Kindergarten and Young Fives
Young Fives
Children enter kindergarten with a range of skills, both physical and cognitive. Often, children who turn five years of age after August will have a significantly different level of development than children approaching their sixth birthday. For this reason, Cross Creek Charter Academy offers a Young Fives program. The program is designed for students who have a summer or fall birth date and could use additional time to develop readiness skills. The development of fine motor skills in preparation for kindergarten is an important part of Young Fives. After activities which strengthen muscle development, students have many opportunities to use pencils, crayons, and scissors and are instructed and guided regularly as to their proper usage.
Students enrolled in Young Fives have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities designed to help them make the adjustment to the school environment and working in a group. It is important that children learn to function well in the classroom environment. This includes getting along with other children and cooperating with adults other than their own parents. Young Fives students learn to take turns and wait without interrupting, along with other social skills which teach the children thinking, reasoning and decision making skills. They also work diligently to develop their listening skills, social/emotional skills, literacy, language, mathematical reasoning, and knowledge acquisition through a thematic approach. Research shows that children must first have a strong base in language: rhyming, patterning, playing with words, listening to stories, etc. From the first day till the last, Young Fives students are saturated with these concepts in a fun, yet challenging way.
Assessments
The elementary classroom teacher consistently monitors each child’s progress, starting at the beginning of the school year and continuing throughout the year. Teachers give one-on-one assessments on a regular basis and are also attentive to the daily work each child completes in the classroom. A portfolio of work is collected throughout the year to document progress. This progress is also documented on the Cross Creek Charter Academy progressive report card.
Young Fives or Kindergarten?
Enrollment in the Young Fives program is a decision made by parents with input from teachers and administrators through a screening process. Always keep in mind what is best for your children in the long run. It is better to give them another year to grow than to become frustrated with their development and achievement. Young Fives takes a more hands on approach to academics than kindergarten but still offers many traditional learning opportunities. The program, which was developed for children who turn 5 years old between June 1st, and December 1st, provides the foundation children need when they become ready to read. All students, including those in Young Fives, must be five years old on or before December 1st.
"What a gift Young Fives has been for our son, Max. Our two other children attended different young fives programs and I am so impressed with the one at Cross Creek...I believe this program will give Max the growth and the "tools" needed to be a success throughout elementary."
Tracy, Young Fives Parent
Kindergarten
The most significant academic work is done in the area of reading readiness. Children participate in many activities and lessons that prepare them for reading. Reading readiness is an essential part of the kindergarten experience and one that should be taken seriously by both student and parents. A significant aspect of reading readiness is learning sound/symbol associations. All letters are taught by the end of the second month of school. Students begin with a brief introduction of each letter and then move on to letter sounds and proper formation, using both the Open Court Reading Program and Letter People curricula. By the end of kindergarten, most students will be reading.
The development of fine motor skills in preparation for first grade is also an important part of kindergarten. Students have many opportunities to use pencils, crayons and scissors and are instructed and reminded regularly as to their proper usage. The Handwriting Without Tears program is used to reinforce proper formation of capital and lowercase letters, as well as numbers.
Kindergartners have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities designed to help them make the adjustment to the school environment and working in a group. It is important that children learn to function well in the classroom environment. This includes getting along with other children and cooperating with adults other than their own parents. Kindergartners learn to take turns and wait without interrupting. They also work diligently to develop their listening skills.
Our moral focus program also begins in Kindergarten. Students are introduced to monthly virtues and keywords through the use of stories and role-playing, as well as teaching by example. Kindergarteners also attend specials classes once a week for 30 minutes. Specials include Art, Music, Physical Education and Library. All special classes are taught by certified teachers who are experts in their field.
Assessments
The classroom teacher consistently monitors each child’s progress, starting at the beginning of the school year and continuing throughout the year. Teachers give one-on-one assessments on a regular basis and are also attentive to the daily work each child completes in the classroom. The information gained through these assessments is used to tailor the program to meet the needs of each individual child. This progress is also documented on the Cross Creek Charter Academy progressive report card. Throughout the year, all kindergartners take the Renaissance Learning Star Early Literacy Test. This computer adaptive test evaluates progress and learning in the five domains of reading.
To see how your child can benefit from a superb Byron Center elementary school, visit Cross Creek Charter Academy today.
