Note: It is NOT necessary that learners complete first semester part one prior to enrolling in this class. 

This class will provide a POD for learners. The same students will meet together each day to learn and work together. Friendships and bonds will be created throughout the class. 

This course is designed as a complete kindergarten core curriculum class which follows the Science of Reading/Writing, Next Generation Science Standards and proven math and social studies activities. Student led and teacher facilitated this course will provide exposure to all skills to prepare for first grade.  

The essential questions and learning targets will build upon each other and will be repeated throughout the course. This allows for review and repetition. Opportunities will be provided regularly for students to apply new and previously taught skills. This strategy will ensure students solidify content. The teacher will spiral up or down for each student as the course progresses and student individual needs are identified. 

Students will meet daily with the teacher and each other and a routine will be established inclusive of a welcome song, daily circle time to practice calendar skills, alphabet recognition and phonics sounds, sight words, tracking weather and place value. Students will then be involved in a daily interactive read aloud which will develop literacy skills and comprehension strategies.

After the daily routine meeting will be skill time. Each day the skill will focus on a different content area:
Monday-literacy
Tuesday-writing
Wednesday-science
Thursday-social studies
Friday-social/emotional or self-help skills

Weekly Essential Questions and Learning Targets:

Week One:
How do I blend word parts together when reading?
How does knowing letter sounds help me write words?
What are the months in the summer season?
What is a community helper?
How can I express my feelings to others?

I can blend sounds to help me read words.
I can use what I know about letter sounds to write words and sentences.
I can name the months in the summer season.
I can describe community helpers in my community.
I can tell others how I feel.

Week Two:

What are ways I can help figure out a word I do not know when reading.
What are the parts of a good story?
What are the months in the fall season?
What are the jobs of common community helpers?
Why is it important for me to know how others feel?

I can apply strategies to help me read a new word.
I can write a beginning sentence to a story.
I can tell the months of the fall season.
I can describe the jobs of common community helpers.
I can tell why it is important to know how my classmates feel.

Week Three:

Why is important to look beyond the first letter of a word while reading?
What are the parts of a good story?
What are forces?
Where in the world do you live?
Why is it important to control myself?

I can use what I know about sounds to read past the first letter of a word.
I can add a middle sentence to my writing.
I can demonstrated a push and a pull.
I can tell the name of the city and state (or province) in which I live.
I can demonstrate ways to regulate my body.

Week Four:

Why is it important to track words when I read?
What are the parts of a good story?
What is gravity?
Where in the world do you live?
Why are the words I use to talk to others important?

I can track left to right and top to bottom when I read a book.
I can add a second middle sentence to a story to add more detail.
I can demonstrate understanding of gravity.
I can tell the country in which I live.
I can use kind words when speaking with others.

Week Five:

What are strategies to use when decoding words?
What are the parts of a good story?
How do forces help us in our every day life?
Where in the world do you live?
Who are people that can help us when we need help?

I can use reading strategies to help me read words.
I can write an ending to a story.
I can demonstrate how pushes, pulls and gravity help me in my daily life.
I can tell the continent on which I live.
I can name two people to help me when I need help.

Week Six:

What is reading stamina?
How can my drawings help me create a good story?
What is motion?
Where in the world do I live?
What are ways to stay healthy as the season changes?

I can begin to build stamina with independent reading.
I can create a drawing and label it before writing a beginning sentence.
I can demonstrate motions with my body.
I can tell my continent, country, state and city.
I can state two ways to stay healthy as the season changes.

Week Seven:

Why should I have reading stamina?
How do my ideas for writing help me write?
What are the signs of the season in my area?
How can I show appreciation for the community helpers in my area?
Why is it important to wash your hands?

I can build reading stamina.
I can use my own ideas to help me write.
I can identify the signs of the season in my area.
I can create a product for a community helper in my area.
I can demonstrate washing my hands properly.

Week Eight:

How can I show what I have learned in this half of the semester?

I can create a book to tell what I have learned in this course. 
*students will work throughout the week to create a book to tell what they have learned. The book will be about one of the following: summer, fall, community helpers or forces and motion. The teacher will support students as they create their final project for the course.

The class will be structured as teacher facilitated and interactive. Learners will be engaged in games, discussions, videos and hands-on projects. My teaching style is relaxed and inclusive. I encourage learner participation and questions. The classroom is 'ours' not 'mine'. Learners will have many opportunities to interact with me and their classmates each week.