Holy Family Kindergarten Students Learn It's Never Too Early to Develop Life-Long Skills

Analyze a task, research questions, produce and present a report. Sounds like an assignment for many entry level corporate employees, but it is actually an assignment for kindergarten students at Holy Family Catholic Academy in Inverness. Beginning in kindergarten, students are introduced to Inquiry-based learning. This 21st century “best practices” method of teaching is student centered, hands-on and engaging even to our youngest students. “This type of instruction extends beyond the basics and teaches our students critical thinking, research and problem solving skills,” states Mrs. Ellen Applegate, Holy Family kindergarten teacher.

The impact of Inquiry based learning can be seen in a recent kindergarten science unit about farms. After reading books and exploring computer software, the kindergarten students were tasked with developing a farm alphabet book to share with preschool students. Guided by the new Common Core Standards (2010) in education, the students eagerly used a combination of drawing and writing to compose an informative narrative about the farm. Expanding the assignment and encouraging students to develop public speaking and leadership skills, the kindergarten students then individually read and presented their work to Holy Family's Pre-Kindergarten classes. All of the alphabet pages were then compiled into an alphabet book and left for the preschoolers to read and learn about farms. The Pre-Kindergarten teachers report that the preschoolers have been reading and rereading the Farm Alphabet Book.

Many adults can clearly recall the “butterflies” and sweaty palms they experienced when first called upon to speak publicly. As with most literacy skills, research supports that children master language and speaking skills better than adults. These kindergarten students are beginning to develop this competence in a fun environment that will clearly benefit them throughout their lives. “The students were so proud of their work and felt such a level of accomplishment to be able to teach their preschool friends,” said Mrs. Cheryl Russo, kindergarten teacher.

While much of the 21st century curriculum at Holy Family Academy focuses on integrating technology with academic content, it is equally important that students continue to hone their interpersonal skills. While no one can predict the careers these young people will be pursuing as adults, it is certain that they will be required to collaborate, cooperate and problem solve with peers, and these skills are also built into Holy Family's Inquiry learning model. Likewise, the ability and self-assurance to speak knowledgeably about a topic, maintain eye contact and read non-verbal social cues are life skills that will serve these students well in their future academic and work endeavors. Clearly, when it comes to working with peers and developing confidence in public speaking, Holy Family Academy believes “the younger the better.”