Kindergarten at Dall'Inizio DaySchool
Small Class Size Equals Big Opportunities
Kindergarten can be a fun and exciting year for families. Whether they are enrolling in a public or private school, kindergarten is the first year your child will have to meet certain state requirements. These requirements can add extra pressure on families as they transition into this new chapter of their lives. Ensuring children gain the right foundation for learning and growth during their kindergarten year will help prepare them to have successful years of learning as they move forward on their educational path.
Kindergarten is the culmination of your child’s journey, setting them up for a successful academic life. Our PA State Certified teacher prepares children for success in elementary school and beyond. Kindergarten students will participate in literacy, writing, social studies, STEM, music, art, gym, and library classes on a weekly basis and take enriching field trips throughout the year.
A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Kindergarten Program
At Dall’Inizio DaySchool, our kindergarten program offers a blend of Reggio-inspired and project-based learning while incorporating Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards. In this setting, children are offered broad experiences in all areas of education. In kindergarten, our curriculum changes from an “emergent” curriculum to a “negotiated” curriculum. This “negotiated” curriculum allows and encourages children to work together with their teacher to create a new path of knowledge and discovery. Similar to our preschool programs, the project-based approach allows collaboration among children and teachers, shared experiences in and outside of the classroom, and a deep exploration of specific topics and subject areas.
Reggio-inspired kindergarten programs tend to have more flexibility on how and what material is taught, especially when compared to public kindergarten programs. Public kindergarten programs follow much stricter guidelines for standards and ways of teaching. Teaching standards created so children will pass state tests can take away from children’s creativity, interest, and individuality. In Dall’Inizio DaySchool’s kindergarten classroom, children are able to build their educational foundation based on their own interests and exploration, all while following state requirements. This foundation of knowledge paves a strong path for future learning.
Dall’Inizio DaySchool believes that with a Reggio-inspired curriculum, children can pursue their own interests, work together and master the concepts they need for their educational journey. Dall’Inizio DaySchool allows children to naturally build their passion for learning, ultimately creating a lifelong love of learning!
A Nurturing Academic Experience
Incorporating Mindfulness along with Social and Emotional Skills in our Classroom
“It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
Our kindergarten program supports children as they grow socially, behaviorally, and academically. Spending time on social development is a very important component of our kindergarten program as it is the foundation for behavioral and academic learning.
Building a culture of mindfulness in our classroom leads to powerful outcomes. We work to integrate mindfulness techniques into our classroom in order to promote the power of reflection, stress management and long term brain health. Stress can be detrimental to children, whose stress-response systems are not fully developed. Bringing mindfulness into our classroom teaches children self-awareness, self-regulation and healthy habits. We believe incorporating mindfulness into our curriculum will aide in improving social and emotional measures such as sharing, attention and empathy. With mindfulness as a part of our curriculum we cultivate the foundational attitudes of curiosity, gratitude, patience, trust, acceptance, etc. It is our hope to create a school environment of trust and familiarity, so that we can be most supportive in helping children learn.
Spending time on social development is a very important component of our kindergarten program as it is the foundation for behavioral and academic learning.
Social Development
Shows curiosity and an eagerness to try new things.
Participates in activities.
Participates cooperatively in the classroom community.
Plays cooperatively.
Accepts responsibility for own actions.
Solves problems appropriately.
Expresses himself/herself appropriately.
Shows self-control.
Shows confidence.
Respectful Citizen Behaviors
Shows consideration and respect.
Follows school expectations.
Demonstrates self-control.
Demonstrates positive attitude.
Respectful Learner Behaviors
Demonstrates self-management problem solving skills.
Works cooperatively in groups of various sizes.
Demonstrates active participation.
Follows directions.
Demonstrates active listening.
Organizes time, task, and materials.
Seeks help when appropriate.
Completes work.
Demonstrates perseverance.