Jr. Kindergarten

Curriculum

All programs incorporate our SPROUTS Curriculum.  Jr. Kindergarten is a Kindergarten Prep Class that is Theme-Based.  All lessons and activities are based off of the literature for the day.  Each week, the students are introduced to new concepts that build on previous lessons to continually develop academic, social, and emotional skills such as letter recognition, science, and math while working on fine and gross motor skills. 

Nurturing Environment

The goal of Jr. Kindergarten is to help instill a love of education and learning while preparing the students for their next steps in their academic development whether that is Kindergarten or 1st Grade.  Our goal is to help develop the whole child - academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. 

Typical Schedule

  • Drop-Off, Recess & Bathroom Break
  • Circle Time
  • Snack
  • Projects
  • Recess & Dismissal
  • Programs available from 7am-6pm.

Snacks

Families take turns providing a dry and healthy snack throughout the year. 

Discipline

At this age there is more of an emphasis on  teaching the students how to share and be good friends than discipline. 

Meet the Teacher

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Ms. Kathy

Welcome to Jr. Kindergarten!  I'm Kathy Nelson, but the kids call me, "Ms. Kathy."  My under grad, graduate work, and teaching degree are all in Early Childhood Education.  My experience includes teaching Preschool and Jr. Kindergarten, First and Second Grades, as well as tutoring grades Kindergarten through Fifth.  I believe learning should be engaging, supportive, and fun.  The environment I strive to create will nurture each child's unique developmental level:  cognitively, socially, and emotionally.  I want your child to enjoy school and learning, as well as become problem solvers and active learners.  Our year is filled with Literature, Math, Science, Music, Art, friends, and fun!


My curriculum is theme based, incorporating a letter of the alphabet each week.  We read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, do author and character studies, and enjoy the classics.  The best stories encourage participation, foster language growth, support comprehension skills, and promote a love for books.   Math is all around us and so much fun!  Our classroom is constantly counting, comparing, estimating, patterning, sorting, and graphing.   Games and edible snacks make Math concepts interesting and delicious.                


We are surrounded by nature and science daily at Long Grove Country School.  Children are constantly "watching" the world around them.  These "observation" skills are the foundation to scientific thinking. I will integrate this natural curiosity into our classroom setting as well by using everyday objects, like blocks, candy or water/ice.  I will encourage them to make predictions (develop a hypothesis), act on them (conduct) and observe results.  Their little minds are constantly making comparisons as well as building language and problem skills.  

Music, movement, and art are wonderful outlets to support creativity, build small and large motor skills and eye-hand coordination, allow for exploration, and nurture enjoyment for learning!