Our teachers use appropriate pedagogical strategies to set students up for success.
Curriculum
Reading
The concept that every kid is a reader who can analyze, synthesize, and understand tales is instilled in students from the first day of kindergarten. Some kids are reading picture books, while others are reading short chapter novels when they arrive at Pioneer Academy. Students learn to select "just perfect" books for them. Every day, our K-1 students read from the tiered classroom library. Teachers help them build decoding and comprehension abilities. Teachers work one-on-one with students and in small groups with the goal of building strong reading habits and experiencing the joy of reading. Reading Workshop begins with a mini-lesson on a reading strategy, followed by pupils independently practicing that strategy. Students frequently collaborate with reading partners, reading aloud to one another, asking one another questions, and predicting what will happen next in a novel. Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms frequently begin the day by reading aloud to family and friends during Drop Everything and Read. Students also learn to read sight words and acquire phonological awareness. Spelling is taught using a variety of tactics, including word games, word sorts, phonics-based texts, and word families.
Writing
The Writing Workshop approach emerges from research that literacy and play are intrinsically linked. In writing workshops, students are guided through the writing process: generating ideas, drafting and nurturing those ideas, editing and revising their work, and finally publishing their writing. Teachers provide each student the opportunity to create stories using a variety of different materials, including clay, beads, oil pastels, paints, blocks, puppets, and dramatic play. Students are asked the essential questions, “Where do stories come from?” and “What materials will inspire you to tell your story?” Students are encouraged to play with materials and investigate elements of a story, including characters, setting, and plot. Stories may take different forms, including fiction, personal narrative, and poetry. Following story creation, students capture their stories in writing. Each workshop begins with a mini-lesson in which the teacher introduces a writing technique such as adding detail or suspense. Children spend their writing time attempting to apply strategies and skills learned from the daily mini-lessons. Each student has a writing folder where work in progress is kept so that children may add to and revise their work. At the end of each unit, children share finished pieces during an Author’s Writing Celebration.
STANDARDS AND SKILLS:
Develop reading comprehension and decoding skills
Develop a love of reading to include a variety of genres and authors
Write uppercase and lowercase letters correctly
Develop phonetic spelling skills and spell grade-level words conventionally
Write complete sentences, short personal narratives, and creative stories
Kindergarten Social Studies will introduce kids to the concept of self-identity as well as the world around them. The first lesson focuses on the individual child, emphasizing the features that distinguish him or her from others in his or her family, class, and school. Students will examine what distinguishes them from their peers and what binds them together.
In the second subject, students will learn about the qualities and attributes that make good citizens. Throughout the school year, students will be expected to maintain simple classroom jobs and routines in order to develop a sense of responsibility and accountability. There will be discussions about what makes a rule or law good and fair, as well as how a culture's behavior influences its culture.
Students begin their time in the science lab exploring the five senses to make careful scientific observations. From these observations, students construct realistic animal habitats. During a unit on plant and animal life cycles, students plant seeds and observe their growth over time. Dissecting lima beans, children see firsthand that seeds contain new baby plants. They also study the four stages of a ladybug’s life cycle, learning that ladybugs are beneficial insects when they release them into the P community garden.
- Learn and use laboratory and equipment safely
- Children identify themselves as scientists breaking stereotypes
- Make accurate observations using the five senses
- Conduct experiments to gather data in pictures, words, and numbers
- Determine properties of objects: magnetism, buoyancy, and flexibility
- Understand the role of beneficial insects
Pioneer Academy's STEM Program for kindergarten provides young learners with an engaging and age-appropriate introduction to technology and engineering. The program is divided into two parts, with students spending half of the year focusing on technology topics and the other half on engineering concepts.
In the technology units, kindergarten students are introduced to the world of computers through interactive activities. They learn about the basics of computers, including how they work and what they can be used for. The curriculum also emphasizes the importance of digital citizenship, teaching students how to navigate the online world responsibly and safely.
Kindergarteners explore digital design by engaging in creative projects that encourage imagination and problem-solving. They are introduced to typing skills, handwriting, and basic spelling and writing activities to enhance their communication abilities. Google Docs is introduced as a platform for collaborative writing and document creation. Additionally, math connections are made by exploring how technology concepts relate to mathematical ideas, providing a well-rounded educational experience.
During the engineering units, students participate in hands-on science labs that stimulate their curiosity and develop their understanding of scientific principles. They engage in engineering design challenges specifically designed for their age group, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through building with K'Nex and Lego projects, students explore foundational engineering concepts by constructing and experimenting with structures and mechanisms, developing their fine motor skills in the process. The program may also include Strawbees projects, where students use a construction kit to create imaginative structures and foster creativity.
Pioneer Academy's kindergarten STEM Program offers a balanced and interactive curriculum, introducing young students to the exciting worlds of technology and engineering. By engaging in age-appropriate activities and projects, students develop fundamental skills and a strong foundation in these fields, nurturing their curiosity and setting them on a path towards future STEM success.
Children discover the value of knowing many ways to solve a given problem. Teachers guide students through a series of strategies to help them solve problems and to express mathematical thinking. Each student keeps a math journal to create a record of their mathematical thinking in pictures, numerals, and words. Orally sharing their problem-solving strategies provides an opportunity to practice clear mathematical communication.
In kindergarten, the math curriculum reinforces concepts and essential skills relevant for this age, enhances student understanding of what is around them, and motivates children to explore and learn more.
- Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction
- Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction
- Add and subtract within 20
- Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract
- Reason with shapes and their attributes
Students discover elements of art and principles of design through color, texture, line, shape, form, and pattern in fundamentals of drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, and new genres. In collaboration with their social studies theme, Homes and Habitats, students create ceramic objects for their homes. Students are encouraged to have free expression while experimenting with learned techniques and skills in every project.
Physical education classes begin with warm-up activities. Jogging, jumping rope, parachute games, tumbling, and dance activities build aerobic and anaerobic endurance.
Games designed to develop physical skills that include agility, balance, object manipulation, spatial awareness, directionality, and creative movement are enjoyed in large and small groups. Foundational sports skills of jumping; catching and throwing; kicking, trapping and dribbling; and volleying and striking are learned in a fun, noncompetitive atmosphere.
All partner and group play is supervised to help children develop positive personal skills, self-esteem, and ease in cooperative social situations.
The Music curriculum from Kindergarten through 2nd grade focuses on general music, where students experience music education through singing, dancing, and play. Orff, Kodaly & Dalcroze serve as the backbone techniques of this generation. Performances are an integral part of the program.