Curriculum Description

Kindergarten is an exciting time of exploration for young children. As their motor coordination increases, so too will their sense of independence, self-reliance, and self-confidence. As the KG years progress, the children will be expected to complete assignments with less outside help, accept more responsibilities, and follow rules more closely.

The aim of the MMLS Kindergarten program is to provide a strong foundation from which students can grow to become active participants in life-long learning. The needs and interests of the children serve as the focal point around which daily and weekly activities are planned.

In addition to teaching English and Arabic language arts, math, science, social studies and world languages, we have a strong curriculum in music, art, drama, P.E., and computer. As learning foreign languages at an early stage means enriching the child’s world with different cultures, KG2 students will have the opportunity to choose between French and German as a second world language.
Activities are conducted in English, but the staff may use mother tongue with the youngest Nursery children.

General goals focus on children building strong pre-reading skills, practicing letter formation, enhancing listening and communication skills, getting an introduction to basic math concepts, and acquiring an active interest in the world.

Language Arts

At the MMLS kindergarten level, young children are encouraged to participate in a number of oral activities such as listening to stories, reciting poems and singing songs which help to build up their understanding of English language and foster their ability to communicate confidently and clearly.
The development of phonemic awareness as well as the introduction of some sight words are of vital importance to facilitate the students’ ability to decode words and to help accelerate their literacy.

Writing is definitely included in our curriculum; children will be encouraged to color, draw pictures and trace words as their first writing practice. Children will also be involved in activities such as cutting and pasting that help develop fine-motor skills contributing to greater pencil control in writing.
Generally speaking, at the end of KG2 your child will be able to:
• Recognize and write all of the letters of the alphabet in upper and lowercase forms.
• Write his first and last name.
• Learn sounds corresponding to vowels and consonants.
• Use initial consonant sounds and sound patterns to read words (for example, f + an = fan; r + an = ran).
• Identify several sight words, including names of colors.
• Recognize and use rhyming words.
• Retell a story including details.
• Put events of a story in order.
• Write simple sentences using sight words and phonics skills.
Mathematics
The aim of the Manarat El-Maadi Language School is to graduate individuals who value mathematics and appreciate its role in society. The five strands of mathematics introduced at the MMLS KG level include: problem solving, data management and analysis, numbers and operations, geometry and measurement.
Well planned mathematical activities and experiences are meant to contribute to the development of each child's ability to:
• Sort and classify objects using one or more attributes.
• Recognize and write numbers to 20.
• Count orally by ones, fives, and tens
• Name ordinal numbers first through tenth.
• Add and subtract using manipulatives (Cheerios, candy or other objects that can be picked up).
• Understand spatial relationships (top/bottom, near/far, before/behind).
• Compare quantities by estimating, weighing, and measuring.
• Use graphs to gather information.
• Recognize patterns and shapes.
• Tell time to the nearest hour.
• Count coins.
• Recite the days of the week and months of the year.

Other skills
• Art and music: Experiment with different materials and methods.
• Health and physical education: Learn essentials about nutrition and functions of the body.
• Social studies: Identify major religious and civic holidays and historical figures; appreciate similarities and differences across individuals, families and traditions; understand different roles in communities.
• Science: Use all senses to observe and experiment with plants and animals, weather and temperature.

Homework
Sending a daily homework is the KG department’s policy to reinforce lessons taught in school and encourage good study habits as well as sense of responsibility. Children will be asked to practice printing numbers and letters; other assignments might include experimenting, exploring, observing or creating things at home. Your child might be asked to:
• Draw a picture of things in their room that begin with e.g.: letter Bb.
• Look for words he/she recognizes at the supermarket.
• Make a poster to show healthy and unhealthy food types.
• Bring a small plant home and chart its parts.

Be sure to supervise your children while they are doing their homework – it will inform you of what they are learning and what they might need help in. More importantly, it will show that you care about what they learn in school. In addition, the best way to improve your child’s pre-reading skills is to read to him/her for at least 15 minutes every night. Educators unanimously agree that reading is the most important skill your children need to excel in school. Even if your children don’t know how to read yet, exposing them to literature will help them to cultivate good reading habits and a lifelong love for reading.