Pre-K Owl Class
The Pre-Kindergarten program at St. Michael’s Preschool creates a strong foundation for kindergarten readiness. We use exciting, hands on materials to help our children prepare for the next level of their education in a positive learning environment.
Along with the many different positive learning activities that we introduce to the children in the Pre-K program, we also have our Pre-K curriculum Get Set for School “Learning without Tears”. It has won the Distinguished Achievement Award for the best children’s curriculum as well as a Teacher’s Choice Award from Learning Magazine.
This Pre-K curriculum develops coloring, drawing, counting, and handwriting readiness. The program uses music, multi-sensory learning materials and the “crayon only” Get Set for School workbook.
In addition to this program, we will also teach the phonological sounds of each letter, work on shapes, colors and pre-reading skills.
And finally, to go along with our other program, we offer a reading literacy program “Tandem” sponsored by “California First 5”. The literacy program is a reading series that bridges a gap between home and school. IT ENCOURAGES FAMILIES TO READ TOGETHER AND TO FALL IN LOVE WITH BOOKS.
At the end of the year the Pre-K children participate in a cap and gown graduation ceremony. All families are welcome to come and enjoy a special performance done by the children and watch each child receive a preschool achievement certificate. After the children graduate, most children continue at St. Michael’s for our wonderful summer until their kindergarten starts.
Pre-K Classroom Expectations
Children develop at different rates.
The following list presents basic skills and concepts that will help children get ready for school.
Social Skills
The children will learn to:
· Share with others
· Develop patience
· Listen to others
· Engage in play with other children
· Attend to an activity for a period of time
· Complete an activity
· Look forward to going to school
· Be away from parents for 2-3 hours without being upset
· Take care of toilet needs independently
· Feel good about self
· Care for own belongings
· State and write their full name
· Dress self
· Use tissue to wipe and blow their noses
· Brush teeth
· Cross a residential street safely
· Ask to go to school
· State parents’ names when asked
· State home address
· State home phone number
· Enter into dinner table conversation
· Carry a plate of food
· Maintain self-control
· Get along well with other children
· Play with other children
· Recognize authority
· Share with others
· Talk easily
· Like teachers
· Meet visitors without shyness
· Stay on a task
· Work independently
· Help family with chores
Pre-Reading Skills
The children will learn to:
· Recognize own name
· Recognize letters in own name (upper case)
· Identify basic colors, red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple
· Remember objects from a given picture
· Know what a letter is
· Identify sounds of letters
· Pretend to read
· Look at books or magazines
· Recognize some nursery rhymes
· Identify parts of the body
· Identify objects that have a functional use
· Know common animals
· Express self verbally
· Tell the meaning of simple words
· Repeat a sentence of 6-8 words
· Complete incomplete sentence with proper word
· Understand that print carries a message
· Use left-to-right progression
· Answer questions about a short story
· Tell the meaning of words heard in story
· Look at pictures and tell a story
Math Skills
The children will learn to:
· Identify basic shapes: square, triangle, circle, diamond, heart, and rectangle
· Recognize opposites: up/down, in/out, low/high, forward/back, left/right
· Group/Sort objects by category (animals, foods)
· Count 1-10
· Recognize the numbers 1-10
· Complete simple puzzles
· Count objects in one-to-one correspondence
· Understand empty and full
· Understand more and less
· Understand and complete patterns
Science Skills
The children will learn to:
· Identify basic body parts
· Basic sounds
Listening Skills
The children will learn to:
· Learn to sit at a short circle time
· Learn to lengthen attention span
· Follow two step related directions
· Follow simple directions
· Listen to a short story
· Listen carefully
· Recognize common sounds
· Repeat a sequence of sounds
· Repeat a sequence of orally-given numbers
· Retell simple stories in sequence
Language Skills
The children will learn to:
· Understand negatives
· Understand positional concepts ( on, in, out)
· Talk about past events, or objects out of view
· Articulate clearly, and can be understood 80% of time
· Speak clearly and use sentences
· Express their wants and needs
· Say first and last name and their age upon asking
· Know some rhymes, poems and songs.
· Identify objects in picture books.
· Understand up and down
· Understand in and out
· Understand front and back
· Understand over (on) and under
· Understand top, bottom, middle
· Understand beside and next to
· Understand hot and cold
· Understand fast and slow
· Understand day and night
· Know his/her age and birthday
Pre-Writing Skills
The children will learn to:
· Color within the lines
· Trace letters, numbers and shapes
· Begin to draw simple shapes
· Color and draw beyond a simple scribble
· Control a pencil or crayons with a pinch
· Write name in all upper case letters
· Attempt to write last name in all upper case letters
· Attempt to write name using both upper and lower case letter
· Copy simple shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, cross
Fine Motor Skills
The children will learn to:
· String beads within 10 seconds
· Roll clay into a ball
· Paste objects
· Clap hands
· Match simple objects
· Touch fingers
· Button clothing
· Build with blocks
· Complete simple puzzles (5 pieces or less)
· Zip clothing
· Cut simple shapes
· Handle scissors well
Music Skills
The children will learn to:
· Participate in basic singing of songs
· Participate in music and moveme
Large Motor Skills
The children will learn to:
· Catch balls with body
· Walk up and down stairs with alternating feet
· Run 10 feet without falling or bumping into objects
· Skip/gallop
· Run at different speeds as well as stop on command within 1-2 steps
· Walk a straight line
· Jump
· Hop on one foot
· Alternate feet walking down stairs
· March alternating feet
· Stand on one foot 5-10 seconds
· Walk backwards for five feet
· Throw a ball
Self Help Skills
The children will learn to:
· Clean up after self
· Dress self: put on shirt, pants, socks, pull up or underwear
· Feed self: use utensils correctly
· Improve skills in separation and independence
· Button large and small buttons
· Use restroom with little or no help
· Wash hands without assistance
· Pour liquids from a small pitcher
· Serve self at meals