While the skills and activities listed below appear as a linear progression, in real life at BMS, much of what our students learn takes place in a spiral progression of revisiting and building on previous learning. In this model, students deepen their understanding of subjects by learning to approach knowledge, skills, and concepts gained in one experience with new eyes and open minds; students gain a fresh perspective and deeper understanding from each new experience, whether this is with previously explored material or completely new material. 

Speaking and Listening

• Listens to directions for games and activities
• Listens to stories of at least 10 minutes in length
• Shows an interest in books and reading
• Connects stories with real life
• Labels common everyday items such as clothing, animals, and furniture
• Orally labels pictures and drawings (“That’s a dog.”)
• Makes relevant verbal contributions in small group discussion
• Verbalizes songs and fingerplays
• Describes a simple object using color, size, shape, composition, and use
• Describes a picture with three or more statements
  
  Students typically remain in each classroom for two years, so the topics and skills listed below are not addressed yearly, but will be addressed at some point during a student’s time in each class. Topics and skills are always taught through the lens of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), which requires teachers to consider: 1) what is known about child development for a given age group, 2) what is individually appropriate for a student, and 3) what is culturally important in a child’s family, classroom, school, and community.
  Language Arts

​Reading (Early Literacy)

• Understands that alphabet letters are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named
• Recognizes print in the general environment
• Names two words that rhyme with a word given by the teacher
• Associates a letter with its sound in spoken words
• Identifies about ten alphabet letters, especially from own name

Writing

• Scribbles
• Distinguishes between drawing and writing
• Produces some letter-like forms and scribbles with some feature of English writing
• Writes (scribbles) messages as a part of dramatic play

Mathematics
Numeracy Development - Counting

• Understands that number words refer to quantity
• Counts sequentially from 1 to 10
• Recognizes and can name some numbers
• Understands ordinal positions first through fifth
• Solves simple verbal problems using numbers

Classifying

• Classifies objects by color, size, shape, texture and function.

Size Differences

• Orders and compares size differences

Quantitative Concepts

• Distinguishes between concepts of “some”, “most”, and “all”

Measurement

• Understands concepts of full, half full, and empty
• Understands parts of the whole (fractions)

Sets

• Identifies as a set a collection of objects having a common property
• Establishes a one‐to‐one correspondence through matching members of equivalent sets
• Distinguishes between equivalent and non‐ equivalent sets through matching
• Understands that each number is one more than the preceding number
• Identifies an empty set as one having no members

Science as Inquiry

• Shows an interest in exploring environments and materials
• Asks questions about objects, organisms and events
• Observes and states discoveries
• Identifies a simple problem and proposes a solution

Science in personal/social perspectives

• Shows awareness of personal safety/security/hygiene
• Shows increased awareness of cause-and-effect relationships

Physical Science

• Knows basic colors
• Describes the properties of matter (color, size, shape, texture, smell, weight)
• Is developing an awareness of the concept of change
• Distinguishes between natural and human-made objects

Life Science

• Understands that all living things have basic needs
• Shows awareness of the value of living things
• Demonstrates awareness of the concept of a cycle

Social Studies Skills

• Demonstrates appropriate intercultural competencies within school and broader community
• Demonstrates appropriate map skills
• Demonstrates understanding of global and U.S. geography
• Demonstrates appropriate understanding of local and U.S. history
• Uses a variety of appropriate tools for finding and conveying information
• Practices appropriate civic discussion and democratic processes
• Demonstrates age-appropriate understanding of economic concepts

Possible Social Studies Themes

• Families
• All about me
• My body
• Babies
• Pets
• Our school
• Seasonal themes in nature (snow, winter, hibernation)