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Kindergarten expectations have come long way
(by Sue Hoffman - February 10, 2010)
Kindergarten expectations have come long way
By SUE HOFFMAN
What a difference 13 years have made in the kindergarten curriculum, according to Marilyn Kahle, principal of Gardiner Early Learning Center in the Kenston School District.
Students who will graduate from Kenston High School this spring started their schooling with an entirely different academic experience than kindergartners have today, she said.
"Thirteen years ago, children would learn how to play in groups and share and to take directions from someone other than their parents," Mrs. Kahle said. "Children learned how to be a learner. They could read and write their name and address, know their upper case and lower case consonants, not vowels. We weren't expecting children to be writers."
Today's expectations of kindergartners are much higher, she said. The new curriculum is based on state standards for each subject: language arts, reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies.
"Now we talk about student-learning behavior. Research shows that 5- and 6-year-olds can do a lot more than we thought they could 13 years ago -- in reading, writing, comprehension, math skills and conceptual development."
Whether parents are entering their first child in kindergarten or enrolling one of their younger children when school starts next August, they'll become quickly aware of the higher expectations of today's kindergartner, Mrs. Kahle said. That's why it's so important for parents to know what those expectations are, she said.
Gardiner Early Learning Center will host two sessions of kindergarten parent orientation this month that will include a discussion of kindergarten readiness.
Orientation for parents who will be enrolling their first child in the Kenston schools will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 18. A program for parents who already have gone through the kindergarten program with another child will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 23. During orientation, parents will receive information about the registration process, see what a typical day in kindergarten is like and learn about readiness expectations. They will receive information regarding the kindergarten curriculum.
By law, children must turn 5 by Sept. 30, 2010, to enter kindergarten this August. Registration for kindergarten will take place March 2 and 3. Families can register their children from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m. on either day. Evening registration is from 5 to 7 March 2.
For families interested in the full-day program, a $200 deposit is required at the time of registration. Currently, the school has six full-day and three half-day classes. Tuition for the 2010-2011 year is $2,240.
Some parents may decide to give their children an additional year of preschool, especially those with summer birthdays, Mrs. Kahle said. That decision "has to be based on the individual child," she said, and parents need to look at the child's social and emotional development.
A good resource in making that decision is the child's preschool teacher, Mrs. Kahle said.
The school is responsible for having children meet indicators of performance based on the state standards, she said. "The content standards grow into the next grade level."
As in the past, students still have some free choice of activities and receive plenty of nurturing, and teachers still focus on their social development, Mrs. Kahle said, but academically they are expected to learn much more.
"Today's kindergartners are beginning to read," she said. They are able to write simple sentences and write stories using kids' spelling. They have simple math skills and are doing more applications. They're not just counting their numbers. They have a deeper understanding of basic math concepts."
Children are entering kindergarten with greater skills today, Mrs. Kahle said. "Many have early literacy skills and come in with basic math skills.
"We have children leaving Gardiner as early readers and early writers and with a much deeper understanding of math concepts they can apply.
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