Kindergarten introduces children and parents to the public school experience. Setting the tone for all future learning, the kindergarten program encourages a positive self-image by providing age and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Children enter kindergarten with different experiences and degrees of readiness. Using information from prekindergarten interviews, pre-school information and personal observation, the kindergarten teacher, in presenting the curriculum, selects and uses activities to meet individual differences and stages of developmental growth.
Kindergarten children learn by doing. They need to be actively involved in the learning process, using all their senses to collect and evaluate information, to manipulate objects, to compare and contrast what they observe and to make sense of the world around them. Kindergarten children enter school with eagerness and enthusiasm for learning, but their physical development may impact their ability to learn. Small muscles are still developing while the large muscles are more highly developed. Hearing and eye coordination may not be fully developed, making auditory and visual discrimination difficult.
Socially and emotionally, the kindergarten child is moving into a wider environment. The desire for independence blends with the need for structure and predictable routine. Attention span varies but kindergarten children generally want to please the adults in their lives.
Kindergarten activities that are age-appropriate and meet developmental needs help each child to succeed and to feel capable of learning. These activities result in social, emotional and academic growth.
*Taken from the TPS Website
