The wheels on the best go round and round all through the town. Welcome future kindergarten parents. As a parent of a current preschooler, you may be curious about how to best prepare your child for his or her transition to kindergarten. You may also have questions about the kindergarten experience. We look forward to partnering with you and your child's education, and we hope this video will help you. Today, we will talk about the goals of preschool, the goals of kindergarten, what you can do now to prepare your child for kindergarten, and finally what a typical day of kindergarten looks like here at District 58. In preschool, children learn the love school, follow a school routine, engage in learning activities and cooperate with peers. If your child attends District 58's grown children's preschool, here she is learning via the state-recognized Creative Curriculum, which naturally aligns with the Common Core State Standards for kindergarteners. preschool instruction creates a foundation for pre-academic reading and math, social emotional development, and whole group and small group learning skills. Children build upon this foundation as they transition into kindergarten. In kindergarten, students refine their social skills. They practice how to share, how to learn cooperatively, and how to be a good friend. Intergaliners also learn foundational academic skills. For example, they enjoy story time while learning how to read. They discover how letters and spaces create words, and they practice the sounds each letter makes. Children learn the recognized rhymes, compound words, and words that sound similar. I'm a little pain, good, good, and light, a sharp, toxic, and a little, just right. Did we hear any rhyming words? That's what I was going to say. What was going to say that? Oh, come on, I have some smarty pants in here. This instruction prepares children to become independent readers. From math, kindergartners practice counting numbers and learn basic addition and subtraction. They also describe shapes and space. This prepares them for more advanced mathematics. Our highly qualified kindergarten teachers teach these skills in an inclusive, welcoming environment focused on the whole child and their social emotional development. In concert with our district of 28 specialists, which includes school social workers, speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, and school nurses. Parents play a major role in preparing their child for kindergarten. There are many simple ways you can help. Here are a few ideas to get you started. First, help your child develop independence. Many preschool programs have several teachers in the classroom. Most kindergarten classrooms have one classroom teacher. In this environment, kindergartners are encouraged to do some tests independently, such as blowing their nose, putting on their jacket, and washing their hands. Prepare your child now by coaching him or hers through these activities in home. Next, practice language development. Then 20 minutes reading every day. Mix them both fiction and nonfiction. Point to the words as you read to introduce your child to the words and structure. Math and cognitive skills are also important to practice. Ask your child to help you sort items by their colored size or shape. Laundry and toys both work well for this exercise. You can even practice counting to 20, 30, 40, or 50 together. Engage your child in meaningful art projects. Not only will this spur creativity, it will also help develop your child's gross and fine motor skills. Supervised your child as he or she uses child-safe scissors to cut shapes. Practice how to hold a pencil and make shapes with play-doh. Exercise and socialization is also important. Sports and athletic classes provide an outlet for both. Talk to your child about the importance of respect, sharing, and being a good friend. Finally, talk to your child about the kindergarten schedule and how it might be similar to and different from preschool. This will help manage your child's expectations and prepare him or her to start kindergarten successfully. The average kindergarten classroom in District 58 has 21 students, although this number may range. District 58 offers the traditional half-day kindergarten program in the morning. This covers the entire kindergarten curriculum. In the afternoon, the district offers the fee-based, optional kindergarten enrichment and enhancement program, which, true to its name, gives students enriched and exciting learning experiences. While not every day looks the same, in general, students can expect an experience similar to this. When students arrive, they welcome one another and independently put away their belongings. The class gathers for their daily class meetings. Here, they check the calendar and sometimes discuss the weather or practice stretching. Next is Math Time. Students learn the day's math lesson and break into small guided groups for math practice and instruction. The teacher spends time supporting students to explore math concepts and to grow on their understanding of math principles and skills. Next, students engage in guided reading, language arts, phonics, and phonemic awareness. Students regularly enjoy library time, also called LRC time, as well as art class. Students enjoy learning research skills and demonstrating their creativity. The morning portion closes with science and social studies instruction. Students also incorporate reading, writing, and handwriting practice into this time. When the 11.05 a.m. bell rings, half-day students are safely dismissed. Students who participate in the optional kindergarten enrichment and enhancement program will continue on to shared reading time before heading to healthy lunch and recess. In the afternoon, children enjoy stretching their imaginations with play-based learning. They also participate in center time. Students break into rotating groups or centers where they work on math, writing, reading, find motor skills, and guide it's social interactions. Next, a kindergarten teacher favorite, is Steam Time. Steam stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. And this time, the bike students with fun, scientific experiences, such as building towers using different types of blocks, and testing them to see which block is more durable. The students also participate in a fun read-out loud story. And depending on the day, they may also have music class. A green sleeve, a green sleeve, a green sleeve, a green sleeve. More physical education class. Before the final bell rings, the class holds an afternoon meeting, cleans up, gathers their belongings, and says they're goodbyes, and their teachers safely dismisses them. Thank you for your interest in District 58's kindergarten programs. If you have any additional questions about the preschool to kindergarten transition, please contact your home school's principal or visit us online at www.dg58.org.