PreK

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guide (partial listing)

Religion: Children are introduced to our Catholic faith.  The emphasis is on caring about one another. The children are encouraged, praised and rewarded for helping others and showing kindness. The class participates in group discussions, songs and stories about good and bad choices. The following prayers are taught: The Sign of the Cross, Grace, The Hail Mary, The Glory Be, and The Our Father.

 

Social Studies: Children are just beginning to understand that they are part of a bigger world. Community is emphasized. We explore other countries through food, art and music.

 

Math: Children begin the year with an introduction to shapes, spatial relationships, size, weight, and patterns. Math is taught through “hands-on” experiences and center activities and materials. As the year progresses, more abstract concepts are introduced including simple addition and subtraction, fractions (half/whole), money, and time.

 

Science:  Science units are based upon Natural Science topics such as plant growth, human growth, health and safety, dinosaurs, new life, butterflies, weather, solid/liquid experiments and color. All projects are “hands-on” and allow children time to explore materials.

 

Language Arts: Children are given time for dramatic play, group discussions, individual sharing times, center time and begin to learn the “magic” that will enable to read! language and phonics are used as instructional techniques for the children to explore the alphabet and beginning letter sounds based upon their personal development

 

Penmanship:. Practice really does make perfect in this area of children’s development. Our emphasis is centered on small motor control, holding a pencil correctly, and writing out names in capital and lower case letters.

 

Activities: The Pre-Kindergarten curriculum focuses a great deal on developing happy independent learners. A number of developmental centers have been established to help the child learn through experiences. Here are a few examples of the learning centers used in Pre-Kindergarten: Computers, reading, art easel, craft table and the listening corner.

 

Music: Students participate in singing and musical games, focusing on awareness of Beat, Rhythm, and Melody. Singing will enhance awareness of the sound of their own voices and how to improve the singing sound. Class participation will foster group participation and the idea of working together for a common goal. Games and handling rudimentary instruments will help students develop Beat awareness and readiness (also important for preparing to learn to read in regular class.)

 

P.E. The emphasis during the course of the year is large motor development through planned recess times, music exploration and general movement activities. The school P.E. teacher takes the prekindergarten classes twice a week for “formal” P.E. instruction and exploration.

 

Computer Technology: Children have the opportunity to experience “hands-on” introduction to the keyboard. There are a variety of Math, Language Arts, and educational programs as well as Art and Health related CD’s for the children to explore using the computer.

 

Health: Children learn how to stay healthy. How eating good foods, washing our hands and taking care of ourselves when ill, help our bodies to grow.