Corpus Christi Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum
Our full-day Pre-Kindergarten program at Corpus Christi School provides a Christian atmosphere, which is a nurturing and caring environment. We introduce many academic concepts and begin to work on skills, which are built upon in future grades. Through play, stories, songs, activities and art, we develop social/emotional skills, motor skills (gross and fine) and many conceptual skills.
The Pre-K curriculum consists of many areas. In our schedule, large and small group lessons are structured in the areas of English Language Arts (ELA), Math Development and Religion. Science and Social Studies are incorporated in the ELA series as well as Religion. Learning Center Time is intended to be fun and may look like play, but it is learning at its best. Remember, play is the work of a child. We realize that each child is unique and learns best in a variety of ways.
Social and Emotional Skills
Pre-K is a time of rapid growth, especially in the area of social/emotional skills. Pre-K kiddos are working on all of the essential communication skills and friendship skills. We are beginning to learn cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy and self-control. These are skills that continue to develop all through school and into adulthood. We will work to build a positive community of learners by creating a safe, predictable, joyful and inclusive classroom. We want all Pre-K students to have a sense of belonging and significance while having fun with their peers!
This year we will be using a new program called "Friendzy" which will guide us in our Social/Emotional Growth.
Religion
Our religion series is entitled “God Made Me.” It is a springboard for so much learning. We discover what makes us Catholic - the Saints, liturgical seasons and our Church. We learn Bible stories, verses, prayers and songs. We learn about Jesus, the Holy Family and God. In addition, we discover ourselves. We will learn about our senses, emotions,, our gifts and talents. We also incorporate the Weekly Gospel magazine into our week, explaining the teachings of Jesus in Pre-K terms.
English Language Arts (ELA) focuses on pre-reading skills – Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
Introduction to the Alphabet – letter recognition, beginning letter sounds (Alphatales), rhyming, writing (letter formation)
Communication skills – question/answer, social skills in conversation, listening skills
Children’s literature – stories, poems, etc.
Seasonal topics – incorporates Science and Social Studies - apples, pumpkins, colors, fire safety, seasons, holidays, farms, plants, insects etc.
Music – songs, rhymes, and fingerplays
Pre-writing Handwriting Books - following directions, fine motor skills
My Big World - Scholastic magazine - complements our learning with real photos, games, song and dance and videos.
Mathematic skills are developed.
Colors identification and sorting
Shape recognition
Patterns, sorting by likeness and difference, pairs and matching
Spatial relationships (positional words)
Number recognition and writing
Counting – by rote, counting objects
Time – days of the week, months, schedule
Measurement – long and short, full and empty
Learning Centers
Our Learning Center time (small group) allows the children to engage in an activity to further explore lessons taught in language, math, science, social studies and also practice fine motor skills. The children use various manipulatives, puzzles and games. The children will also work in the small groups on various activities with the teacher or aide during this time.
Outdoor activities
We love outdoor activities! It is our chance to get out and run, climb, ride, slide, throw, kick and just play! We also get to check out the world around us by going on outdoor adventures to observe and discover new things. Our Pre-K Playground, grassy areas, Prayer Garden and blacktop areas offer a chance for us to develop our gross motor skills in various settings. We are also working on many social and communication skills as we play, too!
Our goal in Pre-Kindergarten is to develop a true love of learning!