Kindergarten Parent Information Night

1. Kindergarten Parent Information Night Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 7:00 p.m. Methacton High School Large Group Instruction Classroom (LGI)

2. Agenda… • Introductions • Eligibility • Kindergarten Registration & Screening • Kindergarten Readiness • Typical Kindergarten Day • Things To Do At Home • Questions

3. Panel Members • Mrs. Alison Navarrete (Eagleville Kindergarten Teacher) • anavarrete@methacton.org • Mrs. Shannon Broadhead (Worcester Counselor) • sbroadhead@methacton.org • Mrs. Jamie Friedman (Arrowhead Counselor) • jfriedman@methacton.org • Mrs. Tara Ricci (Principal of Audubon Elementary) • tricci@methacton.org • Dr. Todd Fay (Director of Pupil Services) • tfay@methacton.org • Dr. Diane Barrie (Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment) • dbarrie@methacton.org

4. Eligibility • Five years of age on or before September 1, 2013.

5. Kindergarten Registration & Screening • March 2013 - March 11 & 12 Arrowhead, Mr. Aaron Roberts Eagleville, Mr. Jason Sorgini Woodland, Dr. Zanthia Reddish - March 18 & 19 Audubon, Mrs. Tara Ricci Worcester, Mr. Bruce MacGregor • Registration Information • Go to www.methacton.org • Scroll down to “Announcements” to find the link to reserve your appointment.

6. Kindergarten Screening • Purpose – to assess students’ basic skills in order to screen for a summer “Jump Start” program • Provide information to kindergarten teachers regarding students’ skills and understandings

7. What Does Kindergarten Readiness Look Like?

8. Beginning of Kindergarten • Identify some letters of the alphabet • Recognize own name in print • Write own name • Grip a pencil correctly • Use scissors, glue, and paint with relative ease • Repeat full name, address, and telephone number

9. Beginning of Kindergarten • Manage bathroom independently • Dress self, zip coat • Follow directions • Clean up after self • Separate from parents easily • Listen without interrupting • Display self-control

10. What Skills Will Children Develop in Kindergarten?

11. Social and Emotional Skills • Share with others • Display self-control • Participate in activities • Respect others and their property • Show courtesy and thoughtfulness • Identify and express feelings

12. On-Going Work Study Skills • Listen attentively • Follow directions • Work independently • Work neatly and accurately • Complete tasks • Put away materials and toys

13. A Typical Kindergarten Day…

14. Typical Kindergarten Day • Arrival tasks completed independently (coats, backpacks, folders) • English Language Arts • Storytown (phonemic awareness, phonics, letters, sounds, sight words, vocabulary, literature) • Kid Writing • Guided Reading groups

15. Typical Kindergarten Day • Mathematics • Everyday Math (number sense, patterns, sorting, graphing, number identification, counting, writing numbers, skip counting) • Daily routines and EDM games • Special Area Classes (30 minutes): Art, Music, Library, Physical Education

16. Typical Kindergarten Day • Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtII) • Three tiers (25 minutes, 4 x/week) • Students placed in tiers based on results of universal screener tests and teacher input

17. Typical Kindergarten Day • Computers • Everyday Math games • Recess (15 minutes each day)

18. What Can We Do at Home?

19. Gross Motor Skills • Jump from one marked spot to another along a path • Balance on one foot for a count of 10 • Practice skipping and hopping on one foot

20. Gross Motor Skills • Move in rhythm to music • Climb on playground jungle gyms • Swing • Bounce a ball

21. Fine Motor Skills • Color, trace, copy • Write own first name • Cut on straight, curved, or zigzag lines • Assemble puzzles

22. Fine Motor Skills • String beads, Cheerios, or pasta on a shoestring • Move spoonfuls of objects from one bowl to another • Stack small blocks

23. Self-Help Skills • Encourage the “I Can Do It!” attitude • Practice dressing independently (zipping coats, putting on mittens, etc.) • Manage bathroom needs independently • Wipe own nose

24. Self-Help Skills • Clean up after self • Separate from parents easily • Ask for help appropriately • Communicate feelings

25. Developing a Love of Reading • Read aloud to your child • Talk to your child about the story • Have reading materials available in your home http://lpc.mclinc.org/

26. Developing a Love of Reading • Model reading – read for pleasure in front of your child • Help your child notice that words are everywhere • Play oral rhyming games

27. Having Fun with Numbers • Have your child count items – to support one-to-one correlation • Talk about number relationships (“What number comes after three?”) • Sort and classify items

28. Having Fun with Numbers • Copy and create patterns • Use math terms (“add, ”subtract,” etc.) • Use sand and water to explore volume and capacity relationships

29. Having Fun with Numbers • Grocery store play to explore counting money • Block building to explore similarity, measurement, symmetry, and relationships • Talk about “more” and “less”

30. Getting Ready for the First Day of School

31. What to Talk About • What happens in school • The teacher in a friendly way • Making new friends • Separation from home and acceptance of the situation

32. Parent Resources Go to district website www.methacton.org • under District Offices, select Curriculum and Instruction • click on Elementary Curriculum Guides • click on Kindergarten

33. Panel Members • Mrs. Alison Navarrete (Eagleville Kindergarten Teacher) • anavarrete@methacton.org • Mrs. Shannon Broadhead (Worcester Counselor) • sbroadhead@methacton.org • Mrs. Jamie Friedman (Arrowhead Counselor) • jfriedman@methacton.org • Mrs. Tara Ricci (Principal of Audubon Elementary) • tricci@methacton.org • Dr. Todd Fay (Director of Pupil Services) • tfay@methacton.org • Dr. Diane Barrie (Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment) • dbarrie@methacton.org

34. Questions?