If you’re not sure how to answer that question, perhaps an interview with SJE Preschool Teacher, Pat Herron, will make it clear.

If you think Pat Herron’s and Olivia Steback’s preschool classroom seems a bit too fun with all those puzzles, paints, dolls and blocks, you are exactly right. It is fun! But, whether your child goes to SJE preschool five days a week or only two to three times a week, they will be doing a lot more than just playing. Studies have shown that preschool helps to cultivate valuable skills such as patience, cooperation and independence. And the goal of any preschool should be to help a child feel good about him/herself in a comfortable, safe setting. At SJE, Pat Herron and Olivia Steback deliver that and much more.

Play is the Preschool’s Curriculum
Many educational experts agree that at this early age, academics should not be the focus of a child’s school experience. All the activities that our preschoolers enjoy work towards building cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills that they will rely on throughout their educational careers. Tapping into kids’ fertile imaginations also helps them to learn and process information. Through play, children can try out new skills and hone their language in a non-threatening way.

If Pat Herron is passionate about one thing it’s that “Young children learn best through play; this is their work! While they are playing, they are learning so many things such as how to get along with their peers, how to work in a group, how to listen to other children’s ideas, how to take turns, how to respect the feelings of others, and how to try again if something doesn’t work out the way they like.”

Mrs. Herron and Ms. Steback’s Pre-K program for three-year olds focuses on social skills and emotional readiness while incorporating pre-academics such as patterning, shape recognition, colors and numbers in a hands-on fashion. Working with manipulatives such as puzzles, sorting buttons or stringing beads helps develop hand-eye coordination and early math skills as well.

In the Junior Kindergarten, the children are encouraged to become more independent and self-sufficient so that they can start to solve their own problems. Language development is emphasized in a longer daily circle time, through class stories, talking and answering questions and following step-by step directions.

“For the four-year olds we emphasize letter sounds through songs, games and projects, and we also encourage cutting skills in a variety of projects," says Mrs. Herron. “We examine a unit (eg. dinosaurs) more thoroughly through science experiments, math projects, and story telling.”

How is St. John’s Different? Thoughts from Pat Herron An Open House visitor once asked me why I teach at St. John’s and not in the public school system. I had never been asked that question before! I replied that teaching in a Catholic community is very important to me. Our school forms a faith community, part of our larger parish community. Our faculty, led by Monsignor Knestout and Sister Kathleen, believe that each student is a child of God. We respect each child’s unique gifts, and ask that our students respect each other as well. Ms. Steback and I see our preschool classes as small communities, part of a larger Catholic community of school and families working together. We talk about Jesus who so loves us that He wants each of us to love one another. When we share a toy, comfort a friend, listen to our friends in circle time, bake for S.O.M.E., respect our parents and teachers, we are showing love for God in real way. Ms. Steback and I praise our children for making good choices and emphasize that when they do, they are showing their love for God.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T and the Importance of Social Skills
We can probably all agree that developing strong social skills early on can help us go a long way in life. By consistently demonstrating the link between respect and behavior, our children will start to think, that’s how I want to be treated. But emphasizing respect for our friends and ourselves is one thing. Modeling Christian behavior in everyday life is quite another.

As Pat points out, “Often young children don’t know how to talk to or listen to their peers, so we model these skills for them and encourage their use on a daily basis. Just as we model talking and listening skills, we also model the behavior of a good friend and give children the words to use to ask them for a turn or to share a toy for a few minutes.”

For example, if your child grabs a playmate’s toy tell him that it’s not okay to take another friend’s toy without asking. Next, empathize. Help him to see the other person’s point of view by asking him, “How do you think Joey felt when you took his toy?” And finally, help the child to make things right. “Please give Joey the toy and tell him you’re sorry.”

Since sharing and cooperating doesn’t exactly come naturally to many young children, most preschoolers start to realize pretty quickly that it has its benefits when they are heaped with praise and hugs from Mrs. Herron or Ms. Steback for doing the right thing.

In addition, what sets St. John’s preschool program apart from many other programs in the area is the early introduction of the Catholic faith and Christian values. The children learn through Bible stories and service learning projects, such as collecting food for local shelters at Thanksgiving and gifts to families in need at Christmas.

“We really work on the development of social skills and how to respect others in our preschool program,” says Pat. “We move within many groups in our lives and it’s important for young children to begin to learn how to navigate within these groups. And in the long run, if a child can master the academics but doesn’t know how to be a friend or acquire friends, how to work within the group and how to speak up and ask for help, then a child doesn’t really feel successful.”

Going to preschool certainly is an adventure for our children – new friends, new experiences and new kinds of fun. But rest assured that when they’re at SJE Preschool, they are in the good and gentle hands of Pat Herron and Olivia Steback. Not only will they enjoy themselves but they will also begin to practice valuable skills that will prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond.