The Early Childhood Program (Pre-Kindergarten for 3 year olds/Kindergarten-1 for 4 year olds/Kindergarten-2 for 5 year olds) provides our youngest learners with a supportive and nurturing environment where children’s social skills, self-esteem, and the importance of sharing and helping one another are stressed. The curriculum introduces children to language and literacy skills, mathematics, social studies, music, art and perceptual motor (physical education) activities. Children are encouraged to explore, discover and embrace new experiences in preparation for the academic and social expectations of grade one.



The objective of the Pre-Kinder program is to ensure the children’s integral development in the following areas: cognitive, motor and especially emotional. Our main goals are to reinforce the children’s independence, autonomy and self-help, and to provide a positive environment for social interaction.

The Pre-Kinder curriculum is mainly designed for the children to come and “play.” For pre-schoolers, playing is as essential a part of their development as are food and rest. Children take notice of their right to play when the adults surrounding them appreciate and respect the games, and provide enough private space and time for them. In Pre- Kinder the activities surrounding the children encompass this need to play through fun activities and motivate them in all their developmental areas.

Pre-Kinder Centers

The core of the Pre Kinder program revolves around Centers. Organizing the classroom into well-defined activity areas or centers provides the opportunities for children to develop a wide range of capacities, including social, self-management, language, motor and math skills. As children become familiar with the centers, they know what activities and materials are available. They can plan where they would like to play and in the areas of their choice. In these centers, the children have the chance to play independently with concrete material, experiment with a variety of possibilities, explore different objects, discover their properties, and participate in cooperative interactions with their peers.

The centers available to the children are:
• Dramatic Play
• Block Building
• Water or Sand Table
• Art
• Science
• Listening

Other activities that take place in Pre-Kinder include:
• Small Group Activities
• Morning Meeting
• Story Time
• Free Choice Play
• Outdoor Activities
• Lunch
• Recess
• Literature Activities
• Music
• Physical Education

Pre-Kinder Language Arts

The majority of the children entering school at our Pre-Kinder level are native Spanish speakers who have had very little exposure to English. The major goal in this area is getting the children acquainted with their surroundings so that they are comfortable enough to share experiences and feelings. Basic instructions are given in English and the children soon learn phrases like:
• Put your lunch away
• Put on your backpack
• Clean up
• Push your chair in
• Etc.

Books, rhymes, songs and poems are also covered in English so that by the second semester, the children are comfortable in this environment and, therefore, more English can be introduced. By the end of the school year the children have acquired a large amount of vocabulary and have developed their receptive English skills so that they can understand the language, even though they will still often respond in Spanish.





The majority of children in the Kinder 1 program will enter school speaking Spanish.  Since the children have been acclimated to school during their  Pre-K year, the K1 program focuses strongly on the development of English, still within a developmentally appropriate practices philosophy. Children this age are primed to learn language. The K1 teachers only speak English to the children, although they are bilingual and can understand the children’s Spanish. Throughout the year, the children become more and more comfortable speaking English. Much of our program focuses on the development of language and the acquisition of early reading and writing skills in English.

Kinder 1 Monthly Themes

• August = Getting Along & My School
• September = My Family
• October = Animals
• November = Food & Nutrition
• December = Time for Sharing
• February = Exploring Water
• March = My Country
• April = Numbers
• May = Sports & Health
• June = Our Environment

Kinder 1 Goals for First Semester

Listening and Speaking
• Practices appropriate listening skills
• Participates in class
• Imitates modeled English language
• Speaks clearly
• Understands basic instructions

Reading and Writing
• Shows interest in books/pictures
• Tells stories
• Explores books
• Uses simple sentences to retell a story
• Recognizes name with a model
• Writes name with a model
• Uses drawing to communicate ideas

Math
• Shows an interest in manipulative materials
• Sorts objects by shape, color or size
• Shows an awareness of different patterns
• Counts orally to 30
• Compares quantities of objects
• Attempts to estimate
• Uses non standard units of measure
• Recognizes 6 basic colors

Kinder 1 Goals for Second Semester

Listening and Speaking
• Practices appropriate listening skills, making eye contact, raising hand to speak
• Uses supportive language
• Participates in class activities
• Imitates modeled English language
• Speaks clearly
• Understands basic instructions
• Uses English to meet needs
• Responds to opened ended questions in English
• Speaks in simple sentences in English
• Interacts with peers using English
• Begins using generated language in English

