Kindergarten

On My Way

About our 5-Year-Olds Kindergarten in Edina, MN

Our On My Way program is developed through our Life Essentials® curriculum to provide your 5-year-old with well-rounded learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing care.


Strict health and safety procedures will be followed

  While your child is at our Academy, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that they’re in a healthy and safe environment thanks to Health Essentials, our enhanced health and cleaning initiative based on CDC guidelines to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

If you're ready for more info, we'd love for you to come visit us

Life Essentials®

Preparing your 5-year-old for school and life

Our On My Way program is developed through our Life Essentials® curriculum to provide your 5-year-old with well-rounded learning experiences while receiving positive, nurturing care.

Language Arts & Literacy

Focus: Reading and writing skills begin to blossom for 5-year-olds.

On My Way immerses your child in rich, high-quality printed content, introducing them to age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction. At age 5, children are starting to recognize common sight words, identify upper and lowercase letters and connect sounds to specific letters. Their vocabulary is rapidly expanding and writing moves from combining letters to making words to combining words to create simple sentences.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Practicing writing acrostic poems after reading
  • Using our Literacy Essentials program to identify the 37 sounds of the English language.
  • Learning the concepts of print by composing class stories on chart paper.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Read “Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic” then practice writing acrostic poems.
  • Help your child create simple stories with a beginning, middle and end.

Mathematics

Focus: Using a variety of resources and approaches to enhance mathematical thinking.

Our teachers use innovative methods integrated throughout the day to engage your 5-year-old in math. It might entail using manipulatives to solve problems in a small- or large-group activity, or introducing a math lesson to a playful learning session. Our teachers are always looking for fun ways to turn everyday tasks into an effective opportunity to strengthen math skills.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Exploring calculators to identify what happens when they press certain buttons.
  • Pretending that the Dramatic Play learning center is a restaurant, where they practice adding and subtracting by paying their bill and giving change.
  • Figuring out how many more blocks are needed to complete a structure in the Blocks and Transportation center.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Give your child a calculator to play with so they can see what happens when they press the various buttons.
  • Pretend to be at a restaurant with your child so they can practice adding and subtracting by paying their bill and giving change.
  • Use blocks to build a structure, then count how many blocks were used.

Science

Focus: Acting on your 5-year-old’s natural curiosity to explore, observe and question.

We use hands-on activities to foster an appreciation of nature and science, teaching your child about plants, animals and the Earth.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Going on an autumn leaf hunt, discussing the differences in leaves (shape, sizes, colors) and talking about why they change colors.
  • Collecting rocks during a nature walk and then sorting and identifying them when back at the Academy.
  • Working in pairs to look at X-rays on the light table.
  • Using magnifying glasses and microscopes to examine salt crystals.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Go on an autumn leaf hunt and discuss the differences in leaves (shape, sizes, colors) and talk about why they change colors.
  • Collect rocks during a walk and then sort and identify them when you get home.
  • Use a magnifying glass to examine salt crystals.

Social Studies

Focus: Exploring your child’s role as an individual in the classroom, the community and the world.

Your child will learn about citizenship, rules, working together and government. We provide opportunities to explore the local community, geography, American history and different cultures.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Learning about elections and how voting works, then having the class vote on a favorite color.
  • Working together to put facts on the class map, like where our families originated or where certain languages are spoken.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Talk about elections and discuss how voting works.
  • Examine a map or globe and talk about where different famous people come from and what languages are spoken in different countries.

Gross & Fine Motor Development

Focus: Providing appropriate materials and ample opportunities to develop strength and coordination.

Our learning centers have an assortment of materials and tools to help your 5-year-old continue to develop their fine motor skills. Our playgrounds and fitness activities allow your child to move around and play, strengthening large muscles and building coordination and dexterity.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Using clay to make a rock, and pressing different shapes into it to make fossils.
  • Using various props, like scarves, ribbons and hula hoops, to move to a changing music tempo, then noting how movements change by tempo.
  • Brainstorming different exercises they could do with their families and practicing the movements involved.
  • Using rubber bands on geoboards to make shapes.

