At this kindergarten school that specializes in an English immersion program, the approaches were focused on whole language and Total Physical Response. Student evaluations were based on authentic assessments such as portfolios and class observations. I communicated daily with parents on the student's progress. Yearly curriculum planning was a necessary part of the duties. Areas of learning experience for children were personal, social, creating, knowledge, expressing, responding and cultural

 

I taught young learners skills in all areas of early childhood education. These skills included listening skills, reading readiness, math readiness, writing readiness, phonics, social readiness, and fine arts.

 

Listening skills

Children practice listening skills by using everyday moments, playing games and telling stories.

 

Reading readiness

In developing reading readiness, key concepts and skills used included: pretending to read, looking at pictures and tell a story, knowing what a letter is, be familiar with the alphabet, identify parts of the body,  know common zoo animals, and identify other children by name.

 

Math readiness

Children compared things to develop visual discrimination and visual memory skills.  Pattern recognition activities require children to observe and continue patterns preparing them for learning to recognize numbers.  Number recognition and counting activities prepare preschoolers for grade school level addition and subtraction exercises. 

 

Writing readiness

I taught children how to hold a crayon and identify numbers and letters. Children learned how to form each letter and capitals were formed by starting at the top of the letter.

Knowledge of pre-writing concepts such as top, middle, bottom, up, down, straight lines, curved lines, or loopy lines were taught. Children also knew the letters in their name and I encourage them to write and draw pictures.

 

 

Phonics

I taught children how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters and blending the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations of unknown words.

 

Social Readiness

The curriculum used play to introduce children for social readiness.  The three stages consist of:

1. Sensory Exploration Play: Using playdoh and sand to experience sensory qualities.

2. Parallel Play: Use of building blocks where children played with the same toy.

3. Interactive play: Playing with another child with one material. Children use a picture and two markers to work. Other activities included a seesaw and a wagon where the children can take turns pulling and being pulled.

 

Fine Arts

The foundations of fine arts were introduced.

For dance, children move in general space, in a variety of directions and learn to balance.

For drama, children demonstrate a willingness to show feelings and work co-operatively.

For music, children respond to beat in music and perform rhythmic patterns in class.

For art, children described the forms of an image and identify a variety of images.