Kindergarten is a special place. Not because it is the beginning of one’s school experience but because it is where children have the greatest sense of adventure, gratitude, wonder, and perseverance. In Kindergarten, students don’t stop asking questions, literally and figuratively. Through playful inquiry, STS Kindergarten students explore the transdisciplinary themes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), and early literacy and numeracy skills. Kindergarten is an environment rich with quality literature, hands-on math manipulatives, and provocative artifacts to engage young minds. A culture of curiosity and observation cultivates the learning process, meeting children where they are, so their development may be taken further.
Key to thinking, learning, and the establishment of a community model, the environment plays an essential role in helping students feel safe, comfortable, and continually intrigued by the sensory experiences carefully crafted for them. Play and design with open-ended materials and integration of the arts allow children to document their learning and understanding in a unique and meaningful way.
These are some highlights from our Kindergarten learning adventures:
- We imagine and build story characters who act in the stories we write
- We learn to express, identify, and wonder about our emotions. Story, art, and the 3D carver help to reveal our learning
- We find math everywhere. Literally everywhere! We designed one inquiry where number, pattern, and geometry came alive through our experiences
- As scientists and artists, we uncovered the processes and changes that occur when foods are brought to our tables
