Kindergarten
In the Troy School District, we believe that a quality education can help expand opportunities for all students.
Academic Subjects & Specials - Kindergarten
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Media Center
- Science
- Social Studies
- Visual Art
- Vocal/General Music
- Health
- Physical Education
- ELD
Language Arts
K-2 Philosophy:
All students learn from a balanced approach to literacy, one that includes a responsive approach to the teaching of reading, writing, and phonics. Students learn to self-assess, set goals, work with partners, and receive and apply feedback. Students learn to use the writing process to write for real purposes and audiences, write the kinds of texts that they see in the world, and to put meaning onto the page. Students develop their oral language, write daily, and create pieces of writing across the genres of narrative, informational, and opinion.
As readers, students engage deeply with texts by having daily opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books independently, in partnerships, small groups, and book clubs. They start off learning foundational skills such as concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, and story language to reading with greater independence using reading strategies to read with more accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development. Students have access to increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level. This starts with read-aloud and shared reading texts in kindergarten and first grade and moves toward independent reading of complex texts by second grade.
Phonics is a daily component of balanced literacy that focuses on phonemic awareness, features of phonics, high-frequency words, spelling, and vocabulary. Students have many opportunities to transfer phonics learning to their daily reading and writing work.
Authentic Literacy
- Student choice of topic (writing), text (reading)
- Write and read for real purposes
- Write and read for real audiences
- Progress celebrated regularly
- Opportunities to be innovative
- Process valued over product
- Protected time for reading and writing
Kindergarten ELA Program
Reading Units
In kindergarten, students begin to establish their identities as readers while they build the foundational skills for reading. In We Are Readers, children develop concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, and the knowledge necessary to use story language to support their approximations of reading. Super Powers: Reading with Print Strategies and Sight Word Power, glories in children’s love of play as they learn “super power” strategies that help them work on fluency. In Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles, children attempt more difficult books with greater independence and use reading strategies to read with more accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Becoming Avid Readers helps youngsters role-play their way into being the readers you want them to become. They pay close attention to characters, setting, and plot while reading fictional stories, become experts in nonfiction topics as they read together in clubs, and play with rhyme and rhythm while reading poetry.
(Excerpt from Heinemann.com)
Kindergarten Reading Units:
- We are Readers
- Emergent Reading: Looking Closely at Familiar Text
- Super Powers: Reading with Print Strategies and Sight Word Power
- Bigger Books, Bigger Reading Muscles
- Becoming Avid Readers
- Growing Expertise in Little Books: Reading for Information
Writing Units
The kindergarten units begin helping children approximate writing by drawing and labeling first in all-about books and then in stories. The first unit, Launching the Writing Workshop, acknowledges that most children will be labeling their drawings—and the letters in those labels will include squiggles and diamonds. Show and Tell transforms kindergartners into inventive spellers, giving them the tools and strategies, they need to approximate the words that are most meaningful for them in their own writing. Writing for Readers, helps children write true stories—but does so fully aware that the hard part will be writing read-able words. Growth in kindergarten is spectacular, and by the later kindergarten units, children are invited to use their new-found powers to live writerly lives. In How-To Books: Writing to Teach Others, students write informational how-to texts on a procedure familiar to them. In Persuasive Writing of All Kinds: Using Words to Make a Change, students craft petitions, persuasive letters, and signs that rally people to address problems in the classroom, the school, and the world.
(Excerpt from Heinemann.com)
Kindergarten Writing Units:
- Launching the Writing Workshop
- Show and Tell: From Labels to Pattern Books
- Writing for Readers
- How-To Books: Writing to Teach Others
- Persuasive Writing of All Kinds
- All About Books
Phonics Units
The kindergarten units provide an instructional pathway in phonics, introduces high-leverage phonics concepts and strategies in a way that keeps pace with students’ reading and writing and helps them understand when, how, and why they can use phonics to read and write. Making Friends with Letters immerses children in letters and sounds, name study, rhyme and word play. Word Scientists focuses on letter knowledge and letter-sound correspondence, phonological awareness, and high-frequency words. Word-Part Power makes that giant step from writing labels to writing sentences, grasp the power of phonograms, and build high frequency words. Vowel Power distinguishes short-vowel sounds from one another and students study vowels in words that are longer than CVC words. In Playing with Phonics students are introduced to blends, tackle longer words and begin thinking about the sounds that they hear in word parts or phonograms.
(Excerpt from Heinemann.com)
Kindergarten Phonics Units:
- Making Friends with Letters
- Word scientists
- Word Part Power
- Vowel Power
- Playing With Phonics
Mathematics
Kindergarten children develop mathematical skills through "hands-on" activities and games. They become familiar with numbers 1-110 by counting by 1s, 2s, and 5s. The concepts of graphing, telling time, number patterns, fractions, and money are introduced. Children compare a variety of objects using their length, weight and volume; estimate measures; and use measurement tools. Number stories provide a way for young children to read and write numbers. Games are used as a concrete way of introducing a variety of topics, including the concepts of fairness and chance. Kindergartners will occasionally bring home Math Link "homework" assignments to explore with their family.
