Curriculum Overview
Transitional Kindergarten
The California Department of Education approved a request from PUSD to waive Education Code Section 37202(a) allowing Transitional Kindergarten (TK) students to attend school for a half day program. The waiver, # 22-2-2017-W-02, was approved at the May 11, 2017 meeting and is in effect from June 30, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The rationale behind this request rests on several points:
- TK is intended to be the first year of a two year Kindergarten experience. PUSD believes it is in the best interest of TK students to attend school within the required number of instructional minutes for Kindergarten, which is 180 minutes, of a half day.
- TK students participate in an intensive language arts and math curricula aligned to the California State Standards (2010) in ELA and Math. They also experience instruction in other core areas during this time, as well as support for behavioral, social and emotional development. This structure ensures that our TK students are fully prepared to meet the academic rigor in the second year of the Kindergarten sequence.
- TK teachers in PUSD are fully credentialed educators who provide intervention and enrichment support to other primary classrooms in the afternoon portion of their daily schedule. This structure collectively reduces class size for our primary students in grades K-2, and ensures high quality teachers are working with students needing additional supports or enrichment.
Curriculum Overview
The chart below indicates the included ~ but not limited to ~ units of study at each grade level, and across each subject area.*In the subjects of Reading, Writing, and Math the students are cluster grouped for differentiated instruction within their individual classrooms and across the grade level.
K |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading* | Phonemic Awareness; Word Chunks; Guided Reading | Emergent Readers; Guided Reading Groups; Big Books | Basal Text; Guided Reading Groups; Big Books | Basal Text; Chapter Books; Non-fiction | Literature Anthology; Core Literature; Non-fiction |
Core Literature; Novels & Junior Great Books; Non-fiction |
| Writing* | Sound to Symbol; Basic Sentences |
Sentence Expansion; Organization |
Personal Narrative |
Narrative; Expository |
Literary Analysis; Narrative; Descriptive; Expository |
Narrative; Persuasive; Expository |
| Everyday Math* | Patterning; Measurement; Number Sense; Place Value; Graphing; Time & Money |
Patterning; Measurement; Numeration; Geometry - shape recognition |
Basic Computation; Place Value; Beginning Fractions and Decimals; Measurement | Reinforce basic computation; Multiplication; Decimals & Fractions; Area & Perimeter; Standard & Metric Measurement | Multiplication & Division; Fractions; Geometry; Measurement; Beginning Algebraic Equations |
Multiplication & Division; Fractions; Geometry; Measurement; Functions; Pre-algebra |
| Science: Earth Physical Life |
Volcanoes; Water; Weather; Our body; Life Cycles | Seasons; Weather; Matter; Plants & Animals | Rocks & Fossils; Forces; Life Cycles |
Solar System; Matter; Habitats |
Volcanoes & Earthquakes; Electricity; Biomes & Habitats |
Space; Weather Chemistry; Cellular Structure; Body Systems |
| Social Science | Holidays; Famous People; Community Workers | Our Local Community; Social Skills; Cultural Diversity | Ancestors & Family; Famous People | San Diego County History | Calif. State Geography & History | U.S. Geography & History up to the causes of the Civil War |