Francis Sorentino [email protected]
Hi, My name is Francis Sorentino, I am a kindergarten teacher at Olivet Elementary. I have a Masters in Teaching from Pepperdine University and have been working with children for the last 11 years as a teachers assistant, camp counselor, preschool teacher, kinder teacher, and now mom. It has been an adventure!
In my early years of working with children I was fortunate to have studied the R.I.E. method of teaching, which I still use and implement in my practice to this day. There are so many things I love about teaching, one thing that I think about the most is when students realize the power they have as learners, when they find that confidence in themselves to make mistakes and learn and grow from it.
As Kinder teachers our main objective is to expose all our students to the skills they need to be independent learners in reading, writing, math, science, and art. By the end of the year our students have built a strong foundation of knowledge that will help them begin their journey in first grade. For example, some students may become readers and writers by the end of their kindergarten year, while others will need a little more time to fully utilize the tools and strategies we have taught, and will be ready to become successful, independent learners in first grade.
We are focused on providing all students with the opportunities to learn and grow to their full potential in a supportive community. We believe students stay interested in learning if they are regularly challenged, introduced to new skills, and supported to improve existing skills. We fully support giving students the time they need to develop as individuals, and the opportunity to make and learn from their mistakes.
In Kindergarten we study many things including the ABC’s (letter names and sounds), building the skills to begin reading and writing (focusing on phonetic spelling), developing problem solving skills, learning how to compose and decompose numbers up to 10, learning to count to 100 using 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, we study the life cycles of animals and plants, what living things need to survive, forces and motion. We also help students build social emotional understanding. Our curriculums include Fontas and Pinnell for Language Arts, Bridges for Math, and ToolBox for Social Emotional Learning.
Here are a few kinder field trips to look forward to!
In my early years of working with children I was fortunate to have studied the R.I.E. method of teaching, which I still use and implement in my practice to this day. There are so many things I love about teaching, one thing that I think about the most is when students realize the power they have as learners, when they find that confidence in themselves to make mistakes and learn and grow from it.
As Kinder teachers our main objective is to expose all our students to the skills they need to be independent learners in reading, writing, math, science, and art. By the end of the year our students have built a strong foundation of knowledge that will help them begin their journey in first grade. For example, some students may become readers and writers by the end of their kindergarten year, while others will need a little more time to fully utilize the tools and strategies we have taught, and will be ready to become successful, independent learners in first grade.
We are focused on providing all students with the opportunities to learn and grow to their full potential in a supportive community. We believe students stay interested in learning if they are regularly challenged, introduced to new skills, and supported to improve existing skills. We fully support giving students the time they need to develop as individuals, and the opportunity to make and learn from their mistakes.
In Kindergarten we study many things including the ABC’s (letter names and sounds), building the skills to begin reading and writing (focusing on phonetic spelling), developing problem solving skills, learning how to compose and decompose numbers up to 10, learning to count to 100 using 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, we study the life cycles of animals and plants, what living things need to survive, forces and motion. We also help students build social emotional understanding. Our curriculums include Fontas and Pinnell for Language Arts, Bridges for Math, and ToolBox for Social Emotional Learning.
Here are a few kinder field trips to look forward to!
- Pumpkin patch
- Community helpers/partners trip
- Visiting places like the firestation, the police station, the post office, a bakery…etc.
