Kindergarten at Rivendell introduces a child and family to a school where each child is valued and is engaged in the God-given joy of discovery and learning. Kindergarten at Rivendell is designed to foster the development of the whole child: heart, soul, mind, strength, and relationships. Our whole child emphasis provides the philosophical grounding for our unique Kindergarten program in which we partner with the home to encourage children to continue to learn from their first teachers, their parents.
Our Kinders attend school 4 days per week, Tuesday through Friday.
Rivendell’s Kinders begin their first forays into reading and writing through a workshop approach. They are introduced to decoding skills and are given practice with sight words along with other basic literacy concepts. They frequently make ‘books’ and proudly read them to anyone who will sit and listen. Rivendell’s Kindergarten approach to literacy is intentionally less about mastering reading, and more about developing a love for literacy and acquiring basic reading skills in an unhurried, enjoyable, and developmentally-appropriate way.
We believe learning for our Kinders should be a joyful exploration of new skills and ideas, an imaginative and heroic quest, an opportunity to learn to care for one another, and a place in which students learn to practice the healthy habits of a classroom community.
Our math curriculum begins with real-life activities and concrete materials before introducing pictorial representations and then written numerals. This approach helps students physically manipulate the concepts and build a strong foundation for math in the later grades.
While much time is dedicated to academic work, Kinders at Rivendell also learn how to “do school” and how to navigate relationships. They have ample time for outdoor play.