St. Dominic Elementary School

The full-day kindergarten at Saint Dominic Elementary School follows a modified Montessori program. Academic subjects are taught in the morning, leaving time in the afternoon for students to learn in a more free-form environment where they can do art projects, play music or learn to use the computer. Religious instruction is incorporated throughout the school day. Outside of the classroom, students spend time in the gym and library each week.

Academically, students start reading and using math as early as possible, which is accomplished through Reading Readiness and Math Readiness Programs. The Reading Readiness Program focuses on teaching students letters and sounds through phonics exercises, which allows them to sound out words and be able to put simple sentences together. The Math Readiness Program lays the groundwork for the mathematics curriculum that students will be following from 1st through 8th grade. Students learn how to write numer­als, look for number patterns, sort objects into groups and perform simple addition. Once students have completed the Reading and Math Readiness Programs, they are well prepared to take on the challenges of first grade.