integrated ways to solve
problems, complete projects, and
creatively extend their abilities. Students at the
elementary level participate in technology
enrichment classes, and students in grades 4 and 5
participate in keyboarding classes. The technology
standards and curriculum help students prepare to
work, live, and contribute to the social and civic
fabric of their communities.
Technology standards
addressed at the elementary
level identify several higherorder
thinking skills and
digital citizenship as critical
for students to learn effectively for a lifetime and
live productively in our emerging global society.
These areas include the ability to:
Demonstrate creativity and innovation
Communicate and collaborate
Conduct research and use information
Think critically, solve problems, and make
decisions
Use technology effectively and productively
MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure

Physical
Education
Physical activity is critical to the
development and maintenance
of good health. The goal of
physical education is to develop
physically educated individuals
who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to
enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. A
physically educated person:
Standard 1:
Demonstrates competency in motor skills and
movement patterns needed to perform a variety of
physical activities.
Standard 2:
Demonstrates understanding of movement
concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they
apply to the learning and performance of physical
activities.
Standard 3:
Participates regularly in physical activity.
Standard 4:
Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of
physical
fitness.
Standard 5:
Exhibits
responsible
personal and
social behavior
that respects
self and others in physical activity settings
Standard 6:
Values physical activity for health, enjoyment,
challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction
Ideas and Resources for Parents
Go on a number or shape hunt.
Have your child practice counting forward
or backward.
Play a card or board game.
http://www.fossweb.com/
http://www.pta.org/K_B-W.pdf
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MCPASD Kindergarten Curriculum Brochure