Reading and Writing
• Knows some (most) of the English letters / sounds
• Print awareness front-to-back, left-to-right, top-to-bottom
• Recognizes some words in the environment
• Chooses to look at books during free time
• Retells a story in their own words
• Uses visual aids in retelling a story
• Identifies character and setting in a familiar story
• Describes the meaning of author and illustrator in a story
• Uses pictures to predict print/story
• Uses print-like symbols/scribbles/letters to communicate meaning
• Copies environmental print
• Writes name without a model
• Begins to recognize rhyming words / makes rhyming words

Math
• Experiments with manipulative materials
• Sorts objects by 2 attributes (color, size, shape, etc.)
• Reads, copies and creates simple patterns
• Recognizes and makes basic shapes
• Compares quantity of objects: More/less/same
• Orally counts to 40
• Identifies first, second, third
• Describes position and directionality of objects relative to other objects (left/right, top/bottom, over/under, in/out, etc.)
• Recognizes 10 colors





The Kinder 2 program integrates the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. We intend to challenge each student to grow academically, emotionally and socially in a student-centered curriculum, which emphasizes a constructive thinking process.

Our program is based on monthly themes and students are exposed each day to a variety of literature. This frequent interaction with stories will engage them and invite them to develop an appreciation for the power and beauty of the written word.

Kinder 2 Language Arts

Our program promotes the following skills:
• Letter and sound recognition
• Phonemic awareness
• Recognition of sight words
• Semi-phonetic spelling (“inventive spelling”)

Listening:  Stories, Songs, Poems and Directions
• Listen attentively to a conversation, story, poem or song.
• Follow simple two or three-step directions.
• Ask questions and/or makes comments abut a story, poem of song.
• Retell a familiar story, poem, or song in his/her own words.
• Follow a small set of step-by-step directions, orally and without prompts.
• Understand nouns commonly found in books for young children.

Speaking
• Paraphrase a response from another student.
• Communicate socially with peers.
• Describe people, places, things (e.g., size, color, shape), locations, and actions.
• Recite short poems, rhymes, and songs.
• Relate an experience or creative story in a logical sequence.
• Follow rules of conversation and participate actively.

Writing
• Write by moving from left to right and top to bottom.
• Write legibly with upper and lowercase letters.
• Write with proper spacing between words (finger spacing).
• Attempt to use correct pencil grip and be aware of correct paper position and sitting posture.
• Spell independently using "invented spelling".
• Use beginning capital letters in sentences.

Reading
• Enjoy reading and being read to.
• Check out books from the library.
• Choose a favorite book independently.
• Take pleasure in personal reading accomplishments.
• Identify the front and back covers, title, author, illustrations and dedications of a book.
• Recognize and name all upper and lowercase letters.
• Point to words from left to right and top to bottom with one-to-one matching.
• Identify and produce rhyming words in response to an oral prompt.
• Count the number of sounds in syllables and syllables in words.
• Identify the beginning middle and ending sounds of one-syllable words.
• Track auditorily each word in a sentence and each syllable in a word.
• Match consonant and vowel sounds with appropriate letters.
•  Read simple one syllable (CVC) and high-frequency words (e.g., theme words).
• Read what he/she has written.
• Describe common objects and events in both general and specific language.

Kinder 2 Mathematics

The goal of our program is to produce mathematically powerful thinkers and problem solvers who are confident and feel comfortable using mathematics in their daily lives.

Math Skills include:
• Number and Number Sense
• Patterns
• Sorting
• Classifying
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Data and Graphs
• Addition and Subtraction Concepts

Number and Number Sense
• Demonstrates recognition of numerals from 1 to 100 in random order.
• Demonstrates the concept of quantity (i.e. more & less).
• Demonstrates the use of comparative terms (i.e. big/little, long/short, wide/narrow,thick/thin, before/after, heavy/light, far/near).
•  Demonstrates the use of concept of order (i.e. first, last, beginning, end). 
•  Demonstrates one to one correspondence using manipulatives for 1-20.
•  Can determine an equivalent set up to 10. 
•  Understands the concept of place value and shows the difference between ones and tens.
•  Demonstrates rote counting to 100.  
•  Demonstrates number concepts to 20.
•  Demonstrates the ability to write numbers 0 – 100.
•  Demonstrates counting using visual cues and/or manipulatives.

PATTERNS
• Demonstrates understanding of numbers and their operations.
• Demonstrates understanding of simple fractions such as parts of a whole and halves.
• Demonstrates the understanding of the property of addition and subtraction. 
• Identifies the commutative property (ex. 3 + 2 = 2 + 3).  
• Demonstrates  the ability to form and count groups of fives and tens. 

