It is happening all over: children are going through screenings at their local school districts and teachers and administrators are trying to decide if they should be placed in Developmental Kindergarten or Kindergarten. With the increased emphasis on academics in Kindergarten, the trend to place children in Developmental Kindergarten is increasing. In fact, for the 2014-2015 school year, 26% of all eligible children in Ionia County were placed in DK rather than K. For the month of May we will feature several blogs on this topic. There really is no set rule of who goes to K and who goes to DK; each district has different factors that it considers including parent choice. This first blog features information from a presentation one district shared with parents about what the difference between the two programs are and what skills are taught throughout the year.
Understanding Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten
This post was prepared by Chelsey Hanna a Great Start Readiness Preschool teacher and it provides a general overview of a Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten school year at Oakwood Elementary in Portland Public Schools. The information in this report was taken from the slideshow presented to parents at the Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten Round-Up Informational Meeting at Oakwood Elementary during the 2013-2014 school year. This knowledge can be used to help you make the best decision for your child regarding their placement in a DK or Kindergarten classroom. Hopefully it gives a clear vision of the similarities and differences between these two grade levels. Parents, please be sure that as you read this you ask yourself what your child is ready to do independently with integrity and fidelity, and what your child still needs support with.
DK: Math Curriculum:
Every day we practice counting. We count the days of school, days of the week, compare how many days of specific weather, and count objects. We also use a number line to count objects from the counting jar. The children do a lot of hands on exploration of math during centers. This includes shapes, patterns, counting, and building.
Kindergarten: Math Curriculum:
Throughout the year we will be focusing on one main objective. This objective is that children in kindergarten gain number sense. Children will gain an understanding about numbers and the quantities they represent. Students learn this information at a fast and independent pace. We use prior skills that have been learned in the classroom to build on new skills.
•Our concepts start with a large group introduction, then move to independent practice. Finally, students are expected to explain their understanding of the new concepts.
Comparison of Math Curriculum
DK
Hands on practice with support
Slower pace, with time to revisit concepts
End of Year Expectations:
Counting to 50
Identifying numbers 1-10
Writing numbers 1-10
Basic Patterning
Four Basic Shapes
Kindergarten
Hands on independent practice
A steady pace to visit many skill areas
End of Year Expectations:
DK Writing Curriculum:
The writing program in developmental kindergarten is called Talking, Drawing, and Writing. In October we begin by the teacher modeling telling a story about herself. The children take turns over the next few weeks by telling stories about themselves. After all children have had a chance to tell their story the teacher starts modeling how to draw a picture to match their story. By the end of the year most children are beginning to put sounds together to represent their story. We also have a handwriting program, called Handwriting Without Tears, that teaches letter and number formation.
DK Writing Sample:
Kindergarten Writing Curriculum: Overview
This year your child will learn the importance of writing. Together we will focus on real life stories to draw from your child’s prior knowledge. We also learn how to label, add detail, and write with correct grammatical skills.
The transformation of kindergarten writers starts with oral storytelling. Students then draw a picture to match their story. Next, students add labels to their picture and a sentence to explain their illustration. Finally, students are expected to create a story with a beginning, middle, and ending with correct writing conventions. The expectation is that students will also include the correct spelling of their kindergarten word wall words.
Kindergarten Writing Sample #1. Kindergarten Writing Sample #2.
The Letter Wall Curriculum: Overview
Throughout your child’s DK or kindergarten year we will be using an important and LARGE tool. In our classrooms we have adopted the letter wall to be a constant visual reference and an interactive tool for our students.
Teaching DK at The Letter Wall
One new letter is introduced at the beginning of each week. Once the letter is introduced it is added to our letter chart on the wall. It is reinforced all week through art projects, poems, games, coloring, and tracing. Letters learned previously are reviewed daily in the classroom.
Teaching Kindergarten at The Letter Wall
Students learn/ review the letters at a quicker pace, approximately two letters per week. This allows students to begin applying their letters and sounds in reading and writing by Christmas Break.
The letter wall also works on pre-reading skills such as concepts of print, alphabetic principle, punctuation, reading direction, sight words, and the concept that letters make words and words make sentences!
Sample of a Weekly Developmental Kindergarten Schedule
Sample of Weekly Kindergarten Schedule
What We Look For at Kindergarten Round-Up
Academic knowledge / Prior knowledge: What does the child KNOW (Numbers, shapes, colors, letters, sounds, counting objects with one to one correspondence). Can the child tell us about personal accounts (experiences, trips, favorites, etc.)
Language: Can they speak about the above with complete sentences, elaborate if prompted, or are they outgoing or shy (not always important… just another thing to consider).
Stamina/ Attention: Can they attend to a task for 7-10 minutes. Research shows that children entering K should be able to attend to a task for a minimum of 7 minutes. If I interrupt them during the task (deliberately) can they go back to the original task without prompting?
Commands: Does the child listen to the entire set of directions that we give… can they follow multi-step directions?
Physical Size: often a reference on their developmental state.
Friendships/ Interactions/ Play: Can they share, do they use manners, do they empathize with others? Can they problem solve and work together?
Gross and Fine Motor: Will they be able to produce a product that will allow me to assess their knowledge?
