The importance of early education cannot be overstated. Many school districts have transitioned from a single half-day to two years of full days at the kindergarten level. This prepares young students for the more formal learning environment they will encounter later. Reading programs for kindergarten by Essential Skills help give children the basic prereading skills they need in a format that appeals to a variety of learning styles.
The kindergarten years are not just about learning numbers and alphabet. Some JK students are only 3 when the start school, and many students haven’t been in organized group environments before. Whether they’re nervous, scared, or excited, beginning kindergarten is a huge step, and a great teacher can make it a successful one.
Kindergarten teachers are masters of multitasking. Some of the roles they play include:
- Planning – Using curriculum, board recommendations and input from administration and subject specialists, they must plan for the year, including methods, resource needs, assessment, and reporting.
- Preparing – Kindergarten classrooms aren’t just desks and bulletin boards. Various activity centers need to be equipped and set up, the room should provide space for physical activities, an easily modifiable seating plan, a cozy corner for read aloud and some quiet space for young students to enjoy kindergarten reading programs.
- Caregiving – This is an open-ended job that is part of everything else a kindergarten teacher does. It starts In the morning by making sure the students are present, that they are in their inside clothes and their other belongings are in the right cubby. Throughout the day teachers will monitor students’ ability to complete tasks and note areas to watch. They will be sensitive to children’s moods, ability to be on task, to follow class rules, treat others with kindness, have a healthy snack, and to have a great day.
- Communicating – Kindergarten teachers deliver lessons to class and need to constantly assure that the little ones are understanding what is being said. They need to have one-on-one time with their students and frequent communication with parents.
- Teaching – At the start of the school year, teachers must assume that all students will start at level 1. Of course, in reality some will be advanced while others struggle just to follow class routines. Technology-based reading programs for kindergarten, such as those from Essential Skills, are an invaluable teaching tool. Students choose the stories they like the most and get practice in reading basics while they play. The program will monitor what children opt to do, and how well they do it. This gives teachers a baseline for each child, as well as some insight into their tastes and learning styles.
- Reporting – Feedback on assignments, notes to other specialists or social workers regarding concerns, phone calls to parents, and of course there are report cards. This task is made easier by the automatic progress tracking included in Essential Skills kindergarten reading programs.