What your child learns in Kindergarten in Alberta
Kindergarten in Alberta is a play-based year of listening, speaking, early letters and counting. The new curriculum focuses on quantity to 10, shapes, simple patterns, the five senses, and culture, tradition and community.
Kindergarten subjects in the Alberta Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Number: children investigate quantities to 10, count with one-to-one matching, and see small groups at a glance (subitizing)
- Number: children take quantities apart and put them together (composition and decomposition) within 10
- Geometry: children notice 2D and 3D shapes in the world, such as circles, triangles, cubes and cylinders
8 units, including count to 10, see it fast, more, less, same, make 5 and 10.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Listening and speaking: sharing ideas, stories and poems, and taking part in talk by speaking in complete ideas
- Letters and words: recognizing and writing some letters and words, and copying words to see how they are spelled
- Understanding: sharing what we understand about people, places and things that are real or imaginary
11 units, including talk & listen, rhyme time, clap the beat, story order.
Science
Big Ideas
- Matter: children explore the properties of objects using the five senses
- Energy: children explore how objects, people and animals move
- Earth and space systems: children examine and describe the environment around them, from plants, animals and weather to natural and made things
9 units, including my five senses, materials, push & pull, what living things need.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- The Kindergarten focus is culture, tradition and community
- Places in communities: where people live, learn, work and play together
- Cultures, traditions and histories: the many ways families and communities celebrate, share stories and remember
8 units, including all about me, families, traditions & celebrations, needs & wants.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- Listening and speaking in French grow every day when French is the language of learning.
- Reading French texts of many kinds builds comprehension and the habit of reading for meaning.
- Writing in French for a purpose and an audience uses the conventions of the language.
7 units, including bonjour et merci, mes premiers mots, les lettres, le son du début.
What to look for on the report card
Expect comments about friendships, listening, early letters and sounds, counting to 10 and how your child shares ideas.
Alberta report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
Competencies grow alongside subject learning in every grade. Read about competencies.
Common questions
What do kids learn in Kindergarten in Alberta?
Kindergarten covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion in the Alberta Curriculum. Kindergarten in Alberta is a play-based year of listening, speaking, early letters and counting. The new curriculum focuses on quantity to 10, shapes, simple patterns, the five senses, and culture, tradition and community.
How is Kindergarten reported in Alberta?
Alberta report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding.
How can I help my Kindergarten child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Kindergarten skills with Gradelings
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