A typical day in Kindergarten will vary from school to school, district to district, state to state. The majority of Kindergartens are now full day programs. The day is jammed pack and filled with academics.
Typical Kindergarten Day
Morning Meeting
This is a time for the class to meet together and start off the day on a positive note. Some teachers may read a morning message, do calendar activities, and quickly practice an academic skill. Some teachers may do a class share and a group activity.
Language Arts/Reader’s Workshop
A brief mini-lesson on a specific concept or skill is taught to the whole class, such as decoding and/or comprehension strategies. Students will then work independently on the newly taught skill, as well as previously taught skills, in centers. Teachers will assist students as necessary, as well as work with students in small groups on specific, targeted skills and/or in Guided Reading Groups.
Writer’s Workshop
In the beginning stages of writing, students will draw, scribble, and use inventive spelling. Do not worry if the spelling is not correct. Students are using their knowledge of writing and letter sound relationships to spell words. As the year progresses, students will begin to label pictures and eventually link words to form sentences. By the end of Kindergarten, students will be expected to write two or more sentences per page, with a single story having a beginning, middle, and end.1
Phonics
Some things students will work on: letters and sounds, rhyming, decoding, word families, blends, digraphs.
Math
Math lessons emphasize the language of mathematics, encouraging and allowing students to talk, think, and write about concepts. Students will learn to count to 100, write numbers up to 20, identify 2D and 3D shapes, learn about groups of ten, using tens frames, fluently add and subtract up to 5, and solve addition and subtraction word problems.
Science/Social Studies
Lessons will focus on people in the community, living things, weather, life cycle, how science and technology affect the quality of life, important historical figures, and Election Day.
Structured Play
Students will play in centers such as puzzles, blocks, kitchen, play-doh, legos, etc.