Curriculum

Curriculum

The overall goal of St. Joseph School Preschool Program is that children love learning.

Students will be exposed to the following concepts during the course of the school year.

Students will use a variety of hands-on materials, songs, and games.

They will be assessed by observation and work samples. We focus on Kindergarten readiness while having fun learning.

Religion

We use Walking With Jesus: Bringing Jesus to Life in Common Preschool Themes as our religion book.

*listening and acting out Old and New Testament stories

*recognizing that plants, animals, and human beings are God’s creation

*recognizing that God created families to love and take care of one another

*learning and exploring the life of Jesus: the people He met and the things He did

*following Jesus’ teachings to love Him and others

*learning about special holy days in our church and how we are part of a Catholic Church

family

Communication Goals

4-year old preschoolers will be exposed to large and small group activities where they will be

developing social manners, cooperation, and problem solving skills. The goals for the students are:

-Taking appropriate turns in conversation

-Answering questions directly

-Drawing and creating own stories

-Following directions in a sequential order

-Expressing feelings in an appropriate manner

-Verbally communicating needs and thoughts

Motor Goals

4-year old preschool children will be exposed to various fine and gross motor activities. Students will be given opportunities to participate in gross motor play through outside play and indoor activites such as dance. Students will also be given opportunities to manipulate scissors, trace and write their names using various materials and pencils, and use educational manipulatives. The goals for the students are:

-Holding a pencil correctly

-Building elaborate construction with blocks and accessories

-Cutting along curved and straight lines

-Gluing appropriately

-Forming letters and numbers using top bottom formation

Cognitive Goals

Preschool children will be exposed to authentic literature and beginning phonics through weekly themes, and weekly letter work. Students will work in small groups to increase attention time on a given task. The goals for the students are:

Literacy

*exposing students to the alphabet: letter names and sounds

*recognizing, spelling, and writing first name

*retelling familiar stories

*drawing pictures and dictating sentences about stories and experiences

*answering comprehensive questions and recalling details of a story

*repeating simple nursery rhymes and finger plays

*understanding concepts of print: left to right

direction and top to bottom formation – holding a book right side up

*building new vocabulary

Math

*identifying geometric shapes

*counting using one-to-one correspondence

*sorting objects by various attributes: color, shape, and size

*exposing students to patterns: AB, AABB, and ABC

*exposing students to sizes: small, medium, and large

*exposing students to concepts of time: day and night

*exposing students to money: explore through games, songs, and pretend play

*counting up to 31 on a calendar with exposure to 100

Science & Health

*exploring science tools; magnets, prisms, magnifying glasses, etc.

*exploring the world through nature walks and hands-on/discovery experiences

*observing insect life

*observing the life-cycle of a plant

*learning to care for oneself including germ prevention, healthy food, exercise & dental health

Technology

*using and interacting with an interactive board to promote skill development

*we believe in limiting screen time

Personal/Social Goals

4-year old preschool children will be interacting with one another throughout the day. The social/personal goals of the

Pre-Kindergarten class are the most important for the students. The children will be exposed to the life of

Jesus and how they can follow His example. To treat one another with respect and courtesy is the most important

goal for us to obtain. The goals for the students are:

*being aware of manners

*recognizing authority and respecting the rights of others

*using classroom materials meaningfully and purposefully

*participating in positive play with other children

*respecting other children’s belongings

*taking turns

*helping clean up after play and work time

*accepting responsibility for own actions

*practicing appropriate problem-solving skills in social situations