“Monster Week” Teaches the Difference Between Real and Make-Believe

Halloween can be a very scary “holiday” for preschoolers, so teacher Mrs. Mariann Reilly at St. Joseph Parish School in Homewood, created a “Monster Week” for the students to learn the difference between real and make-believe and to emphasize that God does not make monsters. 

Preschoolers first read the picture book “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak and then created pictures of main character Max in the “Wild Things” jungle where he pretended to go after being sent to his room for being naughty.  Students then created and painted their own make-believe monsters on construction paper, with scary, cut-out facial features.

Mrs. Reilly also talked to the students about how some people may dress scary for Halloween, but that it’s all pretend. Students then shared what they were going to "dress up" as or "pretend" to be for Halloween.

St. Joseph Parish School offers a three-and four-year-old preschool program, with half-day and full-day, and three-day and five-day options. For more information, contact St. Joseph Parish School at 708-798-0467 or visit their website at http://www.sjshomewood.org.