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Kindergarten: Language Arts
Kindergarten classrooms provide a language-rich environment in which children develop a love of literature and begin to see themselves as readers and writers. Listening, speaking, writing, and reading are essential components of the kindergarten literacy program. These four components are integrated into the overall curriculum, as well as taught explicitly as part of a balanced literacy program. Daily experience in shared reading, read-alouds, letter-and-word study and guided reading provides students with the strategies and support they need as they progress toward becoming independent readers.
Students learn about different authors and genres and create a variety of class books in response to stories and themes of study. Writing is an integral part of the kindergarten program. Teachers use morning messages, predictable charts and other shared writing experiences to introduce and model writing skills. During Writer’s Workshop children are encouraged to express their ideas first with drawings and dictation, then progress to using letters and words. Children have regular opportunities to share their writing with others and to recognize the value of literacy in their daily lives. Vocabulary and oral language skills are developed as children listen to, retell and act out a wide range of songs, poems and stories.
The balanced literacy program in kindergarten aims to:
- Instill in children a desire to learn to read and write
- Develop phonemic awareness
- Encourage letter and sound recognition
- Teach essential language and print concepts
- Extend vocabulary
Resources:
- Building Blocks for Kindergarten: Patricia Cunningham and Dorothy Hall
- Making Meaning Program: Developmental Studies Center
- Guided Reading leveled books: Scholastic and Wright Group
- Developmental Continuums: Bonnie Campbell Hill
- The Continuum of Literacy Learning: Fountas and Pinnell
- Guided Reading: Fountas and Pinnell
- Classroom library books and Big Books
- Units of Study for Primary Writing: Lucy Calkins
- Developmental Reading Assessment K-3: Pearson
