The Magical World of KAS Kindergarten
As I was about to start a tour the other day, a mom asked why she should send her Kindergarten to KAS. Without a moment of hesitation, I listed a dozen reasons why and could have gone on and on, instead I opened the door and introduced her to the magical world of KAS Kindergarten.
There are so many reasons why and so many things about KAS Kindergarten that elicits a smile. The organized space, sight words all over the room, the meeting corner with the calendar, the morning message, a comfortable space surrounded by books, the writing center with mailboxes labeled with each student’s name and their photo, bins filled with manipulatives of coins, blocks, and counters, table and chairs perfectly designed for their little bodies, and of course, the Kindergarten students. Seeing their smiling faces and listening to them tell you about their daily adventures and what they are learning about on any given day, well, it’s hard to walk out of the Kindergarten room without a spring in your step, uplifting energy, and a smile on your face.
The last few weeks in Kindergarten have been very busy.
In Science the students were learning about light, reflections, and shadows. What better way than to go outdoors on a sunny day and not only find their shadows but to trace shadows with chalk. With mini flashlights and the lights off in the Kindergarten classroom the students “read the room” as they found words posted around the room and wrote them down. They even got to experience and experiment with making shadow puppets on the wall with an old overhead projector.
One day the Kindergarten students came to school dressed in their coziest pajamas bringing along their most beloved stuffed animal to school for “Stuffie Day.” Of course on a day of pajamas and stuffies you are going to need some pancakes. Math was about measuring ingredients and Science was the precision of making a perfect pancake for them to enjoy.
Tuesday assembly was the Kindergarten class presenting the KAS Way to the rest of the school. Kindergarten students also have the opportunity to meet with their reading buddies. In the beginning of the year it was mostly the older students reading to the Kindergarten student, but now they are able to chime in by reading or recognizing sight words.
At Kentucky Avenue School we practice the science of reading. Utilizing the five pillars of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, we are able to group students according to their needs. Skill levels are different and that is where KAS differentiates the learning for each child in the school, not just in Kindergarten. Math and Language Art classes are at the same time every day throughout the whole building. This allows for students to move around to whatever grade level that meets their needs. So a Kindergarten student could go to first grade for reading, or even second grade, depending on where they are with their skills. They also enjoy transitioning to other classes and experiencing different teachers. They enjoy going to Spanish with Ms. Charlene, Art with Ms. Stephanie, Music with Ms. Rachel, and Library with Ms. Miriam.
Social education is as important as the academic curriculum. A large part of our Kindergarten program is building and nurturing those relationships. Learning about their interests and incorporating them into the curriculum, keeping the students engaged and motivated in their learning. KAS believes that the greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interactions. It’s about coming together, connecting, learning from one another, learning from mistakes, growing, and always supporting each other.
The other day I overheard one Kindergarten student tell another student that he is not supposed to leave the classroom without telling the teacher. I watched as two students cozied up together and shared a book. Another student called for his friend to help him build a tower. I sat there in one of their tiny chairs and watched as they moved about the room. This is their room. The confidence, trust, and support that they have in each other, the growth from that first day their tiny feet stepped into the classroom to now — the students speak for themselves as to why you should send your child to KAS.
Interested in learning more, come take a tour!
