Kindergarten Tech Program

Kindergarten Tech is a specialized and unique full day private kindergarten program that gives children a ground floor experience in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum.

Through the use of the "We Do" robotics program by Lego Educational Services and the "Engineering is Elementary" curriculum created by the Boston Science Museum, children are introduced to basic engineering concepts. Each unit begins with a story about young children from various places throughout the world who have problems that need to be solved by designing an engineered solution. They learn social studies, science, math, reading and writing as they work through the design problem of each unit along with the child in the story.

The use of technology is an integral part of the learning experience as children explore the world through the Internet using Smart Board technology and five synced computers placed throughout the classroom. Five digital cameras with related |software are tools in the process of logging and recording progress on engineering projects.

Visual arts are also explored through the use of charcoal, pastels, and clay as children learn about the use of line, shading, color, texture and composition. Tools for learning about music include keyboard, guitar, and percussive instruments as the world of rhythm, melody and harmony is discovered. Reading, writing and math are essential daily elements of the program. Reading is taught through a blended approach of direct phonics instruction, use of leveled readers and reading and discussing quality children's literature with a focus on genre. In addition to the math that is learned through the engineering unit, children will also participate in math projects from the Miquon Math curriculum. Studies in this math series take children well beyond kindergarten standards of learning as they use special materials that make the conceptual basics of mathematical relationships easily evident.

Parents can closely monitor their child's program progress in multiple ways. Every day, children compose and send parents an email documenting one aspect of their day's work. Teachers maintain an academic portfolio for each child that documents each of the standards of learning addressed during the kindergarten year. These portfolios are shared with parents four times a year. Formal conferences are held at least twice a year.

Blocks Currently, students in Kindergarten Tech are working on building simple machines, bridges and other structures. These units guide students to discover and discuss the connections between the science topics of forces, balances, and stability, the design of bridges and the field of engineering. Social Studies content also includes studying bridges in the United States and around the world. Students learn that bridges are human-made structures and realize that brides are “awesome” structures.

Kindergarten Tech brings professionals to the classroom to work with students. Civil Engineer, Michael Sawyers, works with students on building bridges. They made concrete cylinders then did different load tests to test their strength.

The Process

Kindergarten Tech students test materials by bending them, shaping them, discussing what they are made of; toothpicks are made from wood, straws are made from plastic. When learning about axles and wheels, Gears students experiment and determine which is best to build their design. Students are presented with questions and a challenge. “Which materials are best to make axles?” “Which materials will keep wheels stable?” Students take ownership of ideas and give them threedimensional form. Through learning the Engineering Design Process. Students also experiment with different scientific and mathematical concepts such as gravity, smooth and round surfaces, and friction as they construct and test their machines. They build ramps and create slopes to test these principles. Kindergarten Tech students are challenged to design, plan, build, test and improve their projects and create unique and innovative structures and machines.

What We Learned:

To work in teams
The Engineering Design Process
Creativity
Solving problems
Improving our design

Day in the Life of Kindergarten Tech at Minnieland Academy

9:00 – 9:30 Morning Meeting: Children and teachers meet together to connect with each other and to discuss their plans for the day. Traditional songs are sung to build the sense of community as the day begins. Each child leaves the group with a plan for the day. This creates a sense of long term thinking and goal setting.

9:30 – 10:30 Individualized Learning Labs: Children move to areas of the room that have materials and activities that will further their skills in writing, reading, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, social studies, visual arts, or music production and composition. The room is arranged in learning labs to facilitate this individual work. These labs may include an international house (social studies), visual arts studio, and music studio.

10:30 – 11:00 Reading, Writing and Phonics: Through the reading of a story or from a computer generated lesson, children receive formal instruction on important reading, writing and STEM skills and concepts. A project-based activity is introduced that incorporates the Engineering Design Process and reinforces the concepts introduced. This lesson is often carried into and expanded in Design Teams.

11:00 – 11:30 Outside Time: Children need time to be outside, to replenish themselves and to reenergize. Here they can breathe the air, run, climb, play a game of soccer, shoot a basket, and twirl a jump rope. Children learn many important social skills through play. They learn to respect each other and work together to have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

11:30-12:00 Lunchtime: Children sit together with their teachers to eat their lunch that was cooked at the school. Everyone, including teachers, participate in fun and interesting conversations. This is a feel good time; a time that should engender some good follow up discussion among children and teachers.

12:00-12:30 Story time: Stories are chosen from quality children’s literature and read with the purpose of promoting discussion of basic human qualities such as compassion, perseverance, empathy, respect, and tolerance. This is a feel good time, a time that should engender some good follow up discussion among children and teachers. It is not unusual for a particularly good story to be reread on several different occasions.

12:30-1:00 Math Magic: Through the use of the Miquon Math Curriculum, children will work in small groups with specialized learning tools that include Cuisenaire rods to experience first-hand the magic of numbers, quantities, equations, measurement, and spatial figures. They will get a real time experience with how math works and then learn how to both read and write down the number symbols that document their math experiences.

1:00 – 1:30. Outside Time: Children need time to be outside, to replenish themselves and to reenergize. Here they can breathe the air, run, climb, play a game of soccer, shoot a basket, and twirl a jump rope. Children learn many important social skills through play. They learn to respect each other and work together to have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

1:30 – 2:30 Design Team: Three days a week, children will work in groups of four or five on basic engineering projects that are inspired by children stories, pictures from magazines or stories about great minds such as Frank Lloyd Wright. The STEM curriculum developed by the Kindergarten Tech teachers has a strong literature base. STEM can be found in nearly every story. One day a week, design teams will switch focus and work on a visual arts project. Computer programs such as Tux Art and Pivot will be used to enhance the creation experience. Children will also learn the art of taking good pictures and enhancing them using simple digital photo software. On another day of the week, design teams will concentrate on music production studying rhythm, melody and harmony. They will look at the different genres of song and musical composition with an eye to singing and playing instruments.

2:30 – 3:30 Journaling and Reflection: This last part of the day is critical to the intellectual growth of each child. Children and teachers reflect and report on daily projects, to discuss what has been learned, to talk about what can be learned tomorrow.