Bennington

Public Schools
Kindergarten
Curriculum

Kindergarten Information
The following is a list of items we hope you will find useful.
1. SCHOOL ADDRESS
Bennington Elementary School
11620 N. 156th St.
Bennington, NE 68007
2.

PHONE
402-238-2690

3.

SCHOOL HOURS
8:20-3:05

Bennington Public Schools

Kindergarten Curriculum
Bennington Public Schools Mission Statement:
The mission of the Bennington Public Schools is to provide educational
opportunities in a safe, caring environment that will prepare all students
to meet the challenges of the future.
*Daily Activities
PE twice a week
Music twice a week
Art once a week
Library once a week - each child needs to return their library book
in order to check out a new one every week
Guidance once a week
Spanish once a week

*Calendar time
Days of the week (Today is, Yesterday was, Tomorrow will be)
Patterns with calendar pieces (ABA, AABB, etc)
Money (penny, nickel, dime & quarter are introduced when the letter
is introduced)
Count by 1s, 5s and 10s to 100
Good Morning songs
Clocks (telling time to the hour and later to the half hour)
Letters and sounds
Colors and shapes

*Reading
McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders is designed specifically for the State
Standards for Reading/Language Arts. Combining research-based
instruction with new tools to meet today's challenges, every component
and every lesson is designed for effective and efficient instruction.
The

program provides support for:

Building a strong reading foundation
Accessing complex text
Finding and using text evidence
Engaging in collaborative conversations
Writing to sources

In Kindergarten we have a balanced literacy program that engages our

students in reading, writing, spelling, speaking, and listening. This
program helps us guide and challenge your children as
they grow to be independent readers, writers and
thinkers. Using a rich range of diverse print and
digital media, Wonders provides the instructional
support and materials that were created to teach
the rigor, intent, and depth of the new State
Standards. We focus on building upon each
childs strengths and we design our plans for each
childs learning needs. By doing this, we are able
to identify and meet the needs and support the growth of
each
child as a literacy learner. This balanced literacy program has rich,
meaningful materials for shared, guided, and independent practice.
In shared reading, we model for children what good readers do. The
big books include features that support the teaching of literacy skills
at the word, sentence, and text level. The content and structures of
the books make them models for demonstrating the use of
comprehension strategies. The big books are appealing and serve to
stimulate childrens interest in reading and rereading and encourage
them to participate and respond. Through our big book discussion, we

learn about picture cues, syllables, characters, beginning, middle and

end of the story and making and confirming predictions together.
In guided reading, we provide the opportunity to guide children to
become independent readers in a small group session. Our guided
reading books have features that are appropriate for emergent, early,
and fluent readers. Emergent readers are learning how books work.
Early readers are learning how words work. Fluent readers are learning
how words and books work in many ways. These guided reading books
help us to expose children to narrative and informational texts. This
enables children to discover their reading preferences and learn how to
approach books that are not their favorites.
Throughout the series, books will include a natural progression of
literacy skills. The first level of books contain very few words that
allows the reader to tell the story using the picture cues on each page.
These are very supportive for the emerging reader. Our literacy skills
for level one are book-handling skills, demonstrating directionality,
recognizing parts of the book: cover, title, and title page, locating
author and illustrator, distinguishing fantasy from reality, identifying
story elements: characters and setting, and identifying story structure:
beginning, middle and end.
Then the series transitions to books that
include one line of text per page and two to
three words on those pages. There is a
strong match between pictures and the text
that helps the children follow the simple
story line. Literacy skills for this level are: understanding that words
are separated by spaces, matching spoken words to print, reading onesyllable and high-frequency words, identifying initial sounds, identifying
story elements: characters, setting and conflict, and continuation of
the skills from level one.

The next stage includes one line of text per page with complete
sentences using periods and exclamation marks. They have repetitive
language structure throughout the text. Our literacy skills are
demonstrating understanding of noun plurals, adding phonemes to
change words, recognizing and producing rhyming words, understanding
the use of dialogue in text: speech balloons, identifying and matching
initial and final sounds in spoken words, identifying story elements:
sequence of events, and a continuation of skills previous skills.
Finally the books include one line of text per page with complete
sentences using periods and question marks and simple syntax. There is
a clear sequence of events with the repetitive language structure
throughout the text. Our literacy skills are recognizing text features:
section headings, developing and applying knowledge of short vowels
consonant blends, using graphic elements: simple charts, identifying a
question-and-answer format, developing and applying knowledge of
consonant digraphs, recognizing parts of a book: table of contents,
index and charts, blending phonemes to make words, recognizing humor
in text, and all previous skills.
*Writing
In Bennington Public Schools, we use Scholastic Traits writing as our
primary writing source. Our program covers 5 of the 6 traits:
Ideas
Organization
Voice
Word Choice
Sentence Fluency

* Handwriting

* Math

Zaner Bloser is a developmentally appropriate

handwriting instruction program that is delivered in a
consistent, ongoing manner, and is a proven critical
component of overall literacy development. This method
is generally referred to as the stick and ball style.

