• Curriculum Overview
• After School
• Events and Celebrations
• Service Learning and Partnerships
• Special Assemblies
• Mini Courses

by Annie Suchecki
Kindergarten and Art Teacher

The integrated study of geometry has led kindergarteners to new enthusiasm and enjoyment of the geometry portion of the Investigations Curriculum. It has been wonderful to use math in intentional ways throughout the day, and to have mathematical instruction from specials teachers and through minicourses. We have worked with shapes in computers, looked at the attributes of triangles during meeting, and gone on a "Shape Hunt" with Mike in the Shop. Our blocks have been designated wholes, halves and quarters. Beans planted and measured in Science have given the children practical experience in using rulers. During Art and Literacy the children combined geometric shapes and design to create inventive and beautiful stories. Fill in the Hexagon was added to our list of math games as the children invented new and different ways to play a straightforward game at more complex levels, learning that shapes can be combined or broken down to create new shapes. We've even eaten "shape snacks."

Discussions during our morning meeting generated a list of all the ways that we can measure. We surprised ourselves by not only discussing how we measure using inches, pounds and minutes, but also measuring using our classroom thermostat, a car's gas gauge, engine temperature and speedometer. Our classroom "clocks" have been set to show when school begins, lunch starts, and the school day ends. With a kindergartener as your companion, you can no longer speed, arrive late, or run out of gas.