Learn On®

Learning continues beyond the classroom. Here are some easy projects you can do to extend learning into your home.

  • Have your child use clay to make a rock, then press different shapes into it to make a fossil.
  • Use various props, like scarves, ribbons and hula hoops, to move to a changing music tempo, then not how movements change by tempo.
  • Come up with a list of exercises your family can do together.
  • Use rubber bands on geoboards to make different shapes.

Character EssentialsSM

Focus: Introducing your child to a variety of positive character traits by finding teachable everyday moments.

There are numerous opportunities to learn from real-world examples of honesty, generosity and patience. Our teachers guide your child in identifying those moments to help them transform into caring and responsible citizens.

Kindergarten Activities

  • Learning about generosity by participating in an event like a food drive and talking about why it’s important and how it makes them feel.
  • Exploring humor by reading newspaper comics strips and asking your child what made them laugh and why.

Want to explore more?

Learn how we help your child develop into a thoughtful, caring, and adaptable individuals using our learning approach that exceeds state standards

How Life Essentials is different

Questions? Answers.

Explore some of the most frequently asked questions from parents of 5-year-olds.

Q. What if my child gets sick?
A. We’ll call you or a designated adult from your Emergency Information Form so that your child can be picked up as soon as possible from the Academy. While waiting to be picked up, your child will rest quietly, away from other children.
Q. Will my child be safe?
A. Our facilities and outdoor play areas have secure entries and exits that are carefully maintained and monitored. Only individuals authorized by you are allowed to pick up your child from the Academy. All employees have undergone thorough background checks prior to employment.
Q. Do I need to pack a lunch?
A. No. We provide an assortment of healthy, age-appropriate meals and snacks for the children to eat each day.
Q. What if my child has allergies?
A. Due to the high number of children with peanut allergies, we do not serve peanut products. If your child has a specific allergy, please list them on our dietary restriction letter so that we can make appropriate food substitutions.
Q. What are teacher qualifications?
A. All Kiddie Academy teachers must meet or exceed the state requirements for child care providers and are required to receive ongoing professional training annually. We also require background checks through local, county, state and/or federal agencies prior to employment.
Q. What is your discipline policy?
A. We do not use physical or verbal punishment under any circumstances. We use positive guidance and re-direction to acknowledge children’s feelings and emotions and provide them with social scripts, problem-solving techniques, self-calming activities and choices and activities geared toward their interests.
Q. What will my child be doing?
A. At this age, your child is eager to learn new information and play with peers. Teachers will use small and large groups where your 5 year old can learn and interact with classmates. They’ll continue to develop skills in character education, language arts and literacy, mathematics, science and social studies.
Q. Do you have parent-teacher conferences?
A. Yes. We schedule family/teacher conferences each year to discuss your child’s progress, but you can request a conference with the Director at any time.
Q. How do you get my child ready for school?
A. By use of our standards-based curriculum, Life Essentials®, children will be well prepared as they enter first grade. We have a commitment to the development of the whole child by concentrating on the development of social and emotional skills setting them up for success in school. Our curriculum encourages children to explore and discover, making learning a fun and rewarding experience that nurtures a lifelong love of learning.
Q. Do you take the children outdoors?
A. Yes, weather permitting, we take children outside daily. Children should be dressed appropriately for playing on our playground or taking group walks.
Q. Do you take field trips?
A. Occasionally, we will take the children on field trips. You will be notified in advance of any planned trips and will need to sign a permission slip to return, along with any fee, prior to the trip. Transportation for the field trip is provided by or arranged by the Academy.
Q. How do you use technology in learning?
A. Kiddie Academy teachers use technology as learning tools and a means of communication. We feel it’s important to teach children how to use devices they will encounter in school, so they are given opportunities to use them for educational play and research. The use of televisions or computers for passive viewing is not part of Kiddie Academy’s curriculum.
Q. Do you have cameras in the classroom?
A. Many, but not all, Kiddie Academy locations have classroom cameras that parents can access via mobile or desktop apps. For the most accurate information on classroom cameras, contact your Academy directly to learn about camera availability and policies.
A background image of a playground at Kiddie Academy

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