In Kindergarten, language arts instruction focuses on early phonemic awareness and reading skills. Students also build their foundation skills for writing, speaking, and listening.
Reading
Students learn about the alphabet: the basic features of letters and words and the role they play in reading. They begin to develop an understanding of the relationship of letters to words and words to sentences. By developing phonological awareness, students begin decoding words. At the same time, they are introduced to the beginning skills necessary to comprehend and analyze what they are reading. Speaking and listening skills are practiced through class discussions.
Writing and Spelling
Students acquire writing skills through a combination of drawing, dictation, and writing to share information, ideas, and feelings. Spelling focuses on sound-symbol correspondence as well as phonetically appropriate spelling approximations.