A Closer Look: Kindergarten at PNA
8/31/2019
Kindergarten is a year of tremendous growth and your little one will blossom as a reader, writer, mathematician, scientist, explorer, engineer, friend, learner, and citizen of the world. At PNA, we teach using the workshop style to engage students in authentic reading, writing, and math experiences that help them grow not only in each of these areas, but as independent learners as well. This year, I am adding an inquiry workshop, in which we will study our science and social studies topics. I am excited about giving my students the opportunity to take more responsibility and initiative in asking questions, researching and exploring to learn more, and sharing this knowledge with each other. Our science and social studies topics include:
We also want our students to become confident, lifelong learners, something which workshop style teaching naturally fosters. In workshop style teaching, there is a short (10-15 minute), whole group lesson, known as a mini-lesson, that targets the specific skills, strategies, and content all students need to know. Students spend the rest of their time doing: exploring, experimenting, and practicing the target skills and strategies. During this time, students might be working independently, with partners or in small groups, or with me. This gives me the opportunity to meet with individual students or small groups of students, providing enrichment or support and meeting the unique needs of each student. Workshops allow students to build stamina for academic tasks, use skills and strategies independently, and develop responsibility through making choices and developing the skills to regulate their own learning. Because students are truly engaged in their independent and small group learning, workshop teaching ensures that all students are involved with high-quality learning throughout the day, not just when working with the teacher. It simultaneously honors and teaches the natural way humans learn - through experimenting, doing, researching, reading, writing, creating, asking questions and seeking the answers. At the beginning of the year in kindergarten, we are working on building our classroom community, a community of learners that take risks, try new things, share knowledge, and respect each other's contributions. We are building the structure and routines for our workshops that will allow students to engage successfully in learning throughout the year.Thank you for joining us in the important task of helping our little ones develop into curious and confident lifelong learners!
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Saania AliMs. Ali graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She specializes in Early Childhood Education, ESL, and Special Education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, and painting! Archives
April 2021
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