Butterflies
Junior Kindergarten (5s) 
In this final, crucial year before grade school, children will evolve and grow their butterfly wings as students. Students are beginning to look and act much more like school-aged children but still have some important developmental milestones to meet.
At Panache Enfants, our Junior kindergarten teachers are in full gear to getting students more than Kindergarten ready. As Butterflies, students will solidify the foundations for reading and writing, and become comfortable in all areas of language including listening and speaking. They will learn to channel their energy and creativity into productive activities that aid in their overall growth and development. In short, they will learn to become partners in their own education!
Our advanced PanacheGurus curriculum is designed to meet Kindergarten standards in a Junior Kindergarten classroom, including Core Knowledge Language Arts and Singapore Math, with special emphasis on:
Cognitive Development
- Exhibits enthusiasm for creative problem solving.
- Provides ideas for how to do a task, make something or solve longer term, abstract challenges
- Answers and asks analytical questions – interesting in “how” and “why”
- Speaks clearly using grammatically correct, complex and compound sentences
- Uses descriptive language to relay information, ask questions and provide explanations
- Initiates conversation, waits his turn to speak
- Includes appropriate details when sharing personal experiences
- Knows uppercase and lower case letters, understand that letters represent sounds in spoken language and can sound blend accurately to sound out and write simple, phonetic words.
- Displays advanced reading comprehension with ability to analytically discuss stories and tales
- Can count collection of over 20 items
- Understands concept of simple addition and subtraction, as well as groupings of size
- Sequences events chronologically with accuracy and is learning to tell time
- Sorts objects based on more than one characteristic
- Has greater attention span – can focus on a task to 10 minutes or more
- Can use tools like thermometers and scales and carry out simple investigations
- Recognizes that art can tell a story
Gross/Fine Motor Development
- Seeks active games and environments
- Can pedal bike with training wheels
- Can jump rope
- Can perform most ball related activities such as throwing, catching, kicking, etc.
- Can vary direction, speed and quality of movements while running or walking
- Can use fingers flexibly to control writing and painting tools
- Can dress and undress dolls, managing zippers and buttons
- Do a somersault and hop
- Use a fork and spoon
- Dress and undress, brush teeth, and take care of other personal needs without much help
Social/Emotional Development
- Rarely shows signs of separation anxiety
- Has varied interests and curiosity
- Able to work through conflicts and exhibit controlled emotions
- Use improved strategies for dealing with emotional problems including negotiation and compromise before seeking adult help
- Improved skills for forming and maintaining friendships with adults and other children
- Prefers activities involving other children
- Exhibits signs of wanting to be accepted in a group setting
- Enjoys playing with other children and pleasing his or her friends
- Shares and takes turns
- Understands and obeys rules; however, your 4- to 5-year-old will still be demanding and uncooperative at times.
- Is becoming more independent and self-confident
- Better expresses emotions and feelings using language