In Bennington Public Schools, we use enVision as our primary math

source. Our program covers the following topics:
Sorting and Classifying
Position and Location
Patterns
Numbers Zero to Five
Numbers Six to Ten
Comparing Numbers
Geometry
Fractions and Ordinals
Measurement
Addition
Subtraction
Larger Numbers
Money
Time Calendar
Graphing
* Science
In Bennington Public Schools, we use Scott-Foresman as our primary
science source. Our program includes:
Living Things: Identify living things and identify needs of living
things
Nonliving Things: Identify nonliving things
and classify living and nonliving things
Kinds of Animals: Observe how animals
move and animal coverings
What Animals Need: Identify animal
needs and helping pets meet their needs
Animal Babies: Identify baby and adult
animals and how to care for baby animals
How Plants Grow: Observe how seeds grow
and compare seeds and plants

 What Plants Need: Observe what plants need and help meeting
plants needs
Parts of Plants: Identify parts of a plant and observe the jobs of
plant parts
Matter-Grouping objects
Light or Heavy: Compare weights of objects
Looking at Objects: Identify parts of objects and relate to the
whole
Loud and Soft Sounds: Compare sounds and explore how sounds are
made
Hot and Cold: Classify objects as hot or cold and observe the
effects of hot and cold
Light: Identify sources of light and explore traffic lights
How Things Move: Describe how people and objects move
Sink or Float: Classify objects that float and sink and observe how
objects sink
Magnets: Observe magnetic attraction and explore magnets
Weather: Identify types of weather and explore how weather
affects people
Seasons: Compare the seasons and observe seasonal weather
changes
Earth: Describe landforms and bodies of water
Daytime: observe the daytime sky and the suns position
Nighttime: Observe the nighttime sky and the stars
*Social Studies
Our program includes:
Unit 1 Who We Are
o Families
o Homes
o Getting Along
o Positions
o School Rules
o Solving Problems
o School Helpers

 Unit 2 Communities
o Neighborhoods
o Maps
o Signs
o Rules
o Community Helpers
o Communities
Unit 3 Work
o Work
o Jobs
o Earning and Using Money
o Making Choices
o Needs and Wants food, clothing, shelter
Unit 4 Our Earth
o Weather
o Seasons
o Forests, Plains, Mountains, Oceans
o Maps and Globes
o Conserve Resources
Unit 5 The U.S.A.
o Nationals Symbols
o First Americans
o Explorers
o Thanksgiving
o Celebrations
o Changes is Travel
o Scientists and Inventors
Unit 6 Family Stories
o Alike and Different
o Everyday Routines
o Family Celebrations
o Then and Now
o Special Foods
o Games

o Places We Go
* Centers
Centers are used as reinforcement of
concepts learned in the core subjects.
Children practice the skills daily through
engaging, hands-on activities. Here are a
few examples of centers:
ABC Center: activities focusing on
identifying the letters of the
alphabet/later working on our sight words and word families
Block Center: math concepts, patterns, counting, building,
construction, and socialization
House Center: role playing, develop vocabulary and language
development, make believe
Math Center: patterns, sorting, working with a variety of hands-on
items, grocery store to work with money
Reading Center: exploring a variety of books and later books from
our guided reading series
Writing Center: first and last name, post office to practice writing
letters
Art Center: develop creativity, explore with many items from paint
and glitter to clay and markers
I-pad Center: basic skills and interactive Kindergarten activities
* Student Evaluation and Assessment
Portfolios
Children are evaluated on their strengths and growth throughout the
year. Information on student progress is compiled into a portfolio
divided into content areas. Portfolios will be shared with parents
during the fall and spring conferences and sent home at the end of the
school year.

