The kindergarten curriculum is designed to build upon previous experience, tap into individual interests, create new interests, stimulate curiosity, encourage independent learning, strengthen academic skills, and prepare a child for the next academic level.

In Maryland, all children who are five years old by September 1 must attend kindergarten. The kindergarten program at A Child鈥檚 Place has been approved by the state of Maryland, and, therefore, provides our five-year-olds with an instructional program that meets the legal requirement.

The ACP kindergarten program enables our students to master the goals and objectives for kindergarten in the Maryland Early Learning Framework that is important because it provides common goals for how parents, teachers, and early childhood education providers support a young child's learning. The domains of learning include: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Health, Physical Education, Fine Arts, and Social Foundations. 

At ACP, your child will learn foundational skills for first grade in a fun, engaging, open-ended environment while receiving high quality, academically challenging instruction.

Early Kindergarten

Many children turn five after the Maryland kindergarten cut-off date of September 1. Our Early Kindergarten program provides enrichment and learning opportunities tailored to meet the needs of these children. Ask us if this program is right for your child!

Our Curriculum

As preparation for first grade, our curriculum develops tools for learning:

  • Making Choices Independently
  • Self Discipline
  • Self Motivation
  • Self Confidence

Our goal is for the students of A Child鈥檚 Place to enter first grade ready to learn and to meet with success, both academically and socially.

How to Apply

As the curriculum progresses, skills are reviewed and built upon logically. Children learn to recognize material, focus attention, follow directions, and promote the idea that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Each unit topic is explored through integrated areas:

  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
Skills and Integrated Areas

Language and Literacy

The language and literacy program is phonics-based. Skills such as letter recognition, phonemic awareness, word segmentation, sight-word recognition, word families and rhyming, all contribute to beginning reading.

Reading aloud to children occurs multiple times throughout each day to enhance vocabulary and comprehension skills as well as to encourage fluency. Creative expression and a variety of reading experiences are part of the language arts program as skills are learned and reinforced.

Writing

The development of emergent writing skills parallels the development of early reading skills. The kindergarten provides students with a print-rich environment and includes natural reading and writing activities.

Students are given access to a variety of writing materials and the opportunity to participate in a variety of authentic writing experiences.

Mathematics

The mathematics program introduces basic concepts such as number recognition, counting by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's, number relationships and computation, simple addition and subtraction, simple fractions, graphing, patterns, sets, and money and time.

Concrete applications of math are used daily.

Science

The science program literally encompasses the universe. From learning about the human body to venturing out into space, the science program finds wonder everywhere.

Social Studies

The social studies program promotes respect for diversity by finding unifying connections. Everyday group living creates many opportunities for learning about sharing, cooperation, honesty, disappointment, courtesy and conflict resolution.

Physical Well-Being & Motor Development

The physical well-being and motor development program focuses on helping children obtain knowledge, skills, and strategies to develop sound personal health practices and decision-making skills and to enhance the child鈥檚 self-concept and relationship with others. 

Students learn about safety and injury prevention to promote safe living at home and in school. Students to participate in the development of gross motor skills through a variety of opportunities. 

Play

Play is essential to learning for the young child.  Daily opportunities are provided for children to use their imagination as they interact with the environment and each other.

Social Foundations

Social foundations include the skills necessary to:

  1. Regulate one's own behavior and emotions
  2. Develop healthy relationships with adults and other children
  3. Create a sense of positive personal identity

Art

The Arts focus on the use of music, dance, visual arts, and theater to express ideas and emotions.

Early Admission to Kindergarten

Children who turn five after September 1 and no later than October 15 may be eligible for early admission to kindergarten if the following criteria are met:

  1. Parents must make a formal request in writing no later than June 1.
  2. The child鈥檚 preschool teacher or child care provider must provide a letter of recommendation stating that the child has demonstrated an advanced level of academic and social skills that would predict success in early admission to kindergarten.
  3. The child will be assessed by a member of A Child鈥檚 Place staff.
  4. If the child demonstrates the potential ability to fully participate in the kindergarten program, a decision will be made by the teacher, administration, and parents for early admission to kindergarten.
  5. There will be a probationary period of four to six weeks during which the kindergarten teacher will assess the child鈥檚 ongoing success in meeting kindergarten objectives, both academically and socially. After this period, a determination will be made as to the proper placement of the child to meet with optimum success.

(See complete policy in A Child鈥檚 Place Policy for Early Admission to Kindergarten).