Kindergarten

List of 11 items.

• Mathematics

  Fay students begin to think like mathematicians early on, developing critical thinking skills and a passion for problem solving that leads many students to join our popular math travel teams in Upper School! 

  
  

  The Kindergarten mathematics program addresses five key strands: number and operations, algebraic thinking, geometry, measurement, and data analysis. In a hands-on, collaborative setting that emphasizes problem-solving and reasoning, Kindergarten students practice making connections and explain their reasoning using words, numbers, and pictures.

  
  

  Students who successfully complete the Kindergarten mathematics program will be able to demonstrate knowledge in the following categories:

  
  

  Number and Operations

  • Apply one-to-one correspondence
  • Skip counting
  • Recognize, read, and form numbers
  • Use manipulatives to express numbers and perform operations
  • Compute simple addition and subtraction problems
  • Use comparison vocabulary to compare quantities of objects

  
  

  Measurement

  • Use standard and non-standard tools of measurement
  • Describe and compare measurable attributes of objects

  
  

  Geometry

  • Identify and describe basic geometric shapes
  • Model shapes by building or drawing

  
  

  Data Analysis & Probability

  • Collect and show information in a bar graph
  • Use graphs to answer simple questions

  
  

  Algebraic Thinking

  • Identify, create, and extend simple patterns 
  • Represent addition and subtraction using pictures, words, or equations

• Literacy

  Fay Kindergarteners begin their journey as readers and writers in a structured program that is differentiated for each child.  Daily literacy activities include read-alouds, group activities, hands-on projects, inquiry-based learning, and one-on-one coaching from homeroom teachers and literacy specialists. Phonics, spelling, and handwriting are a regular part of each day, and our phonemic awareness curriculum gives students the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in the spoken word, a key precursor to reading. Children practice writing in a range of genres, and classroom discussions about literature and ideas prepare students for Fay’s public speaking program, which begins formally in third grade.

   

  Reading  

  The goal of the Kindergarten language arts program is to foster a love of reading and literacy. Students are immersed in a print-rich environment, where they have ample opportunities to practice and strengthen literacy skills through read-alouds, small group work, whole group activities, hands-on projects, play, and inquiry-based learning. Phonics and phonemic awareness instruction is woven throughout the day and differentiated for each child to foster the development of sound-symbol correspondence. Students build reading comprehension and fluency skills through listening to stories, sequencing activities, working in small reading groups, and reading individualized books leveled according to their instructional needs.

   

  Writing  

  The Kindergarten writing program offers a systematic approach to the development of phonics, spelling, and handwriting skills. Students use inventive and phonetic spelling while participating in writing activities such as inquiry writing, personal writing, and play-based writing during dramatic play.  By doing so, they begin to build the independent skills necessary to study and understand new words. Students practice identifying letters and their sounds, including vowels and consonants, basic suffixes, blends, and digraphs. Students learn that each word contains a vowel, and they memorize basic, grade-level high-frequency words. Inventive spelling helps students build the habits of mind needed to segment words into letters and sounds and also segment sentences into words. Regular practice reinforces these habits.

• Social Studies

  In Kindergarten social studies, students develop an understanding of how an individual fits into the larger community in terms of geography, history, and culture. Students explore the geography of the classroom and Fay School. Additionally, students spend time learning about the history of Fay and many of its traditions, including the named buildings found on campus as well as about the yearly color team competition for the Redmond Cup. They learn that everyone has a role to play in making a group work well and that each member brings something unique to the group. Students also explore the various roles people play and the diversity of the Fay School community as they learn about celebrations and traditions in other cultures represented in the Fay School community.

  
  
  

• Science

  Kindergarten scientists discover scientific principles through inquiry, investigation, and research. They use their five senses to observe and identify different phenomena. They explore different habitats and their environmental factors. They also investigate different types of plants and learn about the life cycles of plants and animals. The Primary School’s science program is based on the  National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education, and the spiraling curriculum means that students will explore these topics in greater depth in first and second grade to develop a rich and layered understanding. The children learn essential principles of observing and documenting, laying the groundwork for the work they will do in Lower and Upper School in our fully equipped science labs.

