Language Arts
Children communicate as soon as they enter the room. They figure out with their friends what early morning choice they should pick; they negotiate over turns, seating arrangements, materials, rules of a game, etc. Of course every group offers an opportunity to share a story, a joke, or a concern.

Class Meeting is among the most important moments in our days. They offer a public forum to discuss intellectual ideas, personal concerns, conflict resolutions, observations, issues that come up during the day, and what it means to be part of a group. Our written notes are one indication to the children of just how much we value both what they say and how they say it. Meetings are an important place for children to practice language. We try to give them as many opportunities as we can to speak with each other and share ideas and thoughts. In the beginning of the year the children's words are very much directed to the teachers, but by spring they are talking and listening to each other. In the Kindergarten, they also begin to realize the power of their words, how what you say or the tone can hurt or help another person.

Writing
We believe that most children can write before they can read and thus writing is an important part of the Kindergarten classroom. Each child has a Writing Journal to record, using pictures and words, a story, a special event, a thought or idea. The form of child's Writing Journal varies with other language skills and development. Early work often begins with a drawing alone. The drawing is the child's first attempt to compose an idea on paper. Some children will draw what seems to be the same image day after day, but with each drawing the child is reworking her/his idea. Later the children begin to add labels to their drawings. The first letter of the word may represent the labels. During the year, the children are encouraged to build or "encode" their own words.

"Invented" spelling helps foster independence in writing and at the same time reinforces the early phonics skills used for reading. Children are encouraged to use any and all "tools" to stimulate the development of sight vocabulary, which can be used in both writing and reading. These tools may include words from the message board, choice tags, class list, words remembered from a book or help from a friend. Through the "writing process" and "invented spelling" children can become uninhibited in their pursuit or written expression and gain confidence and pride in themselves as writers.

As confidence builds children begin to say, "I can do this by myself" and off they go. By the second half of the year, children are prompted to move away from labeling and towards writing ideas. It is an exciting moment for all when children write their first idea. They already have some understanding of the power of the English code. When they realize they must limit their many different ideas to a sentence or two (because writing is still challenging) there is often a feeling of disappointment. The children's disenchantment is often allayed when they are given the chance to share their page verbally with their peers. They can read their single sentence or two, and they can add on orally to their truncated idea. Each time a child shares from his/her book they may ask for two questions or comments. When a peer says, "I like your drawing", the writer has learned to ask in response, "What do you like about it?” As the year progresses, the questions and comments become more sophisticated.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the Writing Journal is that they contain in one volume, the work each child has done since September. The children frequently look back as their earlier pages and marvel at how far they have come both as artists and as writers.

Writing activities occur throughout the day. Making signs for a block structure, taking play dough food orders, helping to write special messages, writing letters and messages to friends and family, recording their observations at a science experiment and making books in the Writing Center are examples of the many opportunities that children have each day to communicate through writing.

Reading
We like to provide a relaxed environment for children as they begin the reading process. Children seem to pick up quickly on the expectations to read early right away. Beginning reading can mean many things. Some memorize a favorite story. Others are using context and pictures to tell the story. They are tuning into the print around them and finding it has meaning. We read repetitive and predictable texts. We read exciting folktales and familiar stories and chapter books!

For most children the desire to read is a natural outgrowth of being read to. Each day before lunch the group gathers for a story time. Generally we read books that support a theme in the classroom or a favorite a child has brought. Many children's first reading experiences are an offshoot of their drawing and writing. Children eagerly read sections of the Writing Journal to teachers, parents and friends. When children show signs of readiness, time is devoted to attaining the skills necessary for beginning reading. During meetings, we play language games that allow children the opportunity to look for specific letters, words, and word patterns. Since letter and sound identification is only one component of becoming a successful reader, all children are engaged in activities, which will help them acquire other important literary tools. This year children experience many of these components by writing, dictating, and illustrating their own books. Understanding how books work, the importance of pictures, the connection between the spoken and the printed word as well as developing a love of literature are important aspects of the Kindergarten experience. Print becomes meaningful to the children.

Children connect with the reading process throughout their day. The overall program is designed to meet the reality that the class is composed of children who possess unique styles, strengths and needs. Common to all is an enthusiasm and excitement about books, writing and reading.

Plays/Dramatic Play
Your children will become playwrights this year. Each child will have their own playbook in the room to record their stories. Each Tuesday, we select two plays, dictated to us by the children. From the start, children have been excited by plays. They love sitting down with a teacher to dictate a story. By the end of the year, children begin writing for their audience. It is interesting to see how the concept of story matures as they write throughout the year, how they gain sense of story and sequence. An audience often evolves as a child dictates. The playwrights choose actors for their plays. They help appoint roles, block the stage and offer advice to their actors. After each play, children receive questions and comments about their important feedback. Fantasy plays an important role in the lives of your children. The dramatic play area offers a structure for such play. We also play lots of storytelling games with the children. The area evolves throughout the year as our themes change. We also have children design and decorate the area through the year.