Curriculum
In both Montessori and Reggio, the environment is the third teacher. The set up is important in allowing children to freely explore. Teachers intentionally organize and plan various spaces for children. The daily schedules are planned to ensure that there is a balance between individual, small and large group activities, child directed and teacher initiated activities and inside as well as outside experiences.
MONTESSORI INSPIRED
A Montessori inspired program equips children with the activities that will help develop skills necessary to be independent learners. It is designed to take advantage of the sensitive period for learning when children can absorb information easily from an enriched environment. Our goal is to spark a curiosity, love for knowledge and a strong desire to learn. Our Montessori environment serves the particular needs of the child’s stage of development. The educators understand developmental needs and “schemas” that a child circulates through in order to act as a guide to help your child find his natural path of development. A schema is something a child goes through naturally and are repeated patterns of behaviour and urges that children go through in order to learn and explore their environment. They repeat this behaviour to master and understand it.
Tactile and concrete learning:
Toddlers and preschoolers have a natural urge to want to help and model what their caregivers are doing and it also teaches them that they are an important part of the family and community. We will introduce your child to practical life activities such as, setting the table, cleaning up after a meal, sweeping, cleaning windows, watering plants, flower arrangements, just to name a few.
Montessori materials and toys are beautifully prepared and attractive which draws the child to make the discoveries themselves. We will be using Montessori toys and learning resources that will aid in your child’s mental development as well as fine motor skills.
Numeracy skills will be learned by using such tactile objects through manipulating and grouping objects which build the foundation for math skills (problem solving, sorting, patterns and relationships, subtizing, graphing).
Unfortunately due to COVID, there will be a limited materials available due to the toys being wooden and harder to disinfect. But to ensure your child receives the benefits of tactile learning, each child will be provided with their own individual bin of materials that won’t be shared with other children.
REGGIO INSPIRED
A Reggio inspired program follows an emergent curriculum. We will have set topics that will be covered throughout the year, but these topics will be designed to engage your child based on their individual interests. First, we objectively OBSERVE and listen to your child (this happens on an ongoing basis). After observing your child in action, the teachers compare, discuss, and INTERPRET their observations. Teachers then PLAN activities and projects based on their observations that will aid in the development of your child academically, socially and emotional . This information will be shared with parents so they are aware of the developmental needs of their child. Then we DOCUMENT your child’s learning through pictures and what they have verbally shared about their learning and post it on the HiMama app for parents to enjoy!
Learning is seen not as a linear process but one that is continual as the child’s interests change.
Monthly themes
The monthly themes are guides to specific topics/activities that we will cover but are not limited to the themes listed. The activities focus on developing language and numeracy skills as well as fine and gross motor skills through sensorial, literacy and numeracy based activities.
Click here for a more detailed curriculum and monthly themes!