KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten is an exciting time. Children meet new friends, interact with new teachers and expand their knowledge of the world. The full-day Kindergarten program at Indian Hollow provides an interactive and developmentally appropriate environment in which children participate in learning activities which assist them in becoming critical thinkers and life-long learners.

Our Kindergarten curriculum is an integrated, thematic approach to learning. Within each thematic unit, the children strengthen their literacy development through the use of big books and other materials. Children make predictions about the text, recognize capital and lower-case letters, associate sounds with letters and participate in the reading and writing of stories.

Math lessons are integrated. The children work in cooperative groups to sort, extend patterns, count and problem solve. The "hands-on" approach to teaching mathematics includes using manipulatives such as unifix cubes, pattern-blocks and two-sided counters to learn math concepts. In accordance with the New York State Standards, the children participate in activities that foster a connection to real world experiences.

Our Kindergarten children participate in special activities such as field trips to the Native American Museum at Stony Brook, the Suffolk County Farm at Yaphank, and attend live productions in school. Kindergarteners participate in our school-wide "Read-A-Thon" and our "Reading Buddy" partnership with the second graders.

The Kindergarten children at Indian Hollow are busy learning new concepts and expanding upon them. More importantly, the children are getting involved, having fun, and learning in a safe and nurturing environment.