Highwood playschool: our program
Through careful observation and planning, the teacher tries to provide each child with the environment, materials and activities that will best promote his/her over-all development (cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional). The teacher records her observations of each child’s interests, abilities, and next steps of development, and then designs the programming accordingly.
Our Three Year Old Program is designed to be a gentle introduction to the school environment, emphasizing cooperation and group social skills. Learning-through-play occurs naturally while the children are led through age-appropriate and engaging learning themes (ie: Caring for Pets, Night-time, or Community Helpers). The Three Year Old Program helps to lay a foundation of basic school and social skills such as using words to express their feelings, asking for help when needed, taking turns and listening carefully. More importantly, the caring, safe classroom environment allows children to explore and discover confidently, and encourages them to follow their curiosity and satisfy their interest in the various materials and activities offered. Above all, they are shown that learning at school is FUN (a view which will serve them well now and throughout their learning careers)!
With the social and school-wise competency gained in the Three Year Old year, children are well-prepared for the more complex learning in the child-directed style of the Four Year Old class. Over the past year, we have observed amazing outcomes by using the "Project Approach" with our older, 4 & 5 year old children.
The "Project Approach"
Because learning happens most effectively within enjoyable and curiosity-driven experiences, the teacher uses the children’s current interests to create projects that evolve to last anywhere from a few hours to a number of weeks. The stages of each project are: initiation and planning, research and exploration, documentation, and celebration.
Example: In the case of a project on dinosaurs the teacher would first have noted that there was a general interest in the topic amongst the children of a particular class. Then the teacher and children document what the children know about dinosaurs already, and what questions they have about them. The teacher then plans and provides a wide variety of activities and materials that answer the children’s curiosity about dinosaurs, and that also address the different developmental needs of the children. Early concepts of math, science, and literature are included in every project, as well as activities that promote physical and social development. Together the children and teacher would document their learning about dinosaurs, through art, storytelling, photographs, sculpture, etc. The project usually concludes with a celebration of the learning, such as a dinosaur party or a gallery-display for the parents.
Possible projects might be the typical: insects, pets, transportation, doctors and hospitals, etc; or they may range to the unusual: building a house, robots, plumbing, or babies. It all depends on what excites the children’s interest, and what experiences they are having in their own lives. The subject is often a surprise to both parents and teachers! Though learning about certain topics, like dinosaurs, is beneficial, the greater gains are made in social, cognitive, and physical development, as the children eagerly participate in the wide variety of project activities. This educational approach is also known as “emergent curriculum” because themes are not planned ahead by the teacher, but rather emerge out of the interests and personalities of the children themselves.