Kindergarten Program
A Confident Start to a Lifelong Love of Learning
“Education is not preparation for life;
education is life itself."
- John Dewey
Program Highlights at a Glance
What Sets SF STEAM Academy Apart
Personalized Learning
Maximum of 16 students per class ensures individualized attention, meaningful engagement, and strong teacher-student relationships.
Spanish Language Acquisition
Spanish language is infused throughout the day in specialist classes for second language exposure and acquisition for all grade levels
Full-Day Program
School day is from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
After-school program is available from
3:30 pm - 6:00 PM
Kindergarten:
Making Sense of the World
Learning at SF STEAM Academy is active, multifaceted, and purpose-driven. Students engage in reading, writing, inventing, building, collaborating, and problem-solving through immersive experiences that blend analytical thinking with creativity. Our program cultivates innovation, resilience, and collaboration—preparing students to navigate and shape a rapidly changing world.
The Arts in STEAM
Exploring Art Through Play, Creativity & Discovery
At SF STEAM Academy, we believe in building confident thinkers and expressive creators from the very start
Through hands-on, sensory-rich exploration and playful experimentation, kindergarten students discover the elements of art while developing observation skills, creative confidence, and a deeper appreciation for visual expression. As they begin connecting these elements together, they learn to think analytically and communicate their ideas using artistic and multi-sensory tools—laying a strong foundation for future learning in art, design, literature, and STEM.
Communication Skills
Building Strong and Creative Readers While Improving
Test Comprehension and Expression in English and Spanish
Spanish language is infused throughout the day in specialist classes for second language exposure and acquisition across all grade levels (K-5)
English and Spanish
Language Skills
At SF STEAM Academy, we believe readers are made through intentional guidance and joyful practice. Using a balanced approach that combines phonics and whole language, students learn to connect English and Spanish letters with their sounds, meanings, and real-world use. Because every student learns differently, we personalize instruction to nurture confident reading, writing, and expressive language skills in a way that honors each student’s unique strengths.
Language with
Songs and Poetry
Music brings language to life in joyful and memorable ways. Songs are enduring modalities for teaching language. Rhythm, melodies, and repetition help students learn and remember words, phrases, and grammatical structures. Songs enhance memory retention, improve pronunciation, and make learning enjoyable.
Writing Ideas and Stories
Every great reader begins as a storyteller. Writing ideas and narratives helps students develop language skills, creativity, and analytical thinking. They learn sentence structure, grammar, and vocabulary while organizing their thoughts and expressing emotions across different print genres. Through meaningful and purposeful writing, students actively engage with language, building written fluency and overall literacy.
Born to Think Mathematically
Unlocking Every Child’s Potential through Confident Math Learning
Building on Children's Innate Math Abilities
Children are naturally wired to understand numbers, patterns, and comparisons from an early age. At SF STEAM. Academy, we build on those innate abilities through an innovative, neuroscience-informed approach that makes math meaningful, relatable, and engaging. By connecting concepts to real-life experiences, we reduce math anxiety and foster confidence—creating a strong foundation for addition, subtraction, problem-solving, and future success.
Storytelling and
Mathematical Thinking
Math is present in the story. Math appears in the images. Math assists the characters! Children are budding mathematicians! Every story we read with your student includes math questions, activities, and problems to solve.
Mathematical
Modeling
Mathematical modeling is a process where children transition from real-life considerations to mathematics and then back again, evaluating, refining, and enhancing the models they create.
Active Bodies, Growing Minds
Hands-on experiences that nurture movement,
character, curiosity, and real-world discovery.
Kinesthetics
Students develop physical, cognitive, and social skills through movement-based activities like yoga, gymnastics floor skills, and physical games. These activities enhance agility, strength, balance, and social interaction, which are crucial for overall growth, confidence, and well-being.
Daily Kinesthetic Sessions:
8:30 AM
15-Minute Morning Warm-Ups
12:30 PM
30-Minute Physical Play
2:45 PM
15-Minute Exercises
Social Emotional
Skills
Social-emotional skills (SES) lessons engage students in hands-on simulations and guided conversations, focusing on self-awareness, confidence, and healthy relationships.
These sessions assist students in recognizing, naming, and comprehending their emotions, which is a crucial step in developing emotional intelligence. By learning to identify feelings such as frustration, excitement, or empathy, students can express themselves clearly and manage their emotions in a healthy way.
SES skills are integrated into daily school life, providing consistent reinforcement. Each week, a specific theme, such as empathy, is explored in various contexts, helping students apply these skills to real-life situations. This ongoing practice empowers them to navigate social interactions, build positive relationships, and develop lifelong emotional awareness.
Learning in Living Color
Hands-on experiences that nurture movement,
character, curiosity, and real-world discovery
Gardening
Gardening provides students with a hands-on, immersive experience that teaches them about the origins of food, how it grows, and the nutrients it offers. By planting and caring for fruits, vegetables, and herbs, students discover the importance of soil, sunlight, and water in nurturing plants. This real-world connection builds their appreciation for healthy eating, the natural environment, and sustainability.
To make gardening even more engaging, each month features a themed planting experience with seeds and cuttings. Themes like a Pizza Garden (tomatoes, basil, oregano), a Tea Garden (mint, hibiscus), and a Steamed Vegetable Garden (corn, broccoli, carrots, peas) bring excitement and curiosity to the learning process. As students watch their plants grow, they cultivate responsibility, patience, and a deeper understanding of the food cycle, making learning both fun and meaningful.
Portfolio Days
On Quarterly Portfolio Day, students take on the role of teachers, guiding parents through their learning highlights. This experience validates their progress, builds confidence, and fosters deeper family engagement in education, making learning more meaningful and empowering.
By explaining concepts in how they learned them, students solidify knowledge, organize their thoughts, and practice articulating ideas clearly—all key skills for academic growth and confidence.
This process is also a metacognitive exercise, helping students become aware of how they learn.
Students gain insight into their learning strategies, making them more self-directed and engaged.
Learning becomes even more powerful when it’s shared and experienced beyond the classroom. Through portfolio showcases and enriching field trips, students celebrate their progress, connect lessons to the world around them, and grow in confidence as capable learners.
Real-World Connection and Celebration
Interactive SF STEAM Academy Lab
The SF STEAM Academy invites the larger community to a half-day exploratory learning space designed and curated by students, parents, and teachers. Dubbed as the Interactive STEAM Lab, activities, demonstrations, and multimodal designs showcase interactive exhibits and projects by the students that bring STEAM to life.
The lab's STEAM theme will be shared with students and families in the first quarter. The project is a hub for exploration, innovation, and creativity, where children experiment, build, and problem-solve in an immersive environment.
The lab will welcome families, friends, and students from the wider community, showcasing the school and sharing learning experiences grounded in discovery, exploration, and creativity.
Field Trips
Students learn from immersive explorations that reinforce classroom studies and inspire a lifelong love of discovery.
Quarterly field trips are designed to complement academic themes and provide students with the learning purpose for their visit.
Students visit museums, science centers, historical sites, or innovation hubs to observe different learning methods and gather ideas for their Interactive STEAM Lab projects. Students investigate and solve real-world problems on these field trips, applying their knowledge in immersive settings.