Curriculum

Children will understand that words are separated by spaces in print. For example, during a reading activity, they will learn to identify where one word ends and another begins by pointing out spaces between words. They might practice this by reading simple sentences and saying, "I see spaces here, which means these are different words!" This helps them recognize the structure of written language and improves their reading comprehension.

Children will recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters. For example, they will understand that the word "cat" is made up of the letters C, A, and T. They will develop the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in words through activities like saying the sounds aloud or using phonemic games, such as blending sounds together to form words, like /k/ /a/ /t/ to say "cat." This foundational skill supports their reading and writing development.

Children will follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. They will understand the basic directionality of print by practicing with books, learning that text flows in these specific directions. For example, as they read a picture book, they might point to the words and say, "I read this line first, then the next line." This helps reinforce their understanding of how print is organized on the page.

Children will demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. They will learn concepts such as reading from left to right, recognizing the front and back covers of a book, and identifying the title and author. For example, they might point out the title of a story and explain that it's what the book is called. This helps them develop early literacy skills, providing a strong foundation for future reading and writing success.

Children will produce complete sentences when appropriate to the task and situation. For example, during a show-and-tell, a child might say, "I brought my favorite book because I love the story," rather than just saying, "My book." This encourages clear communication and helps them express their thoughts more effectively.

Children will add drawings or other visual displays to their descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. For instance, after describing their favorite animal, a child might draw a picture of that animal and label it, saying, "This is my dog, Max. He is brown and loves to play fetch!" This helps enhance their verbal descriptions and provides a clearer understanding of their ideas.

Children will ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to gather additional information or clarify something they do not understand. For example, if a teacher talks about a field trip, a child might ask, "What time will we leave?" or say, "Can you explain what we will do there?" This helps them gain a better understanding of the information being shared.

Children will ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally.For example, after a story, they might ask, "Why did the character feel sad?" and respond, "The character felt sad because they lost their favorite toy." This encourages them to understand the main ideas and details from the discussion.

Children will ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.For example, during a conversation about a story they just read, if a child hears a classmate mention a character they don't understand, they might ask, "Can you tell me who that character is?"

Children will build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges. For example, if one child says, "I loved the way the main character helped his friend," another child might respond with, "Yes! That part made me feel happy," and then the first child can build on that by saying, "I liked it because it showed how important friendship is."