• World Languages: Spanish and French

  Fay’s Primary School World Language program is based on the F.L.E.X. (Foreign Language Experience) approach. Fay Kindergarteners study both French and Spanish, each for half of the school year, and this schedule continues through first and second grade. For both Spanish and French, students in Kindergarten are introduced to basic greetings and daily expressions related to the classroom. They also learn descriptive adjectives, such as color, size, and feelings. They are exposed to basic vocabulary related to numbers 1-20, days of the week, body parts, shapes, and action verbs. Teachers use games, traditional Francophone and Hispanic literature, and nursery rhymes to teach and reinforce the classroom material. The classroom routine includes greetings, circle time for storytelling, play and songs, and art projects. Cultural celebrations are highlighted in the Kindergarten program, and the children learn and observe important cultural celebrations, including Mexico’s Días de los Muertos, Christmas in Latin America and Spain, Le poisson d’avril, and Mardi Gras. The children benefit from our “language helpers,” native and heritage speakers in the Upper School who volunteer in the classrooms and become the Kindergarteners’ mentors and friends.

• Art

  In Art, which meets twice per six-day rotation, children develop fine motor skills and work in a range of media that includes paint, paper, clay, and textiles. Students explore the work of past and current artists and learn foundational skills that prepare them for the host of art electives available in the Upper School. Students experience the joy of sharing and exhibiting their work in on-campus shows as well as exhibits through Youth Art Month at the Worcester Art Museum. 

  
  
  

  
  
  

• Music

  Music classes meet twice per six-day rotation and incorporate the Kodály method, which emphasizes singing, movement, listening, and games. Students engage with simple folk songs from around the world as well as masterworks such as Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Students learn about the many characteristics of music, including tempo, rhythm, volume, and pitch, in preparation for learning the formal notation in grade one and instrumental playing in Lower and Upper School, where students can sing in one of our five choral groups or play in our concert bands, string ensemble, or bell choir.

• Creativity and Design

  Creativity and Design is integrated throughout the program in Primary School. Focusing on the Design Process (Find, Define, Ideate, Make, Evaluate), students build a foundation in design vocabulary, engage in productive struggle, and collaborate with peers and teachers. Students in Kindergarten focus on “How do materials impact design?” In Kindergarten, students learn to identify different materials, describe the properties of different materials, apply their understanding of the properties of different materials to ideate solutions to a problem, and construct, test, and evaluate their solutions.

• Library

  In Kindergarten, children become familiar with the library through in-depth explorations of each of its various sections beginning with picture books and moving through poetry, folk tales, and fairy tales. Kindergarten students learn about the parts of a book, identifying the author and illustrator, and then practice locating the book in a particular section of the library. Kindergarteners also explore their personal interests, develop a sense of who they are as readers, and practice responsibility as they browse and select books to check out.

  
  
  

• Physical Education

  P.E. classes meet three days out of a six-day rotation. Classes focus on developing motor skills and physical fitness, with activities that emphasize balance, spatial awareness, cooperation, and sportsmanship. The children also practice basic skills including throwing, catching, and kicking in preparation for Fay’s interscholastic athletics program, which begins in fifth grade.

  
  
  

• Wellness

  The goal of the Kindergarten wellness program is for students to learn about themselves and how they relate to others. In addition to scheduled Wellness classes with members of the Wellness Department, classroom teachers set aside time each day to address important topics such as self-advocacy, independent problem solving with peers, effective vocabulary when resolving conflicts, basic social skills such as greeting one another, manners and other general social courtesy. Students practice mindfulness, learn to identify and talk about their feelings, and develop communication, self-control, and interpersonal problem-solving skills in a structured, safe, and consistent environment, guided by Wellness teachers.