During the course of the Saint Jude School K3 preschool program the following skills will be fostered:

Personal & Emotional Development
 Your child:

• develops a sense of personal space
• expresses interests and self-direction in learning
• begins to show self-control by following school and classroom rules
• begins to be responsible for individual behavior
• enjoys school
• willingly tries to solve problems
• seeks adult help when needed
• accepts changes when explained by an adult
• handles situations in an age- appropriate manner

Social Development
 Your child:

• begins to share, takes turns, participates and cooperates with others in group activities
• respects other people's space and personal belongings
• begins to develop friendships with others
• begins to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas through language as well  as through gestures and actions.

Physical Movement
 Your child:

• explores moving in personal and general space
• becomes more able to move from one space to another in different ways (running, jumping, hopping, skipping)
• begins to move in rhythm
• begins to participate in group games involving movement (Duck, Duck, Goose)
• begins to realize spatial concepts 
• recognizes concepts of speed

Gross-Motor Development
Your child:

• begins to throw or kick an object in a particular direction
• begins to play catch with a bean bag or a large ball
• bounces a large ball and catches it
• begins to coordinate arms and legs (hopping, skipping, swinging, stretching

Gross-Motor Development, continued
Your child:

• begins to develop fine motor control in picking up objects (weaving, touching small objects)
• begins to practice self-help skills (zipping, buttoning)
• begins to hold writing tools with fingers instead of with a fist
• begins to manipulate play objects that have fine parts
• begins to use scissors

Fine Arts
Your child:

• uses a variety of materials (crayons, paint, clay, markers) to create original work
• begins to use art as a form of self-expression
• participates in classroom music activities
• begins to sing a variety of simple songs
• begins to play classroom instruments
• begins to understand rhythms and patterns
• begins to respond to music of various tempos through movement

Health and Safety
Your child:

• follows safety rules
• independently washes hands when needed
• develops independent dressing skills 
• independently takes care of bathroom needs

Language Development & Listening Skills
Your child:

• listens with increasing attention
• understands and follows simple oral directions
• enjoys listening to and responding to books
• listens to and engages in several exchanges of conversation with others
• listens to music, and shows understanding through gestures, actions, and/or language
• uses language for a variety of purposes (expressing needs and interests)
• uses sentences of increasing length and grammatical complexity in everyday speech
• asks questions and makes comments related to the current topic of discussion