Preschool Curriculum

St. Gerard Majella’s preschool program believes that each child is a special unique gift of God. We are dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing environment that fosters the spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth and development of each child. Our curriculum is designed for children between the ages of three and five and allows the child to be challenged and still develop at their own pace.

Faith Formation

The children’s faith is deepened by:

• making the sign of the cross
• saying prayers
• attending the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Language Arts

The children are introduced to:

• various genres of literature for example: books, poems, nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
• upper and lower case letters.
• rhymes
• beginning and ending sounds
• recognizing their names in print
• putting words to their stories
• creating class books
• taking a picture walk
• retelling stories
• sequencing – beginning, middle and end
• recalling details of a story
• large and small group discussions
• following directions in cooking

Math

The children are introduced to:

• rote counting
• one to one correspondence
• identifying numbers
• identifying shapes
• identifying colors
• sorting by size, color, shape etc.
• recognizing and imitating patterns
• graphing
• measurements in cooking

Social Emotional

The children’s social and emotional growth will be developed by encouraging:

• being a good friend
• sharing
• using problem solving skills
• interacting with peers and teachers
• expressing feelings, emotions and ideas appropriately
• being respectful of others

Art

The children are encouraged to:

• experience a variety of mediums
• participate in art projects
• recognize and identify colors and shapes
• take pride in their artistic creations

Science

The children are encouraged to:

• experiment, observe and investigate the world around them
• observe, identify and graph weather patterns
• observe and investigate the life cycles of various livingthings

Fine Motor

The children develop their fine motor skills by:

• playing with puzzles and other manipulatives
• coloring, drawing and
• cutting
• stringing various size beads and lacing cards
• manipulating play dough and other materials

Gross Motor

The children develop their gross motor skills by being given the opportunity to:

• throw and catch balls
• run, jump, hop and skip
• climb and descend stairs using alternating feet
• participate in games (i.e. tag, kick the ball)

 

Music and Movement

The children are encouraged to engage in:

• singing, rhyming, chanting, clapping to a beat, and finger plays
• keeping a beat with musical instruments
• marching and dancing

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based religious program designed for children ages three thru six. The atrium is a sacred space where children can nurture a personal relationship with God. The space is ordered, child-sized, and beautiful, allowing the children opportunities to interact directly and intensely with materials that are specially prepared by the catechists. The atrium is not a classroom, but rather a place prepared for the child to fully receive God’s love and feel His presence. Children are given opportunities to learn about and experience prayer, the Kingdom of God Parables, the Altar and parts of Mass, the Geography of Israel, the Infancy Narratives, the Paschal Mystery, Baptism, and Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Children have the liberty to move freely and choose works they feel drawn to. The eventual aim of the atrium is to prepare the children to develop and nurture their faith and to participate more fully in Mass.

Library

Twice a month, the students visit the school library and are read stories from our school librarian.