Kindergarten

Wayland Union Schools utilizes the Reader's and Writer's Workshop model for Language Arts Instruction. Our district utilizes the Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Reading and Writing as the basis of our Language Arts program but supplement based on the needs of students, which vary from year to year. Students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade also complete the Saxon Phonics program in order to establish a firm foundation in phonics skills. For the 2024-2025 school year, teachers of grades K-5 are piloting additional ELA programs including Superkids, HMH Into Reading, and Bookworms.

Essential Standards for Kindergarten Language Arts:

• Read texts for beginning readers with purpose and understanding
• Recognize and name all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet
• Know and demonstrate letter sounds
• Know and apply grade-level phonics and word decoding skills
• Can draw, talk about, and write about an event.

In accordance with Michigan's new Third Grade Reading Law, all students must be within one grade level of reading proficiency at the end of their Third Grade year. To read about how you can help your child reach reading proficiency, please check out our Read At Home Plan.

Wayland Union Schools utilizes Everyday Mathematics as the core resource for addressing our math curriculum.

Essential Standards for Kindergarten Math are:

• Recognize numbers to 20 and name them
• 1:1 Correspondence of up to 20 objects
• Count by ones and tens to 100
• Identify the number of objects in a group as <, >, or = to another group
• Add and subtract numbers within 5
• Work with numbers (0-20) to gain a foundation of place value
• Understand and use targeted math vocabulary words

Parents looking to help their child with math at home might find the following resources useful.

Everyday Math At Home - Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, students use Mystery Science to explore the world through hands-on investigations that encourage curiosity and observation. They’ll start by learning about weather, plants, and animals, asking questions like "Why do trees lose their leaves?" and "Where do animals live?" The curriculum introduces students to the concept of cause and effect in the natural world, helping them understand patterns in nature, changes in the seasons, and the basics of living and nonliving things.

Mystery Science

In Kindergarten, students will start exploring the world around them through themes that introduce them to social studies basics like community, family, and cultural traditions. They’ll learn about themselves and their roles in their families and communities, and they’ll start understanding important concepts like rules, responsibilities, and respecting others. Using stories, songs, and activities, students will also get a gentle introduction to national symbols, holidays, and a variety of cultures, helping them connect to a broader world.

Studies Weekly

Elementary students at Wayland Union Schools attend classes in Music, Physical Education, Media, and Art on a weekly basis.

Wayland Union Schools offers access to several different programs that can keep students learning at home. Please read below to learn about the various programs. Usage may vary from grade to grade so please be sure to look at the target audience and work with your child's teacher to maximize the benefit of each program.

Please contact your child's teacher or the Technology Helpdesk (helpdesk@waylandunion.org) for usernames and passwords for the various websites.

To learn about the different programs that students may utilize at home, click here.

The elementary curriculum at Wayland Union Schools is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Math and Language Arts and Michigan Standards for Science and Social Studies. Though essential standards and general topics of study have been identified for each content area, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in all or most grade level standards in order to be promoted to the next grade level.