Jerry Beamer / Writer & Editor
American Eagle School's program is a proven success. Our program is:
- Multi-faceted. Our program model is theme-based, at the same time offering content-based language instruction. Language instruction is implemented across the curriculum.
- Comprehensive. All the needs of the children are met—personal, social, and academic.
- Standardized yet flexible. A highly developed, educationally sound program is in place. Yet teachers are encouraged to exercise their creativity and personal style. This helps keep our program lively and contemporary. The latest in materials and teaching methods are thus continually cycled into the program.
The Kindergarten Curriculum As in the United States, American Eagle School's curriculum is based on what is known as a spiral curriculum.
- Certain concepts and skills are taught every year, but in an upward spiral of difficulty.
- Teaching is at developmentally appropriate stages.
- Learning is enhanced when students encounter concepts more than once—even more so when a concept is looked at from a different perspective.
Planned repetition and expansion of a concept is a proven mastery technique. The Kindergarten Program Model American Eagle's kindergarten program is theme-based. Our language curriculum has been developed around selected topics from across the curriculum. The goal is to assist students in developing general academic language skills through interesting and relevant content. Language instruction and content are integrated. In addition to teaching the language, English is used as the medium of instruction for mathematics, science, music, physical education, and arts and crafts.
The Kindergarten Language Arts Program The heart of our success lies in our language arts program.
- Vocabulary development is themed. Supplementary science and math vocabulary is taught as well.
- The conversation series, Look at Me! I Can Talk, has been researched and written exclusively to meet the needs of students at American Eagle School.
- Phonics is introduced at an early stage. The focus is on oral phonics for preschool and pre-kindergarten. A firm foundation in phonics for reading and writing is taught at the kindergarten level. This systematic approach provides students with a standardized decoding strategy.
- Nursery rhymes and songs and chants, taught at all three levels, give students a feel for the rhythm of the language, as well as helping them develop phonics and memorization skills.
- Story time instills a love of the language, at the same time laying a foundation for reading skills through whole language. This approach is language rich, learner centered, flexible, and emphasizes comprehension.
- Reading is taught, utilizing the kindergarten Spectrum textbook. A Library Reading Program introduces students to the world of books and the love of reading for themselves.
- For writing, correct letter and word formation is taught. Our Shape Books start the children down the road to creative writing, as they begin to exercise their critical thinking skills.
Language arts are reinforced via arts and crafts projects, which also help develop hand-eye coordination and build motor skills.
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