Technology
The Kindergarten suite is equipped with eight student computers, three teacher stations, and one interactive SMART Board. Programs used in the Kindergarten class consists of: Fast ForWord, STAR Early Literacy, Orchard Math, Kidspiration and SMART Notebook.
Fast ForWord
Fast ForWord by Scientific Learning is a reading intervention strategy that accelerates the learning process. This program is based on over 30 years of scientific research into the way the brain learns. It has the unique ability to develop and strengthen the cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing and sequencing which are essential for academic learning and reading success. Children work for 30 minutes a day playing a game that improves eye-hand coordination, a game that distinguishes one beginning sound from another beginning sound and a game that distinguishes one sound from another sounds.
Star Early Literacy
STAR Early Literacy is a computer program which measures a child's proficiency in up to seven areas that are important in reading development. The program gives a scaled score which is an overall score calculated on both the difficulty of the questions and the number of correct responses. Scaled Scores in STAR Early Literacy range from 300 to 900 and span grades Pre-K through third. A scaled score of 300-700 places a child into the emergent reader level, scores of 700-800 places a child into the transitional reader level, and a scaled score of 800-900 places a child into the probable reader level. Children will take this test several times during the year. This information will keep you informed of how your child is progressing in his/her reading development.
Orchard Math
Orchard Math is a computer math program used to improve your child's math reasoning skills. Children work on skills in number facts, number sense, geometry, measurement, fractions, patterning and algebra, and whole numbers. Reports are sent home periodically so you can see what your child has been working on, and how much he/she has improved in the areas mentioned above.
Kidspiration
Kidspiration is an interactive graphic organizer used to help support and extend emergent readers and writers in the areas of Reading and Writing, Math, Science and Social Science. Children must use important thinking skills to organize information and examine the relationships between ideas, characters, items, etc. Children use the lessons designed by the company, as well as, teachers within the school system to help make sense of their world and to better understand the concepts being taught in the classroom.
SMART Notebook
SMART notebook is a program which uses the interactive SMART board to help with skills taught at the Kindergarten level. Activities used in the classroom have been developed by the SMART Board company, and by teachers within our system. These activities are centered around the Standards of Learning in the state of Virginia and include activities in English, Math, Science, and History and Social Science.
