EARLY YEARS

 

Super Tykes Playschool

 

As children grow into early childhood, their world will begin to open up. They will become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outside of the family.  They will want to explore and ask about the surroundings even more.

 

Their interactions with family and those around them will help to shape their personality and individual ways of thinking and moving...

 

The early years of a child's life are crucial for cognitive, social and emotional development.  Therefore, for us at Westmead I.S it is important that we take every step necessary to ensure that children grow up in environments where their social, emotional and educational needs are met.  These are the reason behind the conceptualization of our Super Tykes Playschool Program.

 

The children in our Super Tykes are aged between 2.5 – 3 years olds.  This is a program created for toddlers prior to pre-school which offers socialization activities that satisfy ''curiosity'' and helps develop fine and gross motor skills in a ''fun'' caring atmosphere. This program encourages listening and following directions. It also provides readiness skills implemented through age-appropriate activities including color/shape recognition, counting, songs, and movement.

 

Additionally, our teaching team plans activities and experiences to support the children’s play and learning. A familiar theme for the children maybe selected each week, around which activities are planned.

 

NURSERY RECEPTION & FOUNDATION STAGE

 

     

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The Nursery Reception and Foundation Stage children are aged between 3 – 5 years old. 

 

Our program for these stages is a fast moving introduction to the fascinating world of investigating, discovering, and learning -- an introduction to the many facets of communicating through words and actions, songs, rhythms, play, and art. Children develop fine and gross motor skills, visual perception, and social skills. Reading readiness is a goal, where phonics is introduced through games and hands-on experiences. Our curriculum also includes special areas of study such as physical education, music, science, art, computer and library.

 

 

Free play is an important part of the curriculum. Though our program for kindergarten is very academically oriented, the class atmosphere is relaxed and void of pressure. Children begin personalized instruction in phonics and progress into leveled readers. While the primary emphasis is in the areas of language arts and math, science and social studies are included in the kindergarten curriculum, along with art, physical education, music, computer and library classes.

 

We used several research-based curriculum models and combined its best elements to fit the need of our students in these two stages.  Some of these are:

 

A.        Creative Curriculum             

 

A.        Focuses on ten interest areas or activities in the program environment: blocks, house corner, table toys, art, sand and water, library corner, music and movement, and the outdoors.
B.        Helps teachers understand how to work with children at different developmental levels to promote learning.
C.        Guides teachers in adapting the environment to make it more challenging

 

 

B.        Montessori                

 

A.                 Based on the idea that children teach themselves through their own experiences.
B.        Provides a carefully prepared and ordered environment.
C.        Included in this environment are didactic and sequenced material geared toward promoting children’s education in four

 

areas: development of the senses, conceptual or  academic development, competence in practical life activities, and character development.

 

C.        Theme-Based Model                       

 

A.        A theme is an idea or topic that a teacher and children can explore in many different ways.
B.        The theme is often based on the learners’ culture,

 

environment or shared experiences.
C.        Themes should arise from the kinds of events that take place in the classroom on a daily basis.
D.        Teachers can integrate literacy, social studies, math, music and art.

 

 

The curriculums that we follow in the Early Years give emphasis on the areas of learning that are divided into six (6):

 

 

·      Personal, social and emotional development

 

  Encouraging confidence and independence, and to show

 

  appropriate respect for themselves, others and the

 

  environment

 

·      Communication language and literacy
Developing good oral communication and listening skills, the importance of books, print awareness and some basic aspects of writing development.  The Jolly Phonics Scheme is extensively used for both reading and writing development

 

·       Knowledge and skills in mathematics 
Providing many practical activities in sorting, data collecting, measuring, time, space, shape and number

 

·      Knowledge and understanding of the world around them
Exploring, observing and investigating the natural world around them, finding out about their families and past and present events in their lives.

 

·      Physical development
Helping children to move with increased confidence and control, through developing and practicing their gross and fine motor skills 

 

·      Creative development
Using a variety of materials, tools and instruments to improve their creative, aesthetic and musical appreciation

 

Teachers play a very important role in making learning fun and interesting for children in these stages to fulfill the early learning goals.  They plan activities to excite and stimulate the children’s learning and enjoyment at school. The children are immersed in all areas of the curriculum through structured play and focused individual, group and whole class sessions.