Curriculum

Children will learn that zero represents the absence of quantity, understanding that it means "nothing" or "none."

Children will, with prompting and support, identify basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic. For example, after reading two books about animals, the teacher might ask, "What is the same about these two books?" The children could identify similarities, such as "Both books show pictures of lions." Then, the teacher might prompt them to find differences, asking, "How are these books different?" The children might respond, "One book talks about lions living in the jungle, and the other talks about lions in the zoo."

Children will actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. This means they will participate in reading sessions where they listen attentively, ask questions, and discuss the story with their peers and teachers. For example, during a group reading of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," the teacher might pause to ask the children about the caterpillar's food choices and their consequences.

Children will actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding. For example, during a shared reading session, the teacher may read a story aloud while the children follow along and track the words with their fingers. They will be encouraged to participate by predicting what will happen next, asking questions about the story, and sharing their thoughts about the characters and events.

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."

With prompting and support, children will ask and answer questions about key details in a text. For example, after reading a story like "The Three Little Pigs," a teacher might ask, "What did the first pig build his house out of?" and the child can answer, "Straw." The teacher might also encourage the child to ask their own questions, such as "Why did the wolf want to blow the houses down?"

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."

With prompting and support, children will retell familiar stories, including key details. For example, after reading "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," a teacher might ask, "Can you tell me what happened in the story?" The child could respond by saying, "Goldilocks went into the bears' house, tried their porridge, and sat in their chairs." The teacher might help by prompting them to remember important details, like, "What happened when the bears came home?"

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.

With prompting and support, children will identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. For example, in the story "Little Red Riding Hood," a teacher might guide children by asking specific questions like, "Who are the main characters in the story?" to which children might respond with "Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and the wolf." The teacher could further prompt, "Where does the story take place?" leading children to discuss the settings such as the forest and grandmother's house. Finally, to identify major events, the teacher might ask, "What happens when Little Red Riding Hood meets the wolf?"