KINDERGARTEN
Overview
St. Peter Prince of the Apostle’s full day
program continues the physical, cognitive, spiritual, social and emotional
development that began in pre-kindergarten with an emphasis on academics.
Goal and Objectives
St Peter’s kindergarten encourages each
student to achieve to the best of his/her potential in the following areas:
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Cognitive
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Emotional
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Social
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Physical
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Spiritual
Reading
Letter sounds and basic word formations are
emphasized through the Open Court method of phonics in the 1st
semester. Students are not required to be reading at the completion of
Kindergarten: However, many will be emerging as readers. Beginning Reading
concepts, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies are introduced in the 2nd
semester through the “McGraw Hill Reading” curriculum.
Students will be able to:
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Identify and distinguish letters and sounds
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Identify Open Court phonograms
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Identify long and short vowels
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Identify likenesses and differences
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Identify the main idea
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Identify the author and illustrator of given words
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Identify facts from a story
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Comprehend oral stories
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Answer in complete sentences
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Link letter to sounds
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Decode short vowel words
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Recognize some sight words
Note: Students will be provided with reading materials at appropriate level.
Philosophy
Students are encouraged to read recreational
books including fiction and non-fiction. Picture books are read to all
students and teachers to encourage interest in favorite authors and
illustrators.
Math
Basic number concepts are taught using
Harcourt-Brace Kindergarten Math Curriculum. Concepts include sorting and
classifying, patterns and movement, matching and counting, numbers to twenty,
shapes and parts of shapes, time and money, measuring, and exploring addition
and subtraction. This program places a strong emphasis on the use of
manipulatives so the students can learn to:
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Identify position and use classifying skills
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Recognize and match patterns
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Show one-to-one correspondence
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Identify likeness and difference in size, quantity and capacity
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Identify numbers to 100
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Write numbers to 20
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Add and subtract 1-10
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Tell time to the hour
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Identify and know the value of a penny, nickel, dime and quarter.
_ Identify parts of a whole, equal and not
equal parts and halves
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Make basic measurements
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Enrichment and homework will be provided on a regular basis.
Handwriting and Fine Motor Skills
The Open Court method is introduced in
Kindergarten with emphasis placed on correct letter formation. Students will
be able to:
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Hold a pencil correctly
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Follow the correct procedure to write each letter of the alphabet
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Use scissors
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Color and pain with an emphasis on neatness
Science/Social Studies
Through the use of units, students are
introduced to the physical and social world around them. A wide variety of
audiovisual materials, books, cooking experiences, art projects and field
trips are used to enhance learning. Sample topics include the following:
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Senses
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Apples
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Pumpkins/Harvest
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Food/Nutrition
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Birds
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Polar animals and their habitats
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Dinosaurs
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Seeds/Plants
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Insects
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Simple Science Experiments
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Starting School
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Meeting Families
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Let’s Explore
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Our Country, Our World
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Special Days
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Growing and changing
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Living and non-living
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The sky
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The earth
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Learning about animals
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Grouping things
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Weather and seasons
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Light, sound, and heat
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Moving and working
Where we live
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Family & friends
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Communities (people & objects)
People at work
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Using natural resources
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Moving goods & people (tools & machines, transportation)
Our World
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Land & water (ocean life, earth & environment)
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Insects, animals & spiders (dinosaurs, farm life & bugs)
It happened in America
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The first people in America
Americans celebrate
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Holidays & seasons
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Using calendars
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Symbols for U.S.A.
Learning Activities
Learning activities include one-on-one
teaching and small and large group instruction. Classes include instruction,
discussion, seatwork, board work, special projects, and small group work at
learning centers. Classroom collections of books are used for reference and
enjoyment. Individual author studies are encouraged. Audiovisual materials,
field trips, cooking and guest speakers enhance class activities.
Religious Studies
FAITH
The kindergarten program gradually introduces
children to the simple truths of faith in the Apostle’s Creed at their level
of experience and understanding. The program recognizes that young children
possess the gift of faith implanted in them at Baptism and therefore, have an
innate readiness for things of God. It engages them in experiences that
prepare them for his message and help them respond to it in their lives. The
program helps the students see what they experience in everyday life and
religion as an integrated whole. It also initiates them in Catholic
traditions.