Math Standards & Grade Level Topics
Michigan Math Standards
The Michigan Math Standards call for a balance between procedural knowledge and conceptual understanding. The K-12 Standards for Mathematical Practice, shown below, are types of student expertise developed progressively in each grade-level course.
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Model with mathematics.
- Use appropriate tools strategically.
- Attend to precision.
- Look for and make use of structure.
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Grade Level Math Topics
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Know number names and the count sequence.
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Count to tell the number of objects.
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Compare numbers.
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Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from
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Work with numbers 11–19 to gain foundations for place value.
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Describe and compare measurable attributes.
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Classify objects and count the number of objects in categories.
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Identify and describe shapes.
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Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes.
Learning Resource
We believe that the purpose of our mathematics program is to cultivate students’ positive mathematical identities so that all students:
- develop deep mathematical understandings
- understand and critique the world through mathematics
- experience the wonder, joy, and beauty of mathematics
NCTM (2020). Catalyzing Change in Middle School Mathematics
Troy students will:
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
- Model with mathematics
- Use appropriate tools strategically
- Attend to precision
- Look for and make use of structure
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Media Center
The media center is an exciting place for kindergarteners. They listen to stories and meet characters like Cat in the Hat, Clifford the Dog, Franklin the Turtle - characters who will remain friends for life. They learn how to care for books, and how to choose a book that meets their reading interests. They check out books and practice responsible behaviors by returning them on time. Alphabet and counting books coordinate with the language arts and math curricula. Students practice listening skills and begin to identify authors and illustrators.
Science
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade begin to develop an understanding of the four disciplinary core ideas: physical sciences; life sciences; earth and space sciences; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. In the earlier grades, students begin by recognizing patterns and formulating answers to questions about the world around them. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in gathering, describing, and using information about the natural and designed world(s).
Weather & Climate
Earth SCIENCE
Pushes & Pulls
Physical SCIENCE
Living & Non-Living
Life SCIENCE
Social Studies
Through the Kindergarten curriculum, "Myself and Others", children learn about the world around them, starting with their own classroom and expanding into their community, country, and world. Through a variety of classroom experiences, students begin to develop skills in history, geography, economics, and civics. Kindergarteners experience how stories, poems, and songs relate to their world. Good citizenship skills are emphasized as students learn to make good choices and help others. Students begin to explore the core democratic values.
Kindergarten Curriculum
Michigan Open Book Project & Sequence Chart
Visual Art
The visual art curriculum for kindergarten in a full-day setting is taught by a visual art specialist. This highly structured, sequential framework has been specially designed to provide developmentally appropriate skills and knowledge while honing creativity, appreciation, historical understanding, and the ability to discuss and analyze art. In kindergarten, students will develop an awareness of two- and three-dimensional forms, manipulate art tools, be exposed to famous works of art, and learn to use a wide array of art materials. Throughout the year, student art may be displayed in individual school buildings and throughout the community.
Vocal/General Music
An elementary music specialist teaches Vocal/general music in a full-day kindergarten setting. Students learn to make and respond to music through age-appropriate songs, dances, and activities. Basic instruction includes: Exploring their singing voices and other sounds; keeping a steady beat utilizing physical movement, dances, games, and rhythm instruments; learning a variety of traditional songs; and creating cultural awareness through songs, instruments, and ethnic dances. (Students enrolled in half-day kindergarten have music taught by their classroom teacher.)
Health
The study of health in kindergarten is one of self-discovery and self-realization. It is an opportunity for children to explore what is valued by themselves and others and to grow socially and emotionally. The importance of the family and the interdependence of all people are identified.
Children begin to identify the individual health practices that promote good health and emotional well-being. Students identify common household products that may be unsafe or poisonous.
Physical Education
Students go to Physical Education class for 35 minutes twice a week. During these classes students are given opportunities to develop Gross Motor skills and coordination. A variety of objects used in physical education will assist students’ development of eye, hand, and foot coordination. Students will be assessed on some locomotor skills, movements and actions. Students will also develop positive characteristics and attitudes conducive to physical fitness through exercise and activities. Through organized activities and game play, students develop a sense of fair play, and cooperation with others. Fitness components consist of but are not limited to endurance, upper body strength, core strength and flexibility. Students are introduced to the T.R.O.Y Fitness Program and are tested on two parts: Jump Roping and Continuous Jog.
ELD
The English language development program helps ensure learning for all students, specifically students who are multilingual and in the process of acquiring English as an additional language. The ELD specialists provide small group instruction for English language acquisition outside the grade level classroom with frequency based on the students’ unique instructional needs. They also support access to classroom content by pushing into grade level classrooms.