 SORTING
•  Demonstrates  the use of estimation in a variety of mathematical situations:  whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, graphs, time, etc. 
•  Explores estimation strategies to determine if an answer is reasonable.

GEOMETRY
• Recognizes plane and solid geometric shapes in a practical setting.  
•  Identify, draw and/or construct four basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle.
•  Demonstrates understanding of words in spatial relationships (i.e. to/bottom/between, before/after, in/out, left/right, over/under).   

MEASUREMENT 
•  Ability to make and interpret basic graphs, tables and/or charts. 
•  Understanding of measurement for using non-standard and standard measures for length, weight, and volume. 
•  Explores time to the hour using hour and half hour. 
•  Demonstrates knowledge of months of the year and days of the week.

CLASSIFYING  
•  Demonstrates ability to identify, sort, and classify objects by more than three characteristics (color, shape, size).  
•  Demonstrates sequencing order as well as compare two objects based on their attributes.

MATH PROCESS
•   Uses whole number models (e.g., pattern blocks, tiles, or other manipulative material) to represent problems. 
•   Expresses mathematical ideas graphically, verbally and in writing.
•   Demonstrates mathematical reasoning skills in a variety of performance tasks and/or assessments.

The Nido first grade program is a transition for students from our Kindergarten program to the more formal learning environment of the Elementary School program. Our approach to learning is still the ‘hands-on, student centered approach’ of Kindergarten, however, the environment is more structured. Daily lessons and homework are developmentally appropriate and the expectations for student attention and performance increases throughout the year in order to prepare our students to be successful in second grade.

In addition to the daily lessons with the homeroom teachers, first grade students also go to PE twice a week, and music, art and computers once a week. Students attend Spanish class each day in groups according to their ability in that language.

A major focus of the curriculum is the development of language arts skills. Much emphasis is placed on reading, writing, speaking and listening. A new Math program was implemented during the 2002-2003 school year called Everyday Math. A new language arts program has been adopted for implementation in 2003-2004. In addition, the English and Spanish language arts programs are being coordinated more closely for next year.

Grade One Language Arts include:

Writing
• Select a focus when writing.
• Write in complete, coherent sentences.
• Write legibly and space letters, words, and sentences appropriately.
• Distinguish between declarative and interrogative sentences.
• Use question marks and periods at the end of sentences.
• Capitalize the first word of a sentence, names of people and the pronoun I.
• Identify and correctly use singular and plural nouns.
• Identify and correctly use contractions (e.g., isn't, aren't, can't, won't) and singular possessive pronouns (e.g., my/mine, his/her, hers, your/s) in writing and speaking.
• Use "invented spelling" to form words.
• Spell three-and four-letter long and short vowel words, consonant blends and grade-level appropriate sight words correctly.

Reading
• Check out books from the library.
• Choose a favorite book (e.g., for SSR).
• Complete a monthly reading contract.
• Identify letters, words, and sentences.
• Match oral words to printed words.
• Identify the title and author of a reading selection.
• Distinguish between initial, middle and final sounds in single-syllable words (e.g., clap out the sounds of words, "stretch the rubber band").
• Distinguish between similar consonant blends (e.g., ch, sh, and th).
• Distinguish long- and short-vowel sounds in orally stated single-syllable words (e.g., bit/bite).
• Create and state a series of rhyming words, including consonant blends.
• Add, delete, or change target sounds to change words (e.g., change cow to how; pan to an).
• Blend two to four phonemes into recognizable words (e.g., /c/a/t/ = cat; /f/l/a/t/ = flat).
• Segment single syllable words into their components (e.g., /c/a/t/ = cat; /s/p/l/a/t/ =splat; /r/i/ch/ = rich).
• Generate the sounds from all the letters and letter patterns, including consonant blends, digraphs, and long- and short-vowel patterns (i.e., phonograms), and blend those sounds into recognizable words.
• Read word endings (e.g., ing, ed, est, er).
• Match printed words from one location to another (e.g., from board to card).
• Read common, irregular sight words (e.g., the, have, said, come, give, of).
• Use knowledge of vowel digraphs and r-controlled letter-sound associations to read words.
• Read compound words and contractions.
• Read common word families (e.g., -ite, -ate).
• Read aloud with fluency in a manner that sounds like natural speech.
• Respond to who, what, when, where, and how questions about text.
• Use context to resolve ambiguities about word and sentence meanings.
• Confirm predictions about what will happen next in a text by identifying key words (i.e., signpost words).
• Relate prior knowledge to textual information.
• Retell the central ideas of simple expository or narrative passages.
• Identify and describe the elements of plot, setting, and character(s) in a story, as well as the story's beginning, middle, and ending.
• Describe the roles of authors and illustrators and their contributions to print materials.
• Recognize and understand high frequency words.
• Use critical key words from reading selections in written work.

