Mainstream Preschool Programmes
Curriculum
Language Arts
Language Arts is taught throughout the curriculum. Elements include shared reading, which teaches reading skills
and concepts, literature enjoyment from a variety of authors, writing, speaking, listening and independent
reading.Teachers will use a variety of assessments such as observation, checklists, trial books and the use of
specialists (when warranted), to determine the reading readiness of each child. Books may also be sent home for
further enjoyment.
Typical Spelling/Writing Stages
Writing and spelling is a journey of exploration for children. They start with drawings, scribbling and word-like
writing and progress to "mock writing" (use of upper case letters), As they progress, children begin to make
letter/sound relationships and usually select the letters which represent the sounds that they hear. Children
make comprehensive use of letter/sound relationships and correct spelling of the words they know. Children have
opportunities to write at their level on a daily basis.
Zoo-phonics is the program of choice in St Gerard's for building reading and spelling skills at Nursery and
Kindergarten levels. Zoo-phonics has been proven to help children become good readers and spellers through
hearing (phono), speaking, (oral), seeing (visual), doing (kinesthetic) and touching (tactile). The program is
supported with a wide variety of resource materials like flash cards, computer programs, songs. Children find
Zoo-phonics fun because of the use of animal characters and body signals to identify sounds of letters. By the
time the children at St Gerard's School reach the end of K2, they will have been fully prepared for entrance
into the Singapore school system at Primary 1.
Mother Tongue
St Gerard's offers both Chinese and Japanese as mother tongue languages. Under our Chinese Language programme,
the children will begin recognising Chinese characters from Nursery and will then progress to learning the
strokes of Chinese characters in Kindergarten 1. In Kindergarten 2, the children will learn Hanyu Pinyin, which
constitutes the first chapter of the Primary 1 syllabus.
Mathematics and Numeracy Skills
All children attending St Gerard's School will receive a solid foundation in maths and numeracy skills. In the
very early years, the children use oral methods to master the concept of numbers and simple counting. Maths is
taught first and foremost through hands-on activities so that the practical application of concepts is
thoroughly understood. In addition, a strong problem-solving approach is adopted throughout the maths curriculum
so that the children pick up critical and creative thinking processes from a young age. This domain includes
patterns and relationships, number concepts and operations, geometry and spatial relations, measurement,
probability, and statistics. Mathematical thinking is an integral part of so much of Kindergarten play--blocks,
computer games, sand and water table, quiet choices, and small group discussion. At this level exploration is a
major learning mode. We also do some formal introduction of pattern blocks, math blocks, patterning, sorting
(bears, buttons, shells, etc.), body rhythms, multiple building materials (legos, discs, connectors, pipeworks,
workbench), and card and board games.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
This aspect of our curriculum includes science and nature studies, as well as history, geography and social
studies. Scientific thinking at all levels encourage students to observe, investigate, question, predict,
explain, and form conclusions. Nature and awareness of the environment encourages the children to better
appreciate the physical world that we live in. Nature and science exploration include growing plants, observing
insects, walking in the park and nature trails. Science experimentation will be incorporated to explain concepts
as part of the thematic learning. Regular field trips, designed around the themes for the month, will supplement
children's understanding of the world.
Creative Development
Creativity must be nurtured from a young age if it is to truly flourish. Firm in this belief, St Gerard's School
encourages even the youngest children to develop their natural creative flair through an exciting variety of art and
craft activities, music and movement, cookery and creative and dramatic play. Children explore a wide variety of
materials and techniques through these creative activities, which have been designed to stimulate their imagination.
As the children are at the early stages of developing their fine and gross motor skills, the focus is more on the
process rather than on the finished product. Each day, children will be encouraged to express themselves as they play,
sing, dance, draw, role-play, write, build with blocks and wood, and work on self-directed projects. Problem solving
activities are presented to encourage creative thought processes. A variety of tools, materials, processes and
techniques are used at St Gerard's School to involve children in explorations of line, shape, color and texture.
Children's work is displayed around the classroom and samples may be included in our parent newsletter.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Developing the whole child is a vital part of any early childhood program. At St Gerard's, we aim to develop
children's sense of self-worth and self-confidence by laying the foundations for good social and moral behaviour.
One of our goals is to develop in the child, a comfort level that demonstrates self-confidence, initiative,
self-direction, and self-control in a variety of activities and responsibilities within the classroom.
Transitions, use of materials, clean-up, circle, sharing routines, and self-help skills all allow the child
to practice and progress in these areas.
Another goal is to determine a particular child's approach to learning and to capitalize on his/her strengths.
This allows us to offer opportunities for him/her to take risks with new work areas to acquire flexible attitudes,
to experiment with new ideas, and to stretch imaginative and creative possibilities within that work area. The
last goal in this domain, and certainly the most challenging one for the children, is interaction with other
children and adults, and conflict resolution within those interactions. Throughout the school day, children
have opportunities to cooperatively play with many different combinations of children in a wide variety of
mixed-age groups. They participate in group circles, learning to listen, share, and follow group rules; play
quiet choice games in small groups.
Physical Development
The physical domain is critical to the development of young children. At the pre-school level, we focus on the
further development of gross and the fine motor development as well as coordination, balance, body control and
self-help skills. We have outdoor play time every day, which allows children to move and grow freely in their
skill development. We further enhance and developed their experiences through a systematic movement program
which use a variety of objects. Group activities that integrate coordinated body movements such as skipping,
galloping, hopping, tiptoeing, walking forward and backward, jumping rope, animal movements, ball handling
games, and tag variations are presented regularly. Fine motor activities are also a very important part of
the preschool curriculum and is constantly emphasized through writing, art, etc. Sometimes we have specific
assignments that require cutting, pasting, taping, stapling, molding, painting and building with small and large
objects. Puzzles, board and card games, fantasy dress up, color mixing, puppet making, all offer many fine motor
challenges to the children as well.