Lead Teacher: Lesley Romanoff
Music Instruction: Becky Linafelt
Movement Instruction: Contradiction Dance
The Tracks class is a pre-kindergarten class for children ages 4 through 5 years old, and meets every weekday from noon until 3:00 p.m. All children are expected to attend kindergarten the following school year. Class size ranges from 16 to 18 children. During each class session, the lead teacher is assisted by three co-oping parents.
The School seeks to balance the Tracks class with children whose chronological birthdates offer the fullest range in age. Research shows that children naturally seek out mixed age groupings during play and that in educational settings, this will result in a more peer-supportive and collaborative environment. This range becomes very important in the Tracks class because the curriculum is purposefully designed with group learning activities and peer partnering in mind.
Each afternoon the children enjoy social interactions, skill-building pursuits in math, science, and literacy—and that is just during circle time! Mondays and Wednesdays find the class in Project Center using clay, paint, and glue in visual art and art-related expression. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the children enter Imagination Station to explore social studies and engage in social dramatic play. Fridays are reserved for music and movement on alternating weeks.
This is the stage where children begin to glimpse the world beyond “hearth and home.” Play is more complex and peer interactions are a primary motivator for most of the children. In addition, at this stage many parents want to ensure that their children have gained the skills that will support and sustain future educational success.
The Tracks class curriculum considers these fundamentals in two far-reaching conceptual units: Sense of Place and Sense of Self. These units align with the Maryland State Department of Education’s Voluntary State Curriculum. The learning domains of math, science, literacy, and social studies are explored through visual art, movement, music, and social dramatic play. As in all age groupings, social-emotional development is still a focus.
An emergent curriculum is matched to specifically planned projects and activities that accommodate dynamic group and individual learning. A research-based anti-bias thread appropriate to this developmental stage is explored through group learning activities—we meet young children’s natural curiosity about each other and their world through curriculum.
The curriculum also offers individualized attention and accommodation. For instance, early readers and developing readers find challenges and engage in experiences appropriate to their individual pursuits. Peer partnering is planned to facilitate a greater depth of social learning.
The educational journey within the school’s walls is complemented by field trips to Takoma Park, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Each unit culminates with two finished works—mixed media, multi-layered paintings of Home and Self Portrait.
The Tracks curriculum includes Handwriting Without Tears®, a proven success in developing the fine motor skills necessary for making legible and fluent handwriting natural and easy for all students.
There are two formal parent conferences during the year. The first is a parent-teacher conference scheduled in the Fall in which the teacher reviews developmental milestones, presents observations regarding the child’s strengths and development, and discusses goals and recommendations specific to kindergarten readiness.
The second conference, scheduled toward the end of the year, is a portfolio review, to which the entire family is invited. The child presents her/his family with the year’s collected artwork, drawings, and classroom journal; the teacher also provides formal written observations and photographs of the child in action. This is an especially joyous occasion as the work is plentiful and rich.
Links:
Bugs Class
Leaves Class