Listening
• Follow simple two-step instructions.
• Listen to and retell a story.
• Attend to the classroom rhythm (e.g., for activity changing.
• Asks questions for clarification.
• Show appreciation at end of presentations.

SPEAKING
• Waits for turn to speak
• Participates in group activities (e.g., ask questions, raise hand, respond to questions).
• Stay on the topic when speaking.
• Use descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things, and events.
• Recite poems, rhymes, songs, and stories.
• Retell stories using basic story grammar and relating the sequence of story events by answering who, what, when, where, why, and how questions.
• Relate an important life event or personal experience in a simple sequence.
• Provide descriptions with careful attention to sensory detail.

Grade One Mathematics Skills include:



NUMBER & NUMBER SENSE
• Each student demonstrates the knowledge of the concept of place value of large & small numbers.
• Demonstrate recognition of numerals from 1 to 100 in random order.
• Demonstrates number sequence to 100 by counting and writing.
• Demonstrate one to one correspondence (ie, demonstrate knowledge of one to one relationships).
• Understand the number system by relating counting, grouping (by 2's, 5's and 10's ) and place value concepts up to 100.
• Can read, write and represent place value to the hundredths using money (dollars and cents).
• Understand place value to 9.999.
• Each student demonstrates understanding of numbers and their operations.
• Uses ordinal numbers up to 12.
• Demonstrates understanding of simple fractions as parts of a group; such as part of a whole: halves, quarters and thirds.
• Identifies odd and even numbers.
• Identifies multiples of numbers using skip counting (i.e., multiples, of 2 are 4, 6, 8 and 10).
• Demonstrates the understanding of fact families (i.e., 9=5+4, 3+6, 2+7 etc.) in addition and subtraction.
• Demonstrates understanding of the property of zero in addition and subtraction.
• Demonstrates the understanding of inverse operation (i.e., addition is the inverse of subtraction).
• Each student demonstrates a Variety of strategies for computation in the basic operations of whole numbers
• Demonstrates addition facts through 18.
• Adds up to three numbers without regrouping in a row.
• Demonstrates addition using two digit numbers with and without regrouping (vertical and horizontal).
• Demonstrates subtraction facts through 18.
• Demonstrates subtraction up to two digit numbers without re-grouping.
• Demonstrates addition & subtraction of decimals through using money.
• Understands the value of money in a base 10 system using money.
• Each student demonstrates the practical use of estimation in a variety of mathematical situations: whole numbers, fractions, graphs, time, etc.
• Demonstrates addition & subtraction of decimals through using money.
• Understands the value of money in a base 10 system using money.
• Explores estimation strategies (i.e., rounding)
• Determine if an answer is reason.
• Applies estimation when working with quantities, measurement and problem solving.

GEOMETRY
• Each student recognizes plane & solid geometry shapes in a practical setting.
• Can identify geometric figures in the real world: square, rectangle, triangle, circle, cube, cone, sphere, pyramid and cylinder.
• Can identify compare, classify, draw &/or construct geometric figures.

PROBABILITY & STATISTICS
• Students investigate, describe, and discuss their natural surroundings. They begin to question why things move.
• Each student demonstrates the given probable outcome of an event certain variables.
• Predicts and records results of chances from certain events.
• Each student demonstrates the ability to collect and organize data in a variety of graphic forms, analyze the data, and effectively communicates the results.
• Demonstrates the ability to collect organize, and interpret data to make a bar graph.
• Demonstrates the ability to Interpret data from graphs.

MEASUREMENT
• Students ask questions about a variety of living things and everyday events that can be answered through shared observations.
• Each student demonstrates understanding of measurement for using non-standard and standard measures.

• Uses non-standard units of measure for length, weight, and volume.
• Demonstrates the use of the metric system (i.e., meter, centimeter, gram, liter, millimeter, milliliter).
• Demonstrates the ability to use appropriate measuring instruments (i.e., clock, ruler, thermometer).
• Computes area and perimeter by counting.
• Tells and writes time to hour and half hour using digital and analog clocks.
• Demonstrates knowledge of months of the year and days of the week.

