What Do Students Learn in Kindergarten?
Kindergarten is a critical formational time in a child's life. It is a time of transition from home, play care, and informal learning into a full-time learning environment. Kindergarten is when a "little kid" becomes a "big kid." Most teachers ease this period by mixing repetition, playful learning, and rest or snack periods to ensure that the students do not feel overwhelmed.
Building blocks
The subject matter for a kindergarten class seems simple, but actually forms the critical building blocks of all future education. The alphabet, numbers, simple words, and forming sentences are critical to ensure that the children grow up to become functioning members of society. Repetition is generally the best way for the young children to learn, but it must be paired with comprehension - not mindless parroting.
For example, most kindergarten classrooms have an alphabet chart or letter squares on the wall that associates the letter and a related picture. Thus, A has an apple; C has a cat, and so forth. As the students are still learning the nuances of each letter, they remember the details better by seeing them often. While kindergarteners need to become familiar at least with numbers up to 30, they often learn how to count all the way 100.
|
Learning methods
Exercises involving the entire class are an effective way to initially introduce new words, numbers, and types of math. However, the students need to practice on their own to form fuller comprehension. For example, a worksheet that has students practice picking the bigger or smaller number is an excellent tool. The worksheet helps them understand the concept by practicing its use again and again. In addition, if it is evident that the student does not fully understand the information, teachers or parents correcting the worksheet can ascertain in which concepts the children need additional assistance.
Using worksheets is great as classroom activities or as homework. Teachers can give parents a list of recommend sites with printable worksheets, and the students can do the worksheets as extra credit or just for extra practice.
Some of the most important qualities to look for in a teacher worksheet for kindergarteners include simplicity, appropriate subjects, potential illustrations, and variety. Since these students are young, you do not want to overwhelm them with overly complex lessons or homework. Long worksheets or ones with very challenging problems are not a good idea at this stage (though later it helps to challenge students to keep them engaged).
Before assigning a specific worksheet, you also want to review it and make sure it relates to the subject matter. Sometimes a quick skim is not enough because the worksheet may be mostly about the topic, but includes material from the next lesson.
And last, variety is very crucial to help a students comprehend the concepts - give them plenty of practice, and keep them engaged in the lesson.