ACADEMICS
PRIMARY EDUCATION - Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade
Our primary goal of the Primary School Program is to provide opportunities where a love for learning begins by developing the foundation skills for reading, writing, and mathematics. In our primary grades an emphasis places children on the path to a life-long love of learning. Our curriculum encourages curiosity, stimulates thinking and helps to instill in each child a sense of self-confidence.
At the primary grade levels learning how to read is the most important part of the school day. Our reading program includes a multi-sensory approach focusing on the five dimensions of reading: phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency. We strongly believe that reading success is the gatekeeper to all other core academic learning.
Open Court Reading series is the basal core reading program utilized.
Accelerated Reader by Renaissance Place is a program to encourage students’ independent reading. For a minimum of twenty minutes each day, all students should read or have someone read to them.
Another large learning block of time is allocated to mathematics. The math program distributes instruction, practice, and assessment of related concepts throughout the year providing consistent review, practice, and assessment.
Eureka Mathematics is the K-5 core math program utilized.
We know that children at this age learn best by doing, which is why our curriculum is organized around hands-on activities. Children explore topics in an interdisciplinary manner – for example the story in the reading book might be linked to science and an art project or the reading summary might be in the form of a diorama. They build Spanish vocabulary through games and role-playing. They write daily.
Our goal is for all students to leave the primary grade levels with confidence in their abilities, a sense of joy and responsibility for their learning. This is a result of each child having a sense of security knowing that all adults in their life –parents, teachers, and the staff at St. John Neumann Catholic School, are working together to help each child grow to be their best.