Kindergarten

Developmentally Appropriate Program to Prepare Your Child for Scholastic Success

An alternative to public kindergarten, the Woodside Kindergarten class focuses on the strengths, interests, needs, and life experiences of all the children.

Our Kindergarten program was established in September 2002, at the beginning of our second year of operation, as a result of the interest of Woodside families who were exploring educational options for their older children. Working together with Woodside staff and first grade teachers in the public system, an integrated Kindergarten curriculum and learning environment were created.

To keep the Kindergarten viable and relevant, Woodside teachers annually assess the curriculum, learning activities, and the daily routines, and encourage feedback from families whose children have continued on to other private and public schools.

Kindergarten

5/6 Year Olds

Mornings
5 Days/Week

Team teachers provide opportunities for small, interactive group learning, with a focus on process-oriented, concrete activities, and hands-on experiences, to foster positive identity and a sense of well-being, to develop social and emotional skills, to encourage children to think, reason, question, and experiment, to encourage language and literary development, to enhance physical development and skills, to encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety, and nutritional practices, and to develop respect for and to learn from diversity.

  • Class size is limited, typically no more than 14 children, to allow for small group and individual interactions with the teachers.
  • Parents have daily contact with the teachers, and are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom.
  • Two parent/teacher conferences yearly, which include copies of written observations and individualized goals.

Woodside Curriculum Goals Third Year- Kindergarten

Literacy

Listening comprehension

Foundation in letter recognition and phonics

Whole language strategies: predicting, illustrations, context, whole word recognition (high-frequency/sight words)

Emergent “reading”: memorization of stories, using own words to tell the story

Repetition: rereading stories

Drawing and dictation

Appreciation of literature

Enjoyment of being read to

Mathematics

Sorting, organizing, patterns

Composing, recognizing, and counting to 100

Understanding of the value of numerals

Understanding of more/less, addition/subtraction

Handwriting/
Penmanship

Hand dominance

Awareness of appropriate pencil grip

Writing own name using upper and lower case letters

Consistent formation of letters; height, form, size

Work Habits

Concentrate and complete task

Make work choices independently

Work alone and in a group

Listen to and follow directions

Organize oneself, one’s space, and activities

Creative and critical thinking skills

Social/Emotional

Friendly, kind, and helpful

Caring, empathetic

Listens to others, shares ideas: collaborative

Kindergarten Half-Day Schedule

  • 9:00

    Welcome/Reconnecting

    Small Group Meeting
    Free Choice/Project Work/Key Experiences

  • 10:45

    Care of Space and Materials
    Reading in small groups
    Large Group Discussion
    Music/Movement

  • 11:00

    Snack/Toileting/Handwashing

  • 11:15

    Outdoor Learning and Exploration

  • 12:15

    Lunch
    Puzzles/Board Work/Independent Reading

  • 1:00

    Dismissal

    Extended Hours: Continued Free Choice/Small Group Key Experiences
  • 2:00

    Outdoor Learning and Exploration

  • 3:00

    Late Snack

  • 3:15 - 3:30

    End of Day
    Reconnecting with Families

“Both the children I have nannied for have attended Woodside and a third child in Plymouth that I watch will be attending starting next September. I have looked at many of the Plymouth preschools and I highly recommend Woodside.”

Allison, G., Plymouth
Watercolor illustration of a blue and maroon dragonfly