Kindergarten
at Northern Lights
Curious about what your kindergartener might experience at Northern Lights? Take a peek at how our kindergarteners are nurtured in their curiosity. They create their own alphabet reference from loose parts and are learn to care for even the smallest critters. They find math all around them, build with one another and look forward to connecting with other classes.
Nurtured in
Their Curiosity
Caring for
Meal Worms
This fall, kindergartners have been caring for and observing a colony of mealworms. Together students built their mealworm home, filled it with roasted bran and have been watching with fascination as the larva morph into a pupa and then transform into beetles. They closely observe their changes and wonder about their behavior.
Dosha - Maybe the beetles go under the paper because its not sunny?
Nick- There is shade there.
Dosha - When Michele lifted up the paper there was like a hundred beetles.
Nick- Most of the time in their life, they like to sleep. Mostly when we first got them they spent most of their time under the paper.
Our mealworms afford students the opportunity to observe and care for living creatures, question and develop theories.
“What opportunities exist in your home for your child to practice caring for others?”
ABCs from
Loose Parts
Kindergarteners brought in natural items from their homes to create collections in the classroom. Teacher Michele drew the alphabet in chalk, students chose their favorite letter and then used items from the collections to trace the letter. Photos of their alphabet hang in their classroom as a reference for what each letter looks like.
Building Together
In kindergarten, children take care of their building spaces by organizing the blocks intentionally on the shelves. This way, they have a visual inventory of the materials available to them when they build, and may begin to notice how many of each shape are there, too. To aid them in keeping the blocks organized, there are pictures of what the shelf looks like when full. Using signs, even photos like these, develops their literacy skills as they notice the importance of signs to help navigate their environments.
Math All Around Us
Teacher Michele used the simple yes/no question, “Do you think a mealworm is a worm?” to teach about graphing, more & less, counting, and number writing.
Above the building area, images of constructions big and small reflect their work as builders and can inspire them to try something a friend has done before.
Our Community
At Northern Lights, classes sometimes combine to share experiences in community and learn from each other. These kindergarteners are looking forward to spending time with the 2/3 class.
“My favorite thing to do is to eat lunch outside. We’re going to the park with big kids! That’s a surprise, right Claire?”
-Leilani