Grade K Parent Student Course Information

Dear Parents:

The purpose of this guide is to provide you with insight into the instructional program and learning expectations for your child. The guide contains the emphasis of instruction for each subject area. The instructional program focuses on the Virginia Beach objectives which include the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). Please take time to become acquainted with the helpful information in this guide.

Your interest and involvement in your child’s education promotes positive attitudes toward learning and enhanced academic achievement. We are excited about the opportunity to join you in providing the best possible education for your child.

Thank you for your careful review of this guide. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.

Sincerely,
Department of Teaching and Learning

Using the Guide

The contents of this guide provide information about the elementary instructional program. The following are recommendations for using the Parent/Student Course Information.

Become familiar with the introduction and the objectives for each subject area, as well as the overview provided for additional resources
Refer to the guide as you prepare for conferences with your child’s teacher
Use the guide to promote conversation about your child’s classroom learning and homework assignments

Invite Success

It is important that the following practices, critical for school success, be established and reinforced at home. Parents should encourage the following behaviors in their children.

Attend school regularly
Eat well, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep
Put forth his/her best effort
Listen attentively
Select an appropriate study place and develop a consistent study routine
Have available necessary supplies
Be prepared and organized
Plan ahead
Read for fun and information

General Information

Elementary School Counseling Program
Each elementary school offers a comprehensive and developmental counseling program that is an integral part of the total educational program designed to promote the academic, social, and career development of all students. As an essential part of the instructional program, school counseling helps to build a foundation for student learning and academic success. Licensed school counselors provide a variety of services, including classroom instruction, crisis intervention, individual and group services, support for parents, teachers, and administrators, and coordination of services with outside agencies.

Parent/Student Handbook
Each school's parent/student handbook is sent home at the beginning of the school year. It contains general information about the school's program, the school division calendar, availability of school services and materials, regulations, and general guidelines.

Report Cards
The Report Card formally advises parents of their child's proficiency. It is issued four times a year. Other informal progress reports are sent home at regular intervals. In addition, parents who register for the online Parent Portal can monitor their children’s progress throughout the year.

Language Arts

The kindergarten language arts program focuses on the broad areas of communication, reading, writing and research. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction literature which will serve as a basis for instruction and practice in phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency and writing.

Communication and Multimodal Literacies

Develops oral communication skills
Demonstrates growth in oral, early literacy skills

Reading

Orally identifies, segments and blends various phonemes to develop phonological and phonemic awareness
Understands basic phonetic principles
Expands vocabulary and use of word meanings
Demonstrates comprehension of fictional texts
Demonstrates comprehension of nonfiction texts

Writing and Research

Writes in a variety of forms
Prints in manuscript
Conducts research to answer questions or solve problems

Storyboard

Essential Questions: How am I connecting the pieces as I read? How does reading help frame my ideas for writing? How am I working to share/ communicate my ideas?

Unit Title and Quarter	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4
Unit Title and Quarter	Unit 1 - 3 - Building a Literacy Community by Exploring Fiction and Becoming Curious About Nonfiction	Unit 4 - 5 - Digging into Fiction: Let's Tell a Story! Digging into Nonfiction: Telling About Topics	Unit 6 - 7 - Thinking About Characters and Themes in Stories Locating and Sharing Information	Unit 8 - 10 : Developing Good Reading Habit and Reflecting on our Reading and Writing Community
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Focus of the Story	We start our year by building our community through stories. We learn our letters and sounds to be powerful readers and writers.	Next, we learn about the connection between letters and sounds. When listening to books, we tell about characters, setting and important parts of a story. Even when we look at non-fiction we identify the topic and details.	We build our reading and writing power by identifying different sounds that letters make in words. When listening to stories we use important parts to retell. In non-fiction, we ask and answer questions about the topic. We write about what we have learned.	Finally, we celebrate our letters and sound knowledge. We put together and break apart words. We listen to and make predictions and connections in what we are reading. We write to describe a person or topic.
Transfer Goals	Communicate through speaking and listening to share ideas and explain my thinking. Explore the connections among letters, sounds, word parts, and vocabulary to understand the power of language that an author uses to express an idea. Read, comprehend, and analyze texts in order to construct meaning about the world and themselves. Plan, draft, edit, revise and publish one’s writing for a purpose, task, or audience. Engage in research and inquiry to analyze, evaluate source credibility, and become more knowledgeable about a given topic.
Learning Targets	I can name the capital and lowercase letters. I can tell the difference between sentences, words and syllables. I can identify the author and illustrator of a book and what they each do. I can make connections from my experiences to understand events in the story. I can print words and letters.	I can sort and identify words that have the same beginning sound. I can blend and segment by syllables and onset and rime. I can tell about the characters, setting, and important parts of a story. I can identify the topic of a text and ask questions about that topic. I can write uppercase and lowercase letters by myself.	I can tell and write the letter and digraph for a sound I hear. I can explain that fictional texts tell a story. I can make predictions throughout the text/book based on pictures and the text. I can ask and answer questions about what I have just read. I can write on a topic.	I can tell which letters are vowels and which are consonants. I can tell the sounds of all consonants, short vowels, and initial consonant digraphs. I can blend and segment each phoneme to make a word. I can respond to who, what, when, where, why and how questions about the text. I can write a sentence to describe something or someone.

Mathematics

The kindergarten mathematics program has an emphasis on the development of number sense. Throughout the year, students will discover the various meanings, uses, and representations of numbers. As students develop an understanding of numbers, they will begin to explore their application in geometry, measurement and data collection. The foundations for computational fluency are established as students use numbers to represent the composition and decomposition of quantities. Students will begin to recognize and identify repeating patterns.

Numeration and Computation

Understands numbers, the ways of representing whole numbers and rational numbers and the relationships that exist among these numbers and number systems
Understands the meanings of addition and subtraction in number stories

Geometry and Measurement

Understands and applies knowledge of time, money, and measurement
Uses visualization and spatial reasoning in order to analyze plane geometric figures and their attributes regardless of their position in space

Probability and Statistics

Constructs answers by collecting, organizing and displaying data

Patterns, Functions, and Algebra

Understand a variety of patterns

Science

Scientific and engineering practices are developed within each unit of study. Students will use their five senses to investigate and understand the world through active discovery. As students learn more about the world around them, the emphasis will be on recognizing patterns and changes through explorations and investigations.

Force, Motion, and Energy

Observe the effects of pushes and pulls on an object
Investigate the effects of various different strengths or directions of pushes or pulls on the motion of an object

Matter

Observe and describe the various physical properties of objects
Describe where water can be found, how water flows, how water can move and change phases, and the ways in which water can be useful

Living Systems and Processes

Identify and describe the five basic senses and their associated body structure
Differentiate between living and nonliving things
Describe the basic needs of plants and animals
Identify basic changes which occur during the life cycles of plants and animals

Earth and Space Systems

Describe how shadows occur
Identify the sun as a source of light and heat energy
Identify patterns in nature, including those occurring in weather, day and night, and seasonal changes
Investigate changes in living and non-living things which occur over time and can be measured and observed

Earth Resources

Understand that humans use resources
Identify the ways that materials and objects can be recycled or reused

Social Studies

In kindergarten, students learn social studies concepts through the integrated language arts curriculum that build a foundation for learning independently and cooperatively with others. The focus in kindergarten social studies is developing a concept of self.

Civics

Describe the role of individuals in communities
Recognize the significance of symbols that unify Americans (American flag, Pledge of Allegiance)

Economics

Explain why people make economic choices
Describe how different jobs serve the community

Geography

Describe relative location by using positional words (near, far; above, below)
Recognize basic map and globe elements
Explain the purpose of maps

History

Recognize that everyday life today is different from everyday life long ago
Describe choices made by people from the past brought about change
Identify local historical events, stories and narratives that describe the development of the community

Science and Social Studies Storyboard

Essential Questions: How can we observe and describe our world? What patterns do we see? What predictions can we make?

Quarter	Quarter 1		Quarter 2		Quarter 3		Quarter 4
Title	Let’s Get to Work!		Let’s See What Happens!		Let’s See Where We Live and How We Grow!		Let’s Make A Change!
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Specific Titles for Sci or SS	How We Work Together	Pushing and Pulling	Needs and Wants	Looking for Patterns in Nature	Location! Location! Location!	Living and Non-Living Things	What Happened First, What Happened Next	Conserving Resources in Our Environment
Focus of the Story	We begin our year by learning how to work together as a classroom community. We look at how adults both in and out of school work together too.	We then roll up our sleeves to test out how forces work together to move objects.	In Quarter 2, we identify needs and wants. We then make choices of what is most important to us.	Next, we investigate patterns in nature and think about how we can make predict what might happen next.	In Quarter 3, we practice our basic map skills. We identify where things are located.	Then, we investigate the differences between living and nonliving things and discover what living things need to survive.	In Quarter 4, we learn about basic timelines. We identify and put in order historical events.	We complete our year of exploration by considering how we can work together to conserve our resources.
Transfer Goals	CONNECT: Demonstrate civic and social practices through interactions with others and self-reflection in service of an interdependent global community. (Personally and Socially Responsible, Resilient Learners)	PLAN AND CARRY OUT INVESTIGATIONS or use a design process to answer a question or solve a problem.	ACT: Communicate effectively based on purpose, task, and audience using valid and reliable information with accurate and relevant details (Problem Solvers and Value Creators, Knowledgeable)	ANALYZE AND INTERPRET DATA to determine its validity or usefulness, identify patterns and relationships, and/or draw conclusions (Thinkers and Inquirers; Knowledgeable)	QUESTION: Ask and pursue a line of questioning based on curiosity, prior knowledge, personal experience, and ongoing research to establish patterns, draw well-reasoned conclusions, or take actions. (Knowledgeable, Thinkers and Inquirers, Problem Solvers and Value Creators)	COMMUNICATE results, solutions, or findings to inspire further inquiry and courses of action (Communicators and Collaborators; Personally and Socially Responsible)	QUESTION: Ask and pursue a line of questioning based on curiosity, prior knowledge, personal experience, and ongoing research to establish patterns, draw well-reasoned conclusions, or take actions. (Knowledgeable, Thinkers and Inquirers, Problem Solvers and Value Creators)	DEFINE PROBLEMS through research into what is already known and think creatively about what solutions might be possible (Problem Solvers and Value Creators; Personally and Socially Responsible)
Learning Targets	I can practice citizenship skills.	I can investigate how pushes and pulls change the motion of objects. I can use my senses to make observations about my world.	I can recognize that people make choices.	I can investigate how shadows are formed. I can collect data about weather. I can describe seasonal patterns.	I can use maps for a variety of purposes.	I can identify the needs of living things and describe how living things try to meet them. I can describe changes in living and nonliving things.	I can recognize change over time.	I can explain that resources are limited. I can share solutions about how people can conserve resources.

Physical Education

The kindergarten physical education objectives reflect the Virginia Standards of Learning.

Motor Skill Development

Performs fundamental motor skills and specialized movement patterns

Anatomical Basis of Movement

Uses cognitive information to enhance motor skill acquisition and performance

Fitness Planning

Communicates the knowledge to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of fitness

Social Development

Expresses and uses responsible personal and social behaviors in activity settings

Energy Balance

Uses health concepts related to health promotion and improvement of personal health

Personal Health

Demonstrates the ability to access, evaluate and use health information to recognize the relationship between personal behavior and personal health

Instructional Technology

The kindergarten Digital Learning Integration Standards offer children a variety of instructional technology experiences based on the Profile of a Virginia Graduate. These standards are comprehensive statements that explain foundational knowledge, skills, and experiences aligned to the K-2 curriculum standards.

Empowered Learner: Students leverage technologies, including assistive technologies, to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals informed by the learning sciences.

Digital Citizenship: Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of digital resources using appropriate technologies, including assistive technologies, to construct knowledge, produce creative digital works, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies, including assistive technologies, within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions or iterations.

Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods, including those that leverage assistive technologies, to develop and test solutions

Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using appropriate technologies (including assistive technologies), styles, formats, and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Global Collaborator: Students use appropriate technologies, including assistive technologies, to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Essential Information Literacy Skills (EILS)

The kindergarten Essential Information Literacy Skills (EILS) enhance student experiences for developing skills in information literacy, inquiry, collaboration, and engaging with knowledge products safely and ethically. These skills are achieved through the collaboration of the classroom teacher and the library media specialist (LMS).

Inquire: Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems, and developing strategies for solving problems.

Display curiosity and initiative by asking questions about topics of interest
Adapt, communicate, and exchange learning products with others
Participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process

Include: Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community.

Interact with a diverse group of peers in a respectful manner and by sharing their perspectives

Collaborate: Work effectively with others to broaden perspectives and work toward common goals.

Actively listen in a group and work with others to solve problems
Participate with others in learning situations by actively contributing to group discussions

Curate: Make Meaning for oneself and others by collecting, organizing, and sharing resources of personal relevance.

Understand how an information resource is organized
- Title, author, call number, illustrator, title page, publisher, copyright date, spine
- Nonfiction text feature

Explore: Discover and innovate in a growth mindset developed through experience and reflection.

Develop and satisfy personal curiosity by reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and writing for a variety of purposes
Construct new knowledge by problem solving through cycles of design and implementation
Problem solve through reflection and revision; be open to feedback

Engage: Demonstrate safe, legal and ethical creating and sharing of knowledge products independently while engaging in a community of practice and an interconnected world.

Follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by complying with the school division’s Acceptable Use Policy
Recognize the importance of citing sources
Create a product with a specific message for an intended audience
Extend personal learning by selecting appropriate sources, formats and by locating materials in the library for personal growth and pleasure

Music

The Virginia Standards of Learning for Kindergarten General Music serve as the foundation for musical understanding and provide a pathway to future music instruction. Students come to understand that music ideas are developed through a creative process. Emphasis is placed on acquiring basic musical knowledge, skills and understanding through singing, playing instruments, listening and moving. Students identify people who create music and examine how music is a part of personal and community events. Students examine the value of working and sharing creative ideas within a group, and recognize and express personal responses evoked by musical experiences. Students participate in a weekly music class taught by a music specialist.

Creative Process

Improvise and compose music
Apply a creative process for music

Critical Thinking and Communication

Analyze music
Describe how music evokes personal ideas and emotions
Demonstrate collaboration and communication skills for music rehearsal and performance

History, Culture, and Citizenship

Explore historical and cultural aspects of music
Describe roles of music and musicians in communities
Identify appropriate sources for listening to music

Innovation in the Arts

Identify how individuals create music
Identify how music can be created using technology tools
Identify relationships between music and other fields of knowledge

Technique and Application

Demonstrate music literacy
Develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance
Develop skills for individual and ensemble instrumental performance
Classify, perform and count rhythmic patterns
Understand and apply the difference between melodic rhythm and steady beat using body percussion, instruments and voice
Respond to music with movement

Storyboard

Essential Questions: How does music affect our lives? How do we play music?

Quarter	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4
Unit Title	Let’s Start at the Very Beginning…..	Oh the Places We go; Opposites and all the ways we can perform them.	Musicians: More than Meets the Eye	Improvisation? Sing what?
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Focus of the Story	We begin by identifying sound sources as vocal, instrumental or environmental while exploring steady beats through singing, moving and playing instruments both individually and as a team.	Once we identify sounds we begin to create our own and accompany songs with chants, body percussion and instruments. This helps to strengthen our rhythmic foundations as we explore musical opposites, like fast and slow and loud and soft.	Instruction continues exploring musical opposites by identifying high and low sounds, and identifying musically creative people such as singers, composers, conductors and instrumentalists.	Putting it all together has us performing rhythmic patterns and expanding our singing voices through echo and ensemble singing as we explore the early stages of musical improvisation.
Transfer Goals	Explore and connect personal interests, experiences, and aspirations through vocation, advocacy, and arts patronage. Curate a portfolio of accomplishments, experiences, and performance materials exhibiting oneself as an artist. Use music literacy to demonstrate understanding of the elements of music and the ways they inform artistic performance and creative expression.	Understand and find meaning in music as a form of community engagement through involvement as a performer, supporter, advocate, and audience member. Explore and connect personal interests, experiences, and aspirations through vocation, advocacy, and arts patronage. Curate a portfolio of accomplishments, experiences, and performance materials exhibiting oneself as an artist. Use music literacy to demonstrate understanding of the elements of music and the ways they inform artistic performance and creative expression.	Understand and apply creative processes to guide the development of ideas, original works, and musical performance. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate musical works from a variety of cultures. Understand and find meaning in music as a form of community engagement through involvement as a performer, supporter, advocate, and audience member. Explore and connect personal interests, experiences, and aspirations through vocation, advocacy, and arts patronage. Curate a portfolio of accomplishments, experiences, and performance materials exhibiting oneself as an artist. Use music literacy to demonstrate understanding of the elements of music and the ways they inform artistic performance and creative expression.	Understand and apply creative processes to guide the development of ideas, original works, and musical performance. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate musical works from a variety of cultures. Understand and find meaning in music as a form of community engagement through involvement as a performer, supporter, advocate, and audience member. Explore and connect personal interests, experiences, and aspirations through vocation, advocacy, and arts patronage. Curate a portfolio of accomplishments, experiences, and performance materials exhibiting oneself as an artist. Use music literacy to demonstrate understanding of the elements of music and the ways they inform artistic performance and creative expression. Use technology as a strategic mechanism for improving music literacy and improving music performance.
Learning Targets	I can echo my teacher's voice. I can copy a steady beat. I can wonder about music. I can show teamwork and respect in the music classroom. I can move to music. I can copy, show, and create movement to represent music. I can discover patriotic songs and songs from different cultures. I can identify and classify sound sources. I can connect music to other things I’m learning. I can describe how music makes me feel. I can communicate my feelings and opinions. I can identify people who create music.	I can move in place or through space to show opposites in music. I can recognize a song as patriotic and identify how music is a part of my life and in my community. I can practice performing musical opposites using body percussion, singing, and instruments. I can recognize how music connects to other areas of study. I can practice performing musical opposites using movement, body percussion, singing, and instruments. I can use my voice to create rhythms and melodies. I can identify the different roles of people making and creating music both in my community and around the world. I can identify instruments by sight and sound. I can use words or movement to show how music makes me feel.	I can identify, compose, and perform rhythms with one sound, two sounds or no sounds. I can sing so mi and other songs while matching pitch. I can identify and demonstrate high/low melodies. I can think about and talk about music performances. I can create musical sounds or movements to enhance poems and stories. I can discuss how I feel about music. I can share instruments with other students. I can identify people who create music. I can connect music to other things I’m learning. I can create, read and perform musical rhythms and patterns. I can both identify and illustrate with my body high/low in music performances.	I can sing, play instruments, and move musically (loud/soft, fast/slow) I can find the steady beat of music while playing, singing and moving. I can respond to a story or song with movement. I can identify and perform rhythms with one sound, two sounds or no sounds. I can recognize music as fast/slow, high/low, loud/soft, same/different I can identify music technology. I can identify and perform rhythmic patterns. I can demonstrate a steady beat using movement, body percussion, instruments, and voice. I can sing songs using echo and ensemble singing.

Gifted

The school-based program for gifted education is grounded in the content of the regular curriculum and is differentiated, modified, and expanded to provide appropriate learning challenges. Gifted resource teachers coach, collaborate with and support kindergarten teachers in differentiation of curriculum and instruction for students. Opportunities are provided for students through whole group and small group instruction by the school’s gifted resource teacher to enhance creative, critical, and logical thinking skills; to use problem solving strategies; to strengthen communication skills; and to enhance positive attitudes toward themselves and others. For further information, contact the Office of K-12 and Gifted Programs at 757-263-1405.

Academic Support

Academic support programs are designed to strengthen and improve the achievement of students who would benefit from additional academic assistance. These programs are available to students in grades kindergarten through twelve. Academic support goals are established for eligible students, and student progress is monitored. For further information, contact the principal of your child’s school.

Special Education

Special education is specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the needs of a student with a disability as described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia. Through a process of identification, evaluation, and eligibility determination, students determined to require special education and related services are provided specially designed instruction and supports as delineated in an individualized education program (IEP).

The IEP is developed through a collaborative process between parents, teachers, administrators, other service providers, and students, when appropriate. An IEP is implemented according to the agreed upon services once written parental consent is obtained. For further information about special education, the process and/or delivery of services, please contact the Parent Support and Information Center at 757-263-2066.

English as a Second Language

The vision of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools English as a Second Language program is to empower English learners to master social and academic English; to achieve academic success; to accomplish personal goals focused on college and career readiness; and to navigate the diverse local and global communities. Instruction is designed to meet the needs of students at various levels of English proficiency and build students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Language and culture taught in the ESL program reinforce skills and concepts taught in the standard curriculum. For further information concerning ESL, contact the Title III coordinator for English learners, Department of Teaching and Learning at 757-263-1070.