PATTERNS AND FUNCTIONS
• Students use shapes to compare objects and they begin to recognize patterns.
• Each student demonstrates conceptual and operational knowledge of unknown and simple equations.
• Applies the concept of an unknown variable using two basic operations (i.e., 8 + ___= 12 is 8 + n = 12).
• Each student demonstrates the ability to identify, describe, classify, recognize and formulate patterns.
• Demonstrates the ability to identify and continue a pattern to number sequences (i.e., 1,2,3,4,5... To 30).
• Demonstrates the ability to create a pattern concretely and symbolically.

PROBLEM SOLVING
• Each student demonstrates the given probable outcome of an event certain variables
• Each student demonstrates a variety of problem solving strategies in math performance tasks and/or assessments.
• Demonstrates the ability to solve open-ended and real world problems in mathematics using a combination of math content relationships: number sense, geometry, measurement, algebra and functions, probability and statistics computation, estimation and operations
• Demonstrates the ability to solve open-ended and real world problems in mathematics by applying a variety of the following strategies: use multiple methods to solve problems, finds more than one way to solve a problem (where appropriate), works backwards, breaks the problem into smaller parts makes or draws a physical description uses manipulative.

• Demonstrate the ability to organize information using a combination of the following: guess and checks, looks for patterns, makes charts, tables or graphs eliminates possibilities, makes a list, writes an equation, geometric representations, diagrams (venn), makes a model.

MATH COMMUNICATIONS
• Students begin to understand how things are similar and how they are different. They look for ways to distinguish between different objects by observation.
• Each student demonstrates the ability to express his/her thinking process and rationale in mathematics in a clear organized format using graphic, written verbal communications skills.
• Expresses simple mathematical ideas graphically, verbally and in writing.
• Explains the process used to arrive at an answer.
• Uses correct terminology.
• Is able to restate and/or summarize the problem.
• Translates written math problems into math symbols and vice versa.
• Reads and understand math problems appropriate for grade level.

MATH REASONING
• Students begin to understand how things are similar and how they are different. They look for ways to distinguish between different objects by observation.
• Each student demonstrates math reasoning skills in a variety of performance tasks and/or assessments.
• Is able to judge the validity of an argument using the following strategies:
1) Identifies reasonable answers
2) Justifies answers and solution processes
3) Locates the flaw in a mathematical argument
4) Can distinguish between extraneous and pertinent information needed to solve a problem
5) Uses specific examples to make a generalization
• Interprets and draws conclusions from data such as graphs, tables and charts using the following strategies:
1) Classifies and sorts by similarities and differences
2) Generalizes from related examples
3) Extends patterns

MATH CONNECTIONS
• Students begin to understand how things are similar and how they are different. They look for ways to distinguish between different objects by observation.
• Each student demonstrates the ability to make connections with mathematical understanding and real-world applications.
• Understand the relationship between math skills and real-world applications and can apply them (i.e., math activities, projects and investigations).
• Can transfer data from one representation to another (table-graph).
• Can transfer the relationship between concrete models and mathematical symbols.

MATH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
• Students begin to demonstrates responsibilities for his/her own learning.
• The student demonstrates the responsibility to learn by exhibiting the following traits:
a. Completes the assignments on time.
b. Corrects errors.
c. Uses class time wisely.
d. Is able to seek appropriate assistance when help is needed.
e. Works productively individually and in varied instructional groups.
f. Math homework is assigned to enhance and extend the school curriculum.
• Each student demonstrates ability to use technology appropriately in mathematics.
• Demonstrates when calculator and /or computer is useful and efficient.
• Computes basic mathematical facts without a calculator but uses a calculator for more complex work.

The Early Childhood Center has a highly experienced psychologist, which consults and collaborates with Early Childhood parents and school personnel regarding mental health, behavioral and educational concerns, in order that the initial school years provide students with developmental and academic sound alternatives.


The psychologist provides the school with the following:
• Testing or coordinating group screening of students applying to Nido in the Early Childhood Center (PK, KI, KII).
• Coordination and supervision of record keeping efforts on behalf of students.
• Psychological and psycho-educational assessments of children when appropriate.
• Utilization of formal instruments, procedures and techniques including interviews, observations, and behavioral evaluations.
• Direct and indirect interventions to facilitate the functioning of individuals and groups.
• Cooperation in the design of programs to enhance cognitive affective and social development.
• In-service and other skills enhancement activities to school personnel and parents, regarding issues of human learning, development and behavior.

For assistance, please contact Consuelo Hurtado, the Early Childhood Center Psychologist.