Early Childhood

Pre-Kindergarten

St. Ambrose School offers Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 classes. The Pre-K program allows families to choose whether their students attend full-time or part-time. More information regarding the full-time and part-time program are located here. Students practice rhyming, identifying shapes, colors, counting, and recognizing numbers and letters. Pre-K begins a Phonics program learning to sound out words, recognize sight words, and identify the beginning and ending sounds of words. Fine motor skills are enhanced by writing letters and words, cutting and pasting, and playing with puzzles. Students also work in Math Centers, Block Centers, Kitchen Centers, Language Centers, and Dress-up Centers. The “Everyday Mathematics” and the reading program “Happily Ever After”, begin in Pre-K. Students start attending mass in the church once they are taught procedures and will be assigned a church buddy to help them during this time. Mass is played in their homeroom until they begin going to the church with the rest of the study body.

Their daily routine includes a morning snack break, 30 minutes of uninterrupted free play, and a 90-minute nap time. In addition to their core curricular classes, they also take the following classes:  Art, Computer, Spanish, Music, PE, and Library.

Kindergarten

St. Ambrose has two classes of full-day kindergarten, led by a full-time teacher and one teacher assistant shared by the two classes. Phonics is continued in kindergarten and students are introduced to double phonograms, learn to sound out words, read sight words, and write a complete sentence. Most students can read by the middle of kindergarten. Students receive a good understanding of numbers, and are introduced to addition and subtraction and many other concepts with the help of a Math series entitled “Everyday Mathematics”. This Math program has a very hands-on concept-oriented approach. The Reading program used is called “Superkids”. Religion is taught daily and the children attend Mass every Wednesday. Social skills are enhanced, especially through sharing and cooperation. All children have a snack/rest break.