At The Saklan School, we honor your child’s transition into kindergarten by providing them with rich learning experiences combined with a warm environment to help your child thrive. Through our hands-on, project-based curriculum, we honor students' authentic interests and talents.

The Saklan School Kindergarten Curriculum

Math

Our kindergartners learn math concepts through hands-on exploration. We use the Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics Program and lay the foundation of connecting mental math and logical reasoning skills to mathematical concepts and applications. We emphasize number concepts, patterns, counting, addition and subtraction, graphing, classifying, sorting, place value, number writing, and shapes. We also use counting collections, math centers and a variety of other resources such as YouCubed and IXL.

Social Studies

Our kindergarten classroom uses an integrated approach to develop respect and understanding for individual differences and commonalities. We emphasize the understanding and creation of community. Students learn about the school community and how they can be active participants in caring for both our school and the world around them. At Saklan, kindergarten students explore friendships, learn about families and traditions, practice collaboration and complex communication, while also building their knowledge in each academic content area.

Project Based Learning

Project learning in kindergarten provides a bridge between the ECE project approach model that is deeply student-driven and the Project Based Learning model that holds authentic student curiosity and addresses academic content standards in equal value. Projects in kindergarten retain sustained student inquiry by seeking to answer a question or solve a problem that matters to them as their teacher expertly weaves reading, writing, math, science, and social studies standards learning throughout the project milestones and products. Some examples of driving questions from our Project Based Learning units in kindergarten are:

• “What does our apple tree need to thrive?”
• “How can we take care of our community and inspire others to help us?”
• “What makes our names special?”

Language Arts

We apply the Wonders Reading Program in our kindergarten classroom, all letters and sounds, many sight words and word families are introduced with the goal of mastery by the end of the year. Teachers provide many opportunities and experiences for these young students to learn language in all its varied forms: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Literacy is also integrated into many other aspects of your kindergartner's day, including a love of literature with weekly visits to our library, journaling, art, science, math and social studies.

Science

Science is integrated throughout the Kindergarten curriculum. We concentrate on inquiry-based and hands-on methodologies. Your kindergartner's natural curiosity will be nurtured as they learn to question and explore to find the answers to their questions about the world around them. In the classroom we focus on major areas such as: weather, living and non-living things, and force and motion.

Our kindergartners also visit the science lab throughout the year for more hands-on science. The lab unit, taught by our science specialist, allows our young learners to use science equipment, go in-depth into the scientific method to encourage a genuine love of science.

Field Experiences and Expert Visits

A variety of field experiences are scheduled to support many content areas and are intentionally used to support our Project Based Learning units. Learning from experts in the field maximizes time spent outside of the classroom and extends academic learning beyond the walls of their classroom. Some of the opportunities include: the fire station, the Moraga Community Garden, the Oakland Zoo and various on-site expert visits and presentations.

Specialist Activities

In addition to the core curriculum, Saklan School Kindergarteners:

• Take part in our Spanish language learning with an interactive approach, using songs, poetry, stories, games, and activities to focus on the oral elements of the language. Throughout the year, students are introduced to more complex grammar concepts, begin to read and write simple text, and learn about Latino culture.
  
• Enjoy Music and the opportunity it provides to discover individual talent and passion. Students are encouraged to experiment and learn about a variety of instruments, from hand drums and drum kits, to xylophones and hand bells, and apply these experiences to performances.
  
• Participate in Visual Arts, where students use their inner and outer world to inspire unique works of art. The students explore and express their creativity using a variety of mediums in both two and three dimensions.
  
• Have robust Physical Education experiences. Physical play is an integral part of our kindergartner's learning experience at The Saklan School. Young students explore the relationship between practice (routine, repetition, and intensity), and motor skill acquisition. They practice how to organize and cooperate for healthy competition.