Kinderbirds

Arrival, Sign-In, and Table Choices

Every morning, students are greeted by the teacher as they enter the main classroom and put their belongings away. Students then sign in and make a table play choice from the teacher-selected provocations, toys, or materials as a soft start to the day while the rest of our friends are filtering in.

Morning Meeting

Every morning, the class gathers for morning meeting. The familiarity of this routine is something the children look forward to, and it often becomes everyone’s favorite part of the day! We sing songs, greet one another by name, play a community-building game, and read a morning message. During morning meeting, we address many of the Kindergarten standards like days of the week, weather, counting by ones and tens, etc. We always review the day’s agenda so children feel prepared for the day.

Free Play/Explore

During this time, children are free to move among the three rooms and engage in whichever activities they choose. Activities such as painting, drawing, play manipulatives, dress-up, giant wooden blocks, and a sensory table are always available; alternating activities may include climbing on the wooden climber, building with gigantic tinker toys, playing a sport, helping mix ingredients for a baking/cooking project, working at a simulated store or other dramatic play, or creating a special art project. This is the time for continuing project work and investigations based on children’s interests.

Literacy Workshop

Each day, our Kinderbird teacher engages small groups of students in a literacy lesson. Mrs. O’Dell uses a balance of explicit, phonics-based instruction and the workshop approach to reading and writing. Students learn the specific skills they need to read conventionally (foundational phonological awareness skills, letter identification and formation, sound recognition and blending, sight word instruction, etc.), while also having the opportunity to practice comprehension skills, build their identities as capable readers and writers, and fall in love with literacy through activities like book-making and read alouds.

Math Workshop

Students participate in a daily small group math lesson. Kinderbird math is all about building number sense and foundational math skills that will set them up for success as they continue on their academic journeys. A math lesson typically begins with a fluency warm-up or game to get our math brains flowing and is followed by a quick mini-lesson based on the Indiana math standards. Math workshop concludes with students getting to practice that day’s teaching point through hands-on activities or problem-solving work.

Lunch

The children bring their lunches and eat together each school day. Food sensitivities and allergies are accommodated.

Outdoor Play

As long as the temperature is above zero and it is not storming, children experience outdoor play on the school’s well-equipped, half-acre playground every day. Children are free to play on all playground equipment. They also have access to tricycles, sand toys, sleds, and other seasonal toys. The participating parent and teacher are present around the playground to ensure a safe and fun playtime. We encourage the children to have fun and we expect them to get dirty!

Quiet Time

During quiet time, the children lie or sit peacefully on carpet squares or yoga mats while lights are dimmed and calming music is played. Students quietly read books independently, rest their bodies, or engage in yoga stretches.

Snack

Each afternoon, a snack option is provided by the school or families are welcome to pack a snack from home. Food sensitivities and allergies are accommodated.

Read Aloud

No matter whether the Kinderbirds end their school day inside or outside, they always finish up with a chapter from whichever story book the class has been engaged in reading. This fosters a love of reading as the children look forward to seeing where the story will take them each day!