Kindergarten Core Components

Overview
Core components

 Arrival/Dismissal

Arrival and dismissal routines should be designed to foster independence, build self-reliance, practice executive function development, participate in appropriate socialization, and enable children contribute to the orderliness of their classroom environment. Arrival routines such as unpacking materials should be completed during the time between first and second bells. The instructional day begins with the second bell and does not include the arrival window. The use of morning work is not required and should be implemented according to the needs of the schedule and subject time requirements.

 language arts

The language arts block is is thoughtfully designed to support beginning readers and writers. Through guided and direct instruction combined with meaningful independent practice, kindergarten students are provided with with opportunities to become successful communicators, to read comprehensively, write effectively, speak meaningfully, and listen critically. A student-centered, integrated instructional approach is used to ensure that learners become thinking, probing users of language.

  90 Minutes

 Mathematics

Exposing children to mathematical concepts in a developmentally appropriate way prepares them for mathematics learning and attitudes as they advance through school. Daily opportunities, skillfully created and differentiated according to student level of knowledge, allow children to learn and manipulate mathematical ideas and concepts through play, exploration, and analysis. Teachers build mathematical learning environments that are developmentally appropriate, offer rigorous instruction to all students, and offer a wide variety of activities based on individual learning trajectories.

  60 Minutes

 Content

  30-45 Minutes

The standards of science, health, and social studies are taught through both integrated and direct instruction. Drawing on prior knowledge, learning is grounded in realia and hands-on experiences that allow students to form new schemas. Teachers promote and value students’ thinking, curiosity, and questioning, while planning for instruction that allows children to solve problems, seek answers to their questions, and develop positive attitudes towards a variety of subjects.

• Centers that support current content units
• Integration of English Language Arts standards
• Health
• Science
• Social Studies

 Centers / Student Selected Activities

Student Selected Activities (i.e., centers, guided play, center time, or choice time) are intentional opportunities that provide students with a variety of opportunities to learn and explore new concepts through hands-on-activities. Learning through play is a critical component of cognitive development. Play helps children learn problem-solving skills and new concepts in a natural and uninterrupted way. According to Sergio Pellis, a researcher at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, "the experience of play changes the connections of the neurons at the front end of your brain. And without play experience, those neurons aren't changed. It is those changes in the prefrontal cortex during childhood that help wire up the brain's executive control center, which has a critical role in regulating emotions, making plans and solving problems. So play is what prepares a young brain for life, love and even schoolwork.”

Centers are also a time for teachers to focus on teaching social scripts, conversational rules, and taking turns, in addition to facilitating social emotional development and transfer of learning through authentic experiences. Teachers are mindful to change activities and materials as necessary in response to student interest and the current academic focus. Basic centers should always be labeled, organized and conveniently placed for the children to access. Self-selected activities allow students to make their own choices and direct their own play. Adults assist all students in building independence; during centers, teachers are expected to observe, record, confer, participate, or facilitate. Procedures are in place that allow children to select, transition between, and recall their time spent in centers. 

  30-40 Minutes

  Kindergarten Centers

 Multiple community times

Multiple community times are intended to support the developmental needs of young children. They should be purposefully planned to occur throughout the day and/or week. For example, students may need quiet time following recess in order to calm their bodies and minds, and prepare for work time. They may need Take 10 between two long blocks of instruction. Music and Movement, selected to support curricular objects, can be embedded into whole group instruction. Morning Message is a powerful tool to incorporate transfer of English Language Arts objectives such as sight words, letter-sound correspondence, conventions, etc. The use of Multiple Community times should be responsive to class need; as such, not all options are needed on a daily basis or in a successive block of time, but should be incorporated throughout the course of a week.

  Varies by need

 Social Foundations

Social foundations, also known as Social Emotional Learning (SEL), included in the Maryland Early Learning Standards, have been developed birth through kindergarten. Like other subjects, mastery of the social foundation standards is supported through intentional engagement of the standards Links to an external site. with quality learning materials (i.e., Caring School Community), play, teacher-directed instruction, circles, feedback, and repeated opportunities for application, practice, and mastery. Resources for SEL can be found in Exemplary Instruction.  

  15 Minutes Direct, Incorporated Throughout the Day via Application and Reinforcement

  Social Foundations Domain Standards Links to an external site. (Maryland's Guide to Early Childhood Pedagogy, Birth to Age 8, Standard Progression)

 Sample Schedules

The following are samples of exemplary daily schedules that could be implemented in a 6.5-hour school day. The minimum time requirements for each component are not flexible. The placement of each component in the daily schedule can be left to the discretion of school administration and the kindergarten team. Please contact the Office of Early Childhood Programs for scheduling support.