School Readiness
We believe that children are curious, competent individuals.
Our unique school readiness program, created by our educational leader is continuously carried out throughout the day. Especially in the before lunch pre-schoolers group time, where children are provided opportunities to interact, revisit and further their understandings of the letter of the week. Educators will ask children to write the letter of the week on a drawn template and draw a picture in the story to illustrate their understanding of this intentional teaching.
All children are encouraged to identify, recognise and begin to write their name
We encourage children to be co-constructors of their own learning, to be autonomous and independent. We aim to enhance each child’s individual potential, ensuring they are challenged and inspired to achieve. Each week we focus on key learning areas to maximise social and cognitive growth, language, and physical development.
We maintain a holistic overall development approach, are responsive to children’s voices, whilst they learn and navigate through play. We consistently reflect and review our curriculum and practices to ensure they reflect our philosophy.
School readiness skills
Public Speaking
Instead of having a set schedule where the children are to have news, and feel pressured to think of something to talk about, we encourage the children to speak when they feel ready, when they have something new happening in their life, a new sibling, a holiday etc. If they want to tell the children, we encourage them to use this opportunity and build their public speaking skills within the classroom. When they are ready and have news to share there is no pressure of thinking up something just to talk about, they genuinely want to share their story with the children.
Self-Help Skills
Throughout the day we have a general routine where the children are encouraged to do most things for themselves, again getting them ready for primary school. They are encouraged to put all of their belongings back into their bag so they do not lose their things, and do up the zipper, they put on their own hat and sun cream, after lunch and at relaxation time they are encouraged the put on their own shoes and socks. We sit with the children one on one and show them how to do this correctly. The children wash their own hands, get their own lunchboxes and are encouraged to open their own lunchbox lids and yoghurts etc. When toileting we also encourage the children to take themselves and wipe on their own, we are often there for guidance or advice. The children also learn a lot from their peers, and look up to the older Sapphires.
Pre Literacy & Pre Maths Skills
When the children are in Kindergarten, they will begin to learn handwriting, recognising and writing words and numbers as well as simple spelling. We have the children learn skills to be able to pick this up quickly. We understand that some children are really keen to write, they want to write their name, their friends names etc. Then there are some children who may not be interested at all. We don’t at all force these children to write, instead we watch them closely and pick up on their interests and apply this to the writing table, to encourage them to want to participate. For example; in 2016 there were some boys who were starting school in 2017 and were not at all interested in language and practising their writing skills. However they were often outside playing ‘Avengers or superheroes’ We took this information and applied it to the pre-literacy area and set it up with Avengers, photos, colouring in pictures and the names of the Avengers. The boys were drawn to this are and were so keen to colour in the pictures, draw the superheroes and write their names out, this then sparked interest for the boys to write out more words and even short sentences together. When the children are wanting to write, we sit with them and show them how to hold their pencil correctly, if we help them now we can create good habits, as opposed to breaking bad habits when they are older and in school.
As stated in our philosophy ‘We recognise the family as the child’s first teachers and most important influence in the learning and development of young children’ we ask you to please work in conjunction with us, and help guide your children in similar ways to prepare them for school. They may attend Kid’n Around 2-3 days a week, but this means that they are at home 4-5 days a week, with huge potential to learn and grow every day. We also really strive to ‘Work in partnership with families, this ensures continuity and progression in your Childs learning.’
Having children prepared for primary school is paramount; prepared to learn, prepared to listen and prepared to grow. We want them to go off with the skills to battle Kindergarten and believe they can do it by feeling prepared and empowered by planting the seed for life -long learning whilst they are with us. By playing and exploring during the pre-school years, their little brains are like a sponge and ready to learn and discover new and exciting things. We believe in having a child in pre-school is just that ‘PRE-SCHOOL’. We expose children to elements within the kindergarten curriculum. Our qualified educators implement an early years curriculum designed to prepare children for early school years.
‘We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget he is someone today.’ – Stacia Tauscher
Prepared by Amy (Early Childhood Teacher)
For further information, and some reading; please click on the following links: