I teach reading readiness skills (letter names, sounds, popcorn words (75 words practiced), fluency and expression, comprehension, recall and retell, vocabulary, good reading strategies for becoming
independent readers, how to care for/read books, phonemic awareness, phonics, blending and reading at the emergent levels, decoding and segmenting words and other basic skills.  We read a variety of genres
and compare structures of writings lists, poetry, stories and informational text.  We play with nursery rhymes and learn to create rhyming pairs.  We just plain read for enjoyment as well.  We learn to
write the letters in upper and lowercase form and by the end of the year many of the children are writing sentences using appropriate punctuation.  We invite the fourth graders to have shared reading
times with us.  The children participate in guided reading, choral reading, and readers theater activities.  We split the children into 3 smaller groups 3 days per week where Title I teachers and I rotate
groups to teach various needed skills.  Kindergarten students participate in the Title I program individually as well.  Senior Citizens read aloud to kindergarten students every other Monday for 30
minutes.  The children are now learning to read to them at the emergent levels.
We learn to count past 100 and recognize numbers to 100.  We add and subtract to 20, learn problem solving through the use of picture stories, sort and graph real objects and interpret graphs, We
categorize and learn quantity discrimination.  We learn to create basic math patterns, name coins and introduce values.  We practice telling time on a clock as well as seasonal time, months of the year,
and days of the week.  Students learn about even and odd, and more/less/ and equal.  We count by ones, 2's, 5's, and tens to 100. We learn colors and shapes. We study about our ourselves, our body organs and parts and how they function.  We study the 5 Senses.    We learn about nutrition and safety.  We also study about families and neighborhoods.  I introduce beginning map skills where we learn about lakes, rivers, ponds,
islands, landforms, and oceans.  We learn about the compass rose and directions (N, S, E, W).  We study the concepts of map keys, symbols, and models.  We learn about other countries and their cultures.
Students learn about soil, rocks, water, and air and living and non-living things.We learn about what's inside the planet earth from crust to core.  We study about community helpers and invite guest
speakers in or take field trips out in our community.  We read about recycling and saving the earth and its natural resources.  We study plant life and life cycles of plants and animals.  We participate in
the Ag in the Classroom Program monthly and read a Newsweek magazine for kindergarten monthly.  We study sand and rocks briefly and often engage in a weather theme or project.  I guide the children through
1-3 Project Approach Studies per year.  This year we studied pumpkins in the fall and are now diving into a chocolate project.  The projects last from 4-9 weeks depending on student interest.  We learn the
scientific process by formulating our own questions, predicting outcomes, researching and experimenting to discover answers, and finally sharing our knowledge with our parents and other students in a
culminating activity.  This year the children are creating a cacao tree with pods and beans, and the factory to show the process from bean seed to candy.  We will celebrate by preparing different chocolates and inviting friends and family to a chocolate tasting party.  Some years we study the Arctic Culture and build a model igloo
that we use as a reading center in the classroom.  The project studies vary from year to year depending on the group and what their interests are.  Some past projects not mentioned are storms and weather,
crayons,  classroom pets,  gingerbread man, and space.  Each project ends with some kind of "parent night" where the children have the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with their
families.  Other special activities in kindergarten include teaching through centers.  The children learn playing and working in the following centers daily:  Art, Reading, Math, Writing, Computer, Wood
Construction, Dramatic Play, Pet Ferret, Games and blocks, and sand and water table. Centers allow for hands-on opportunities, discovery through experimentation, students initiating some of their own
learning, cooperative learning, self-selected learning, and highly engaged learning for longer periods of time.  It's a fun way to learn. My role as teacher varies according to the activities planned at each
center.  Kindergarten is a busy place and the growth takes place rapidly throughout the school year.  We all help each other learn and develop new skills. 

Rebecca Haas.