UPVA Kindergarten | Course Descriptions
UPVA Kindergarten | Course Descriptions
UPVA Kindergarten | Course Descriptions
Language Arts K
English Language Arts K encompasses reading, writing, speaking, spelling, and listening skills for students who are emerging learners. This course places a heavy emphasis on the alphabet, as students learn letter names and both uppercase and lowercase letters. Students also learn letter sounds and how to articulate and blend those sounds. English Language Arts K focuses on building reading skills through the use of high-frequency sight words—common prepositions, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Through grade-level appropriate readings, students explore story elements and the ways in which pictures relate to text. They also learn to summarize a text and to compare and contrast characters, events, and ideas within texts. This course teaches foundational grammar and writing skills, including proper capitalization, spacing between words, and sentence punctuation. Students learn to print words and write complete sentences. Finally, interactive activities throughout the academic year help students develop their speaking and listening skills as well.
Math K
In Mathematics K, students explore the world of mathematics all around them. Students begin to develop foundational mathematics skills such as number identification and recognition and rote counting to 100 by memory. They learn the difference between more than and less than and explore the ways in which numbers are broken down into various components. Students compare measurements, such as longer and shorter and heavier and lighter. They begin to develop problem-solving skills as they engage with simple addition and subtraction equations and word problems. Finally, students are introduced to basic geometry and learn the names and basic attributes of shapes.
Science K
Science K introduces emerging learners to the knowledge and skills that will help them discover and understand the natural world around them. In this course, students learn to formulate questions, to predict, and to investigate. They use basic scientific tools, such as a magnifying glass, a ruler, and a thermometer, to make observations and draw on those observations to communicate their findings. They learn to use their five senses as observational tools as well. They deploy their observational skills to describe animals and plants, their basic needs for survival, and their environments. Students discover the effect of sunlight on Earth's surfaces and the difference between sun and shade. Students explore weather types, weather patterns, and seasonal changes. They also examine the characteristics of force, including the difference between a push and a pull.
Social Studies K
Social Studies K introduces emerging learners to the knowledge and skills that help them to become active and valued participants in their community. Students learn the importance of rules and regulations in guiding community behavior and the role of government and other institutions. They explore the concept of good citizenship and values such as respect, democracy, cooperation, and equality in the context of the family and the local community. This course lays the foundation for understanding the past by teaching the importance of a sequence of events, introducing historical figures, and developing students’ skill in distinguishing fact and opinion. Finally, students learn about the world around them, including how geography influences society, how maps represent places, and how communities rely on trade in goods and services.
Art K
In Art K, students are introduced to the ways in which they can express ideas and demonstrate their creativity through art. Throughout this course, students are encouraged to use their imagination to create art. They use a wide variety of materials to make their artwork, and they learn safe methods for using those materials. They explore the importance of working with others by collaborating both to create art and to solve artistic problems. Students use multiple techniques while working with the same artistic medium, and they create various scenes, including a nature scene, a construction scene, and an underwater scene. This course will teach students to develop and carry out a plan to create and revise their work, and it guides them through the process of creating a personal art portfolio. In addition, Art K-1 encourages students to begin thinking about the artwork of others. They learn about well-known artists and the common tools those artists used. They also learn about art museums and consider how pieces of artwork make them feel. Finally, students create works of art that are of a more personal nature, including art depicting their own community, a self-portrait, and an illustration of their favorite book. Throughout Art K-1, students learn art terminology so that they are able to connect ideas and demonstrate the beginnings of a strong artistic foundation.
Music K
In Music K, students are introduced to the expression of ideas and creativity in music through active involvement. Students respond, connect, perform, and create music to enhance gross and fine motor skills, vocal development, self-expression, personal connection, originality, visual recognition, and audiation while developing music terminology.