By Lisa Gilbert, Principal, St. Peter Academy
The Kindergarten 1 students at St. Peter Academy sat in a circle on the floor while their teacher discussed the letter ‘C’ with them. “Listen to the sound that the letter ‘C’ makes.” said Ms. Cao, whose name coincidentally starts with the letter ‘C’. Then, she opened her mouth and with an-ever-so-slight smile she pushed out the hard ‘C’ sound. Her eager students imitated her with delight. Soon, the air was filled with the sound of ‘C’, like a convention of crows cawing on tree branches. “What words begin with the letter, ‘C’? asked Ms. Cao. The students looked around their brightly colored classroom full of child-friendly objects. The walls are decorated with a lot of print, awaiting the day when the students can read it.
One by one, the children called out names of the objects and pictures around the room. Most of the time, students got it right; “cow,” “cactus,” “candle,” they said. Occasionally, a child would utter the name of something that began with ‘T’ or ‘D’- approximations, but not quite right (it’s a learning curve). As students declared their words, their teacher wrote them on the board, mindful of underlining the initial letter. If it seems basic, it is. However, basic is a good thing for four-year olds. In education speak, we call what Ms. Cao was teaching Phonemic Awareness. In layperson’s terms, phonemic awareness is the skill of hearing and identifying individual sounds, or phonemes, in the spoken word. Phonemic awareness is the precursor to reading. All learners need to understand that words are comprised of sounds of speech. Understanding sounds as the basic units of speech aids in reading comprehension and vocabulary development.
Young children learn best when all their senses are engaged. Following the lesson, students enjoyed centers where they played with foam letters and shaving cream. Swishing their hands in shaving cream is a fun, tactile activity and students don’t even realize that they are learning while playing. The importance of play intermingled with learning cannot be understated. At St. Peter Academy, teachers understand that young children learn best when they have happy, positive, and age-appropriate interactions with their peers and their teachers. To create a supportive learning environment, teachers establish a culture of caring and acceptance for all students. This helps students to be comfortable throughout the learning process, which often includes trial and error. Students at St. Peter Academy are secure in the knowledge that mistakes happen, and we can learn from our mistakes.
While the children were at the centers, I asked Ms. Cao if she was enjoying teaching this year. She burst into a wide grin. “Yes, she said enthusiastically, “I love my students!” As we were speaking, one little girl came up to us to show off her creation while stating the incorrect beginning sound. Ms. Cao gently redirected her to listen to the sound and think again. In this culture of caring acceptance, children can grow and thrive. Wouldn’t it be nice if the world outside the classroom was as tolerant of our mistakes? Perhaps we can all take away a lesson from a Kindergarten classroom.
St. Peter Academy is located at 371 W. Fourth St. in South Boston. We serve children from ages 15 months to sixth grade. Please join us for our OPEN HOUSE on November 6th, 9:00 am to 11:30 am. For Private Tours please contact the school office 617-268-0750 or spa@stpeteracademy.com Like us on Facebook and Instagram.
