Kindergarten Classroom

Between ages 4-5, children really start to think about others’ thoughts and feelings, and this is when true theory of mind emerges. Social cognition is at the heart of children’s ability to get along with other people and to see things from their point of view. Teachers will use books and role play games to talk about the characters’ thoughts and feelings.

Children’s development occurs in a range of socio-cultural environments. Young children bring with them the identity of home and family, and they already have a range of theories and ideas about their world. Inquiry-based learning provides an opportunity for early learners to develop student voice and agency, as their ideas and interests spark and extend learning possibilities. 

 The Making of a Mathematical Mind: One Step at a Time

 Jump math was founded in 2002 by Dr. John Mighton empowering educators and students with an understanding and appreciation of math in Canada, the United States and other countries worldwide. The resources are structured to support every teacher to engage every student in every math class. JUMP Math’s distinctive approach focuses not only on what students learn but how they learn it. It has been developed through extensive research and experience working with children. Unlike teaching methods that rely on textbooks, rote learning or memorization, our approach helps children overcome “math anxiety” by building their confidence and resilience by tackling incrementally more challenging concepts at each stage of learning. The program is completely aligned with all Canadian curriculum outcomes. The goals of the Jump Math program are to help make math more interactive, fun and learning through a guided discovery – a chance for kids to master one step at a time before moving on to the next. At the same time, Jump Math provides a balance of guided practice and student inquiry activities because it allows teacher collaboration, through lesson planning & precision teaching of mathematical skills and concepts.

 The path to literacy spirals out in one magic moment: When a child’s lines become language

Handwriting Without Tears is a developmentally based program designed to progress a child’s fine motor skills along with visual skills through fun and interactive activities. Handwriting is one of the foundational skills that lead students toward automatic word recognition. Through time-tested methods of letter formation, students embark on the pathway to reading and writing excellence while connecting letters to sound and fortifying the alphabetic principle. When students make connections between sounds and letters, the pathway to reading unfolds before them. We nurture these connections sequentially and systematically, based on the science of reading, helping students acquire the range of skills they need to become proficient readers. The Handwriting Without Tears program provides your child with the necessary skills to be successful with handwriting in school.  This program was developed to meet the needs of all learners, including English language learners (ELL), English as a second language (ESL), and bilingual students. The idea is that if you can work with a child’s natural developmental abilities, and teach them in ways they will connect with, the skill of handwriting can be learned with joy.