Kindergarten
Philosophy
The primary objective of our Kindergarten is to provide an accepting environment which is loving and nurturing, with the result being happy and secure children. Working in conjunction with our families, our goal is to help each child achieve according to his or her individual potential.
English/Language Arts
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs literacy program in Kindergarten teaches reading and writing in accordance with developmentally appropriate practices. Kindergarten is not a place to master skills but a place where a strong foundation is established for literacy. Children enter Kindergarten with a variety of experiences and varying degrees of readiness, which necessitates the inclusion of a variety of techniques in the teaching process.
We also use the Orton Gillingham Phonics program and the Zaner-Bloser handwriting program
Math
In Kindergarten at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs we use the Eureka Math curriculum which applies a hands-on approach that builds conceptual knowledge from the concrete to abstract. Some examples of hands on math materials include:
Religion
Religion in Kindergarten is integrated within the curriculum. We model and practice our Catholic faith in everyday situations. We learn a love for God, a love of family and friends, and a respect for life in all its forms. In addition, we have daily prayers and we attend weekly school Mass escorted by the eighth graders.
We use the Allelu religion series at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. We foster a Faith based environment in the classroom everyday. Students participate in daily prayer and celebrate mass weekly to cultivate a faith based learning environment. Some topics covered in kindergarten include:
Science & Social Studies
We use hands-on activities for science and social studies so that students may experience firsthand the topic they are learning about. We also use Scholastic News weekly readers. Some topics covered include:
Project Based Learning
PBL is a student centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. During PBL students work on a project over an extended period of time, from a week up to a semester, that engages them in discussing and solving problems or complex questions.
In kindergarten we do 2 PBL units. One unit is about the Nativity and birth of Jesus that culminates with a Nativity Play, and the other unit is about recycling and it has a service project tied in.
The primary objective of our Kindergarten is to provide an accepting environment which is loving and nurturing, with the result being happy and secure children. Working in conjunction with our families, our goal is to help each child achieve according to his or her individual potential.
English/Language Arts
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs literacy program in Kindergarten teaches reading and writing in accordance with developmentally appropriate practices. Kindergarten is not a place to master skills but a place where a strong foundation is established for literacy. Children enter Kindergarten with a variety of experiences and varying degrees of readiness, which necessitates the inclusion of a variety of techniques in the teaching process.
- Phonemic awareness
- Letter recognition
- Blending and segmenting
- Concepts of print
- Identify beginning and ending sounds of words
- Sight word recognition
- Rhyming
- Reading comprehension
- Readers/Writers workshop
We also use the Orton Gillingham Phonics program and the Zaner-Bloser handwriting program
Math
In Kindergarten at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs we use the Eureka Math curriculum which applies a hands-on approach that builds conceptual knowledge from the concrete to abstract. Some examples of hands on math materials include:
- Unifix cubes
- Counters
- Geoboards
- Pattern blocks
- Counting numbers to 100
- Addition & subtraction
- 2D & 3D shapes
- Weight, length, & capacity comparison
- Number pairs
- Analyzing and creating shapes
Religion
Religion in Kindergarten is integrated within the curriculum. We model and practice our Catholic faith in everyday situations. We learn a love for God, a love of family and friends, and a respect for life in all its forms. In addition, we have daily prayers and we attend weekly school Mass escorted by the eighth graders.
We use the Allelu religion series at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. We foster a Faith based environment in the classroom everyday. Students participate in daily prayer and celebrate mass weekly to cultivate a faith based learning environment. Some topics covered in kindergarten include:
- God’s love for us
- Creation
- Jesus is our friend
- Prayer
- Church celebrations and holidays
- Leaders in the church
- What happens at Mass
- Kindness and helping others
- God forgives
Science & Social Studies
We use hands-on activities for science and social studies so that students may experience firsthand the topic they are learning about. We also use Scholastic News weekly readers. Some topics covered include:
- Classroom rules
- Holidays and culture
- 5 senses
- Plants and animals
- Seasons & weather
- Force & motion
- Friendships
- Community helpers
- Maps
Project Based Learning
PBL is a student centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. During PBL students work on a project over an extended period of time, from a week up to a semester, that engages them in discussing and solving problems or complex questions.
In kindergarten we do 2 PBL units. One unit is about the Nativity and birth of Jesus that culminates with a Nativity Play, and the other unit is about recycling and it has a service project tied in.