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Kindergarten
Kindergarten is geared for five year olds.

A school or classroom for kindergarteners should be warm and friendly with a gentle early childhood professional in charge. Kindergarten children are always on the go; they can be into everything.

The kindergarten classroom should reflect an environment where hands-on learning can occur.   Children need to feel comfortable being in that environment so they can fulfill their potential for learning; they need to be engaged in appropriate activities with their hands and bodies. To allow for this learning the physical environment of the classroom should include as many centers as possible - a writing center, an art center, a tactile or manipulative center, a science center, an easel area, a reading center, a computer area,an area to use the flannelboard, a block area, a play area, a puzzle area, and a  sand or water table.

Kindergarteners learn through play; multiple opportunities for play should occur during their day. Also their environment should be a place where they make friends, can be a friend and can develop a sense of community.

Their daily schedule should be a balance of active and quiet time periods to accommodate their needs.

An effective early childhood professional working with kindergarten children remembers that the child’s first teacher is their parents and keeps them informed on how to appropriately assist their child in learning.
 
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning communicates with Commonwealth Kindergarten programs on a regular basis regading various protocols and has formalized and systemized such communication.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Explore the Early Learning Opportunities for your child through these family resources:

 

PA Early Learning Standards

Early Intervention

PA Pre-K Counts

Head Start

Kindergarten

Child Care Programs

Keystone STARS

 
 
 
 
 

For additional information, please contact:

Debi Mathias |
Pennsylvania Department of Education - OCDEL
333 Market Street | Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717.346.3924
demathias@pa.gov | www.education.state.pa.us
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