Curriculum

Children will learn to count backwards from 100.

Children will be able to count to determine the number of objects and understand the relationship between numbers and quantities by connecting counting to cardinality.

Children will be able to count forward starting from any given number within the known sequence, rather than always beginning at 1.

Children will be able to find the number that, when added to any given number from 1 to 9, totals 10. They will use objects or drawings to facilitate this understanding and will record the answer using a drawing or an equation.

Children will be able to learn number names and the count sequence. They will be able to count to 100 by ones and by tens.

Children will learn to mentally calculate 10 more or 10 less than a given two-digit number without counting explicitly. They will also be able to explain the reasoning behind their mental calculations.

Children will use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces about their favorite books. For example, a 5-year-old might choose to talk about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. The child could draw a picture of the caterpillar eating through various foods, dictate to a teacher or use beginner writing skills to note, "My favorite book is 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar.'" They could then express their opinion, "I like it because the caterpillar eats so many things and turns into a butterfly."

Children will combine drawing, dictating, and writing to create informative texts about a specific topic. For instance, a 5-year-old could choose the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle to explain the lifecycle of a butterfly. The child might draw the stages the caterpillar goes through, from egg to butterfly, dictate to an adult or jot down basic sentences like, "The caterpillar starts as an egg on a leaf." They could add, "It eats a lot and grows, then sleeps in a cocoon before becoming a butterfly."

Children will use drawing, dictating, and writing to tell a story. Using "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle, a 5-year-old might draw and label the caterpillar eating foods from Monday to Sunday. They could dictate or write, "First, he ate an apple. Then, two pears." They might finish by saying, "I liked when he turned into a butterfly," showing how to sequence events and express reactions.

Children will learn to enhance their writing by responding to feedback with adult help. For example, a 5-year-old writes about a day at the zoo and draws a picture of animals they saw. An adult might ask, "What sounds did the animals make?" or a peer might suggest, "Write about the big elephant you saw!" The child can then add these details to their writing, such as "The lion roared loudly" or "The big elephant sprayed water with its trunk."