Preschool - Grade 3

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, students continue their growth in mastering the building blocks of learning.  We guide students through this exciting period of growth by providing a rich curriculum and individualized attention.  

Our units of study in Kindergarten include: Friendship and Community, Night, Families, Tropical Rainforests, Farms Around the World, and various classroom themes reflecting the interests of students.

In Kindergarten we work on the following skills:
  • Reading and writing
  • Numeracy
  • Developing personal responsibility
  • Developing a love of books
  • Participating in class discussions and morning meetings
  • Following directions
  • Problem solving
  • Negotiating differences
  • Making friends
  • Fostering empathy
  • Taking risks
  • Building self-confidence

Click on an item below to see a summary of Kindergarten work in that subject area. Please note: Each subject includes a guiding question or questions, some of the topics we address in that area, and an overview of some of the skills we work to build through this subject.


About Kindergarten

List of 12 items.

  • A Sample Day In Kindergarten

    Students can arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. and spend time with friends in the Dining Commons and the Gym. There is no charge for early arrival. 

    The school day starts promptly at 8:25 a.m. In Kindergarten, the day begins with homeroom meeting time and a typical day might include:

    • Assembly
    • Mathematics
    • Individual and group activities in classroom
    • Snack & Recess - students bring their own snacks
    • Physical Education
    • Lunch & Recess - the School provides lunch
    • Rest
    • Reading
    • Music
    • Writing
    • Science

    Kindergartners are dismissed at 3:15 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays.

    We offer a number of fee-based Extended Day activities, which allow students to stay as late as 5:45 p.m. 

  • Language Arts in Kindergarten

    How do I learn to read, write, and communicate?

    Topics of Study:
    Speaking and listening in a group • Fiction • Nonfiction • Poetry • Songs • Read-Alouds • Shared reading and writing • Environmental print • Upper and lower case letter recognition and formation • Sound/symbol relationships • Reading strategies of syntax, semantics, and phonological awareness

    Skills We Teach:
    Phonemic awareness • Letter skills • Concepts about print • Listening skills • Beginning punctuation • Recognizing and writing high-frequency words • Recognizing common word families • Comprehending meaning of text • Book handling • Writing for communication • Participating in discussions
  • Library in Kindergarten

    How do books enrich our lives?

    Topics of Study:
    Read alouds • Finding books and materials • Concepts of author, title, and illustrator • Learning to read illustrations • Friendship • Night Magic • Author studies

    Skills We Teach:
    Locating books and materials, • Listening • Developing an early, but lasting, appreciation for books and reading
  • Mathematics in Kindergarten

    How can I use math to understand the world around me?

    Topics of Study:
    Estimation • Patterns • Symmetry • Graphing • Counting • Grouping • Number formation • Logic • Odds/Evens • Problem solving • Number operations • Introduction to place value

    Skills We Teach:
    Sorting • Classifying • Comparing • Counting • Forming numbers • Recognizing, continuing, and creating patterns • Interpreting graphs and Venn diagrams • Weighing objects • Introduction to monetary values • Geometric shapes • Problem solving and participating in discussions
  • Music in Kindergarten

    How can I make music with and for others?

    Topics of Study:
    Night Magic • Singing by myself and with others • Farming • The Nutcracker • Playing accompaniment patterns on Orff Instruments • Folk Dances from around the world, • Performing for others • Being a good audience member • Putting on a show • Singing with Grade 5 buddies • Singing at a senior center

    Skills We Teach:
    Singing tunefully • Performing rhythm patterns accurately while keeping a steady beat • Moving to a beat • Making up simple melodies • Pre-music literacy skills • Playing musical instruments
  • PE in Kindergarten

    How do I control movement through space? How do I play fairly?

    Topics of Study:
    Community building games • Spatial awareness • Building positive relationships • What is fairness • Traveling through space concepts • Cooperation • Nutrition and healthy eating • Night magic • Soccer • Tee-ball • Tennis • Being a kind and respectful group member

    Skills We Teach:
    Following directions • Sharing equipment • Galloping • Sliding • Jogging • Running • Jumping • Hopping and landing • Leaping • Balancing • Rolling • Climbing • Transferring weight • Tossing and catching • Striking • Dribbling • Kicking • Volleying • Tumbling
  • Science in Kindergarten

    How do we, as scientists, learn about our world?

    Topics of Study:
    Ocean Life • Astronomy • Nutrition • Forces • Wheels and pulleys • Plants • Rocks • Organisms • Qualitative observations • Types of measurement

    Skills We Teach:
    Classifying • Designing and building • Making observations • Drawing and labeling • Working together
  • Social Development in Kindergarten

    How can I learn about, respect, and understand the experiences of others in the class, school, and other places?

    Topics of Study:
    Friendship and community • Families • Tropical forest • Farms around the world 

    Skills We Teach:
    Understanding and appreciating differences • Promoting inclusivity • Understanding and respecting the natural world and Understanding that individual students can make a difference
  • Social Studies in Kindergarten

    How can I learn and get along with my classmates?

    Topics of Study:
    Class routines to establish community • Independent work and play time • Social learning • Character development • Conflict resolution • Class constitution

    Skills We Teach:
    Connections to the class community • Safety, acceptance, and appreciation at school • Taking responsibility for learning and behavior • Managing social relations with cooperation, self-advocacy, and empathy • Appreciating peers and treating them respectfully • Working productively and supportively with partners or in groups • Reaching out to others at Nashoba Brooks School and beyond
  • Spanish in Kindergarten

    How can I use Spanish words? How can I communicate when I do not understand the language being spoken? How can I communicate with and relate to someone who speaks Spanish?

    Topics of Study:
    Introductions and basic conversation elements,• Colors • Communication • Family • Animals • Emotions • Holidays • Days of the week • Movement • Commands • Body parts

    Skills We Teach:
    Pronunciation • Greetings and introductions • Ability to take risks • Using pictures or visual stimuli to communicate when language is not accessible • Basic Spanish vocabulary • Following directions • Mimicking and repeating sounds and words • Beginning to independently produce words in Spanish • Being a respectful and kind group member • Listening to and following directions • Following songs and melodies • Linking movement, sounds, and images with words
  • Technology in Kindergarten

    At Nashoba Brooks School, educational technology is meaningfully integrated into all content areas to enhance student learning.

    Skills We Teach:
    Developing  problem-solving skills • Taking risks • Using equipment respectfully • Building technology-related vocabulary • Opening and closing apps • Expanding on the development of iPad skills • Incorporating digital photography • Using Beebots to develop sequencing, planning, directionality, and early programming skills • Exploring the physical components of technology
  • Visual Arts in Kindergarten

    How do materials and methods shape the artistic process? How do we make our own aesthetic choices?

    Topics of Study:
    Self-portrait • Color • Shape • Texture • Form • Collage • Murals • Painting • Drawing • Sculpture • Clay • Sketchbooks

    Skills We Teach:
    Mixing and handling paints • Working with scissors, glue, tape, and staplers • Mixing media • Developing a sense of time in working on longer projects • Developing well-balanced structures • Shaping and handling clay • Developing fine motor and listening skills • Learning to use the choice area • Learning appropriate studio behavior • Working collaboratively with peers • Visual thinking strategies

Our kindergartners spend their days interacting with teachers and classmates, learning about our community and the world around them, and building essential skills.

Kindergarten Homeroom Teachers

List of 2 members.

  • Photo of Francesca Davia

    Francesca Davia 

    Kindergarten Teacher
  • Photo of Taryn Kook-Clark

    Taryn Kook-Clark 

    Kindergarten
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.
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