At Kineo, we organize our students into ability-based groups, ensuring that each child receives instruction tailored to their own specific needs.
Core Academics
Core academics at The Kineo School are an active time where students build their literacy and math skills through a mix of one-on-one or small group lessons, independent practice, reading, writing, and games. Students rotate through a variety of stations where they encounter work that meets their individual learning goals. This fluid structure allows our teachers the flexibility to hold mini-lessons and conferences with individual students or small groups, focusing on specific skills and providing targeted support.
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At Kineo, we approach mathematics as a practical and engaging tool for problem-solving and understanding the world around us. Our goal is to move beyond rote memorization and instead, inspire students to see math as a way to think critically and make sense of how things work.
We view mathematics as a powerful tool for problem-solving and share with our students the joy of using math to meet the challenge of solving a puzzle, discovering a pattern, composing with shapes, or playing a game.
We encourage our students to solve problems and connect concepts to our thematic inquiries, providing them with countless opportunities to think mathematically. Our rotations feature one-on-one or small group mini-lessons, enriched with games and activities tailored to individual learning needs, fostering independent practice.
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At Kineo, we believe in the power of writing as a tool for self-expression, creativity, and personal growth.
Our writing instruction is all about helping students uncover the power of their own voice. Students express themselves through words and pictures, honing their skills in idea generation, organization, grammar, and handwriting. They learn when to get their thoughts down and when to polish their writing, ensuring their work truly shines.
Our rotations feature small group or individual mini-lessons, dedicated writing time, and personalized conferencing, all aimed at building students' identities as authors and enhancing their writing abilities.
With guidance from occupational and physical therapists, our handwriting exercises go beyond letter formation. We incorporate crafts, games, and activities that develop shoulder muscles, visual-motor coordination, eye-hand coordination, and pincer grip. This holistic approach ensures students acquire the skills needed for clear, effective handwriting.
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We are committed to nurturing a love for reading and equipping our students with the skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.
At Kineo, we believe in the power of meaningful interaction with text. We give our students ample time to read and engage with content that sparks their interest and curiosity. Through individual or small group mini-lessons, we teach essential decoding and comprehension skills, which students then practice using books and magazines tailored to their interests and reading levels.
Students learn to self-select reading materials for various purposes, whether it's for pleasure, fluency improvement, information seeking, or practicing comprehension strategies. Our approach includes exposing students to phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary through an array of games and activities.
Teacher Jodi and Teacher Zuzana have completed advanced training in Wired for Reading™. This IMSLEC-accredited program employs a multi-sensory approach rooted in the Science of Reading to enhance reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills. Specifically designed for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, it teaches linguistics in a kid-friendly manner, aiding students’ comprehension of language structure and phonics. By connecting speech sounds to letters and meaning, it clarifies English spelling patterns, empowering students to decode words confidently and fluently.
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At Kineo, social studies is more than a subject—it's a journey toward becoming informed and compassionate global citizens.
We are dedicated to nurturing young minds to become kind, caring, and active citizens in our interconnected world. Following Washington State standards, our social studies curriculum teaches students to engage critically with artifacts, primary and secondary sources, and media.
We explore our world through the perspectives of civics, economics, geography, and history. Students start by understanding themselves, their families, and our school community, gradually expanding their knowledge to encompass our local area, state, country and global community. We place a strong emphasis on understanding diverse viewpoints and evaluating information thoughtfully.
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At Kineo, science is an adventure in discovery, innovation, and exploration.
At The Kineo School, we harness children's natural curiosity, focusing on nurturing their scientific thinking and problem-solving skills. Our students dive into the wonders of physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering and technology. Following the Next Generation Science Standards, we employ a hands-on approach, our students plan and conduct investigations, record and analyze data, and design, build, and test their solutions.
Curriculums
Here at Kineo, we use a variety of resources to create a well-rounded curriculum. Our literacy instruction includes Heggerty Phonics, Wired for Reading, and state standards, with additional practice for younger students from Lalilo and for older students from Lexia. Writing instruction is based on the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. Math is primarily taught using Illustrative Math, with supplementary practice from Happy Numbers for younger students and Beast Academy for older students. For handwriting, we use the Size Matters approach, but are also familiar with Handwriting Without Tears for students who may need modified letter formation. For science and social studies, we follow the state standards, incorporating lessons from the WA state OSPI and using materials from InquirED for social studies.
By leveraging these diverse resources, we aim to provide an engaging and comprehensive educational experience for all our students.
“We just had our first teacher conferences at middle school. I wanted to share with you how glowing their reviews were of our son, as I attribute how well prepared he was to Kineo! They all called him a star student, and they said that he is respectful and kind in class. He is absolutely thriving, and that is in huge part to the excellent education that he received at Kineo. We are very grateful for all that Kineo did for him.”