Kindergarten Assessments
The children are given state assessment tests throughout the year in
all core curriculum subjects. All assessments are aligned with the state
standards. These assessments results are included in the portfolio.
*Specialists
Guidance and Counseling
Guidance classes as well as small group lessons and individual guidance
assistance are an integral part of the school curriculum. Guidance
lessons are designed to promote student growth in three areas:
social/emotional domain, academic/educational domain, and
career/occupational domain. The school counselor works with staff and
parents in various ways to support a positive school experience for all
students.
Technology
Technology is taught sequentially from Kindergarten through sixth
grade. New skills are introduced at each grade level. Mastery of age
appropriate skills begins in second grade and continues. Performance
indicators have been determined for each grade and checklists have
been developed to track the growth of skills for each student. Skills
have been divided into 5 general areas with specific skills in each area.
Kindergarten students are introduced to many technology skills
including;
General computer knowledge
Beginning keyboarding strategies
Use of multimedia resources
Common network courtesies
Beginning word processing skills
Use of simple graphics
Technology is used to promote curiosity and learning

Physical Education
The primary purpose of the physical education program is to provide
students with the opportunities to gain the knowledge, understanding,
and skills to practice healthy physical activities throughout their lives.
All students are taught to work together and treat others with respect
and good sportsmanship.

Music
General/Vocal Music

Kindergarten Grade 3

Content Standards

Music lessons teach the following sequentially from Kindergarten

through third grade, through out the year and the sequence of grades.
Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
High, medium, low ranges
Sing a pentatonic song with pitch accuracy
Sing from a varied repertoire of songs
Sing songs from different cultures and different eras
Reading and Notation of Melody and rhythm
Steady beat, no beat, fast, slow
Short and long sounds, silence and sound
Quarter notes, half notes, eighth notes, whole notes and
corresponding rests, 2/4, 3/4, & 4/4 meters
Space notes, line notes, melodic contour, upward, downward,
pitch names
Bar line, measure, double bar line, repeat sign, ties, phrases,
Accent, staccato, marcato, legato, syncopation
Loud, soft, pp through ff dynamic markings, cresc., decresc.
Pentatonic scale, major scale
Learn and use notes as pitches and rhythm on the music
staff
Recognize when melodies move by step, skip or repeated
notes
Learn pitch names
Sharps, flats, naturals, treble clef, ledger lines,
Perform on unpitched instruments, recognize instruments by sight
and sound
Play a steady beat on instrument
Play a rhythm to a known song
Use instruments properly
Play rhythm notation

Recognize instrument families of the orchestra and band

Introduce instruments from different cultures
Introducing the structural components of form and harmony.
Same/ different, using pictures, icons, letter, patterns,
Call and response, question and answer, Introduction,
Interlude
Sectional forms: AB, ABA, Rondo, Theme and Variations
Ostinato, round, countermelody, partner songs, harmony in
3rds & 6ths
Composing, arranging and improvising melodies, rhythms, variations
and accompaniments within specified guidelines as a class.
Listening to, analyzing, evaluating and describing music and
music performances and styles
Listening to many different genres of musical style
Listening to or performing music of various cultures
Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Art
The elementary art curriculum encompasses
the Art Elements and Design Principles in a
comprehensive art education model and uses
the National Art Standards and SRA Art
Connections. Kindergarten students will focus
on 6 different units in Art.
Line: Kindergarten will learn about lines, see
how artists use lines to make their works of
art, & use line in their art.
Shape: Kindergarten will learn about shapes, and practice using shapes in
artwork.
Color: Kindergarten will learn about colors, and practice using them in their
artworks.
Space & Form: Kindergarten will learn about space and form, & practice
using them in their artwork.

Texture: Kindergarten will learn about texture, see how artists use texture in
their works of art, & use texture in their own work.
Principles of Art: Kindergarten will learn about pattern, rhythm, balance,
and unity, see how artists use pattern, rhythm, balance, and unity in their
works of art, & use pattern, rhythm, balance, and unity in their artwork.
Personal and Social Development are integrated
on a daily basis as students learn to work and
interact with other students and adults in a
positive and productive way.
High expectations are held for all students to
grow and develop to their greatest potential.
Rules of respect for one another and responsibility for oneself are
stressed. Students listen to one another, solve conflicts and
become sensitive to one anothers feelings.
DWP is incorporated into each classroom and throughout our school.
Discipline With Purpose is a nationally acclaimed program that is
built on the idea that children and adults can and should become
self-disciplined. This program has a framework of 15 skills that a
self-disciplined adult should have that and can be taught to children
and practiced for a life time.

Parents and teachers work together as partners in the educational

decision-making process for students.