Kindergarten Circle Time with Teacher Melissa

Circle time provides students an opportunity to learn in a fun, engaging manner while also encouraging socialization skills. Having circle time online can open up a whole new world for students by allowing them to learn next to other children from various places all over the world.

Each time we meet, we will explore these subjects:
1. Welcome and introduction song - Your child will be warmly greeted and welcomed as a part of our group. This is a great time for your child to learn how to meet and interact with other learners. One of the biggest skills we work on at the beginning of each meeting time is being a good friend who listens to others in the group.
2. Date and weather - Through songs and chants, your child will learn the seasons, today's date, the days of the week, and the months of the year.
3. Phonics - We will begin by learning individual letter sounds. We will gradually begin to blend the consonant and vowel sounds with the goal of confidently reading short vowel words. This builds a solid foundation for independent reading.
4. Language enrichment - Your child will explore rhyme and rhythm while singing and chanting their favorite nursery rhymes, finger plays, and songs. This will enrich your child's vocabulary while giving an opportunity to wiggle and have fun.
5. Number skills - We will focus on number recognition, counting, number order, before/after/between, shapes, colors, sizes, patterns, addition, and subtraction.
6. Science - Your child will explore topics such as plants, animals and their habitats, our bodies, space, and more! 
7. Social studies - Your child will learn various community helpers in their communities and tour the world while learning mapping skills. We will learn the continents and oceans and what animals live in various habitats around the world.

Here is a month-by-month plan for our year. Your child is always more than welcome to join us mid-year as we consistently review previously learned topics to build confidence. Children at this age benefit so much from review and enjoy the repetition especially when presented in a fun way through games and songs. Also, while this is a rough plan for what I present to the students each month, I do take into account the individual abilities of the group, offering an extra challenge for those needing it and scaling down for those who may need extra support. We celebrate every child trying their best realizing that sometimes making mistakes and being willing to learn can show more courage than always having the right answers.

September
Phonics: Letters and sounds A, E, I, O, rhymes
Numbers: Count 1-10, identify 1-4, circle, square, red, orange
Poetry/Music: The Apple Tree, Apples and Bananas, The Wheels on the Bus
Science: Plants - parts of a plant, what a plant needs, life cycle of a plant, eating plants 
Social Studies: community helpers - teacher, school bus driver, continent: North America

October
Phonics: Letters and sounds U, B, C, D, rhymes
Numbers: Count 1-10, identify 5-8, triangle, rectangle, yellow, green, sorting by size and color
Poetry/Music: Purple Cow, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Humpty Dumpty, Old MacDonald
Science: Human body - parts of the body, bones and muscles, skin and hair, organs 
Social Studies: police officer, pilot, continent: South America

November
Phonics: Letters and sounds F, G, H, J, blends, rhymes
Numbers: Count 1-20, identify 9-12, oval, star, blue, violet, sorting and comparing, patterning ABAB, addition family 1, 2
Poetry/Music: Who Has Seen the Wind?, Twinkle Little Star, Hey Diddle Diddle
Science: Five senses, primary and secondary colors
Social Studies: doctor, baker, continent: Europe

December
Phonics: Letters and sounds K, L, M, N, blends
Numbers: Count 1-30, identify 13-16, heart, hexagon, pink, purple, patterning AABAAB, addition family 3, 4
Poetry/Music: Mix a Pancake, Baa Black Sheep, Jack and Jill
Science: Arctic habitat, living and non-living things
Social Studies: farmer, veterinarian, continent: Africa

January
Phonics: Letters and sounds P, Q, R, S, blends
Numbers: Count 1-40, identify 17-20, sphere, brown, black, patterning ABBABB, addition family 5, after numbers 1-10
Poetry/Music: Chubby Little Snowman, Hickory Dickory Dock, This Little Girl is Ready for Bed
Science: Mountain habitat, insects and arachnids
Social Studies: construction worker, mail carrier, continent: Asia

February
Phonics: Letters and sounds T, V, W, X, blends, CVC words
Numbers: Count 1-50, identify 20-40, Number words 1-4, cube, white, gray, after numbers 1-20, before numbers 1-10, patterning AAABAAAB, addition family 6
Poetry/Music: North Wind, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Up the Tall White Candlestick, Sally the Camel
Science: Desert habitat, reptiles
Social Studies: dentist, judge, continent: Australia

March
Phonics: Letters and sounds Y, Z, A, E, I, O, CVC words, sight words: a, the
Numbers: Count 1-100, identify 50-70, number words 5-8, rectangular prism, after numbers 1-20, before numbers 1-10, patterning ABBBABBB, addition family 7
Poetry/Music: I’m a Little Teapot, Jack be Nimble, If You’re Happy and You Know It
Science: Rainforest/Jungle habitat, birds
Social Studies: trash collector, soldier, continent: Antarctica

April
Phonics: Letters and sounds U, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, CVC words, sight words: I, is
Numbers: Count by 10s, identify 80-100, number words 9-12, triangular prism, after numbers 1-100, between numbers 1-10, before numbers 1-100, addition family 8
Poetry/Music: The Secret, Little Miss Muffet, The Bear Went Over the Mountain, Buckle My Shoe
Science: Mountain habitat, mammals
Social Studies: nurse, cashier, ocean: Pacific

May
Phonics: Letters and sounds K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, CVC sentences, nouns, sight words: be, me, my
Numbers: Count by 5s, number words 13-16, addition family 9, between numbers 1-100
Poetry/Music: There’s a Worm in the Bottom of My Garden, Row Your Boat, Five Little Speckled Frogs
Science: Savannah habitat, amphibians
Social Studies: bank teller, carpenter, ocean: Atlantic

June
Phonics: Letters and sounds T, V, W, X, Y, Z, CVC sentences, adjectives, sight words: you, are, we, they
Numbers: Greater/less than 1-20, number words 17-20, Addition family 10, time: hour
Poetry/Music: There was a Little Turtle, Once I Caught a Fish Alive
Science: Ocean habitat, fish
Social Studies: firefighter, highway worker, ocean: Indian

July
Phonics: Letters Review, long vowels, verbs, sight words: have, good, where
Numbers: Subtraction 1-5, addition review 1-10, time: half hour, greater/less than 1-100
Poetry/Music: Five Fat Sausages, Five Little Ducks
Science: Classifying Animals
Social Studies: mechanic, hairstylist, ocean: Arctic

August
Phonics: Letters Review, long vowels, verbs, sight words: there, down, all
Numbers: Subtraction 1-10, addition review 1-10, time: quarter hour
Poetry/Music: Five Little Monkeys, There Were Ten in the Bed 
Science: Space - planets, sun/stars, moon, astronauts
Social Studies: chef, librarian, ocean: Southern

While we will have a great time singing and wiggling around, this ongoing class is more intensive in learning. I am also offering a similar class that meets for a shorter length of time for those learners who are not fully ready for a 45-minute class. You can choose which class is the best fit for your child.