PRAYER
In the kindergarten program, the children take
part in a variety of prayer experiences to help them respond to God in
ways that best express themselves. Some of these are simple vocal prayer,
spontaneous prayer, dance prayer, psalm responses with gestures, prayer of the
heart, and celebrations. The children are introduced in a meaningful way to
some of the prayers that are part of Catholic heritage and the worship of the
Church such as The Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, and Our Father. They
learn to appreciate silence and become attentive to God.
LITURGICAL LIFE
The Kindergarten program initiates the
children in the liturgy through:
Exchanging greetings
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Using symbols, gestures and rituals
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Listening and responding to others
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Asking and receiving forgiveness
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Expressing gratitude
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Using silence to enter within themselves
MORALITY
The Kindergarten program fosters the awakening
of a Christian conscience in the children by leading them to:
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Appreciate God’s goodness and personal love for them
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Sense that important people in their lives love them
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Realize there are goof and bad choices
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Know they are responsible for their decisions
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Understand choosing what God wants is good and brings them happiness
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Be aware that evil exists in our world
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Know how to express penitence
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Respect all people and all forms of life
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Value God’s world and care for it
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Develop self-discipline and form good habits
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Desire to share with those in need
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SERVICE
The children engage in activities that nurture
kindness, honesty, forgiveness, and concern for others, especially for the
elderly, the disabled, the poor, and the lonely. Some of these activities
are:
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Discussing and role-playing how kindness, honesty, forgiveness, and concern
for others can
be shown in their everyday lives
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Sharing with one another their experiences of meeting the needs of different
people
Specials:
LIBRARY/MEDIA SKILLS
Overview
Library/media skills are taught to all students
from Pre-K through eighth grade with the goal they will become life-long readers
with the ability to enter any library equipped with the knowledge to locate and
use all available resources.
The care and locations of materials, browsing
and checkout procedures and notable authors and illustrators are introduced in
the primary grades.
Objectives:
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Library Orientation - students will learn library procedures
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Browsing and book checkout
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Location of materials and other resources
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Proper care for all materials and return policy
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Be courteous and exhibit good conduct
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Utilization of resources - students will learn to identify materials
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Alphabetical order-fiction materials are arranged by the first three letters of
the author’s last
name
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Locate periodicals in ABC order by title
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Determine how books are classified and where they will be shelved
_ Research and Study Skills
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Identify parts of a book
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Use reference tools such as an atlas, dictionary, etc.
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Special activities
Our library has weekly activities to include all
students. The librarian reads to all classes and uses book talks to interest
students in checking out books for class assignments such as book reports,
summaries or research projects. Materials are made available in the library to
support classroom curriculum and teaches may request library use at any time.
Authors are invited to our school to share their
time and talent and are welcomed by all students and faculty with great
enthusiasm.
Spanish:
Students develop cultural awareness of
Mexican/Latin traditional events and holidays.
In the class students will learn:
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Greetings-using simple vocabulary
words
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Number development-1-20
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Colors
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Transportation
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Body parts
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Animals
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Vowels
Music:
Students develop their intellect and refine
their emotions, understanding the cultural and creative nature of musical
artistry and making connections among music, the other arts, technology, and
other aspects of social life. Through creative performance, students apply the
expressive technical skills of music and critical thinking skills to evaluate
multiple forms of problem solving (as per Texas state TEKS music introduction).
Students will:
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Learn and sing songs that are
coordinated with the season, themes, liturgical year and different multicultural
artistry
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Students will use rhythm
instruments that will coordinate with songs
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Taught how to keep time, rhythm
and tempo
Physical Education:
Overview:
In this physical education class students will
gain knowledge in several different sports. We will also be learning rules,
skills and technique of these games. The overall objective of the physical
education courses at both the primary and middle school level is to teach
activities, which will form the basis for a lifetime of physical fitness.
Instructional Content:
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Be able to apply physical education
to life
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Be able to demonstrate knowledge and
skills, which better enable participation in group and team sports
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Assess physical fitness levels and
participate in activities that improve fitness, wellness, and
cardiovascular capacity
~ Be able
to demonstrate knowledge and skills, which will better enable participation
in individual and dual sports and recreational activities.
Technology:
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Introduction to keyboarding
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Learn proper terminology and parts
of the computer
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Age appropriate software/websites
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Word processing and graphics
programs used
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Computer center in homeroom
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