Early Childhood

Welcome to the
Early Childhood Program

Our Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes are an integral part of the St. Richard's experience and provide an optimal foundation for learning and future educational success. Classes at St. Richard's School are specifically designed to encourage age-appropriate, hands-on learning activities. Teachers consistently emphasize the importance of allowing children to develop at their natural pace, all the while providing a stimulating and encouraging environment for students to stretch their minds and grow into life-long learners.
All Early Childhood classes offer language arts/literacy, mathematics, art, French, fine and gross motor skills, faith development, physical education and social and emotional development. Starting with our youngest learners, a portfolio system allows parents and teachers an appreciation of growth and progress throughout the Early Childhood years, thus resulting in a collection of student work for safe-keeping.

Pre-Kindergarten

Children who are age three by June 1 will be considered for entry into this full-day program Art, storybook reading, nursery rhymes, social skills, finger games, role-playing, prayer and much more play a part in the rich tapestry of learning offered in an accepting and loving atmosphere. Gross motor skills, language skills, color recognition, counting, and other forms of development blossom playfully every day. Students participate in chapel time and emphasize God's love, friendship, thankfulness, and values. Children also enjoy learning French and attending music and physical education classes.

Junior Kindergarten

This all-day program is designed for children who are age four by June 1. Junior Kindergarten emphasizes kindergarten readiness skills and creative and unstructured play in a language-rich, developmentally appropriate learning environment.  Students participate in center-based activities, including blocks, art, housekeeping, puzzles and games, books and science and math-oriented activities. The Open Court Reading Series is introduced, as well as Handwriting Without Tears. Children also enjoy learning French and attending music and physical education classes. Junior Kindergarten students,  along with parents on a volunteer basis, also participate in the Motor Moms and Dads Program. This program uses motor skills to develop the ability of both sides of the brain to work together, resulting in the development of the skills needed to learn to identify letters, write and copy words with ease, and eventually read. Students also spend approximately thirty percent of their time each day on gross motor activities.
Science is another component of the curriculum in JK. Students participate in science experiments and enjoy naturalists from Indy Parks who visit their classroom on a regular basis.

Kindergarten                                            

For children who are age five by June 1, Kindergarten is an all-day program with an emphasis on academics and play with consideration given for developmental differences. Kindergarten expands the student's awareness and knowledge of the world in which he or she lives and develops specific language, mathematical, reading, and critical thinking skills. Children also enjoy learning French and attending music and physical education classes. One of the highlights of the curriculum is an Around the World trip, including an  exploration of each of the continents. This unit mimics real-world traveling experiences with a plane ride, passport, suitcase, etc. Children also enjoy "Simple Science," an opportunity to participate in mini-science experiments, and often use journal writing on a variety of topics. Students continue using the Open Court Reading Series and focus on phonemic awareness, reading strategies, and vocabulary building. Our kindergarten program provides a strong foundation for reading proficiency.