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In Junior Kindergarten, our students learn through a core
curriculum in which all content areas are integrated. On any
given day, one can observe students learning by doing. Children
socialize and engage in creative play as they develop physical
skills in the playground. JK students learn about measurement
and number concepts as they prepare the calendar each day. Small
groups of students work in the garden in the spring and water
the inside garden in the winter, leading to discussion of
ecology and personal responsibility for the environment.
Students interact with each other through role playing as they
play with blocks, puzzles, beads, dress-up clothes and arts and
crafts. They examine and manipulate concrete objects and note
their shapes, textures, weight and colours. Children acquire
knowledge about our community and learn the importance of
cooperative living. Children apply their sorting and classifying
skills using found objects. Patten books and portfolios provide
students with the opportunity to reflect on their experiences
and become aware of their own development.
Each morning we begin our day with Hebrew songs and prayers. We
utilize Hebrew in everyday experiences to develop a rich core of
language. Each Shabbat, children sing, pray, listen to Torah
stories, create Shabbat materials and recite the blessings over
the challah, candles, and wine.
We teach the skills the children need in order to learn to read.
We teach phonetic awareness, the ability to break words into
sounds, in many ways. For example, we play rhyming games and
break words into syllables by clapping and stamping and jumping
in the air. We teach visual tracking skills and sequencing by
stringing beads on blocks and looking at pictures. We tell
stories and use rich language throughout the day in describing
the world around us. We examine language by pointing out the
initial letter sounds of the words we use in our play and in our
studies. We explore wonderful books together and enjoy the
pleasures of reading.
We recommend that parents read and discuss and ask questions
about many different kinds of books. We encourage you to tell
stories at home and encourage your children to tell their own
stories. There is a clear continuum from talking and listening
to reading and writing and each step is helpful and necessary in
learning to read well.
Heschel’s Junior Kindergarten students experience the wonder and
joy of learning as they begin to cooperate and develop an
awareness of others in a social setting. They complete their
first year of school with inquisitive minds and compassionate
hearts, ready to extend their learning at the Heschel School.
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