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Curriculum
During your child’s time at Small
World our learning programme is guided by Te Whāriki, the
New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, which teachers use to
think about the whole child and the many different areas of learning available
to children.
While meeting children’s emotional
needs in a warm and caring manner we will also think about physical skills,
their ability to solve problems and create new ideas, express themselves, use
language, and work in a social environment. To become a first-rate learner,
children must develop important attitudes about him or herself as a learner.
These attitudes are known as learning dispositions.
We notice the way children go
about their learning. For example, how they try when they find something hard to
do; how they respond when they come across something they don’t know about, or
how they join in with things that are happening. When we become aware of the way
a child approaches different learning situations, we will think about ways to
encourage and extend the development of positive learning dispositions.
Some of
the most important learning behaviours we will look for
are:
Taking an interest in
something
Becoming involved with an activity of their choice
Persisting with tasks that are difficult
Communicating, and expressing their point of
view
Taking
responsibility
When
children show these learning behaviours they are developing the dispositions
of:
Courage and
curiosity
Trust and
Playfulness
Perserverance
Confidence
Responsibility
Information from our observations of
children is used to plan learning experiences across the
curriculum, including literacy, numeracy and other academic
learning areas.
Social
skills
Research that shows that if a child has
effective, positive social skills, he or she will settle well into school and
progress well. The ability to communicate with other children and with adults,
make friends, ask meaningful questions and offer relevant contributions give a
child the best start to formal
education.
Teachers at Small World support
children’s social skills by providing them with opportunities to learn the
skills and strategies to negotiate, take turns, engage in discussions and
problem-solving situations. Children are encouraged to take leadership roles,
express their ideas, and take responsibility for their decisions and choices.
They are also encouraged to contribute to the social environment by observing
the rules and boundaries of the group, and caring for other people and the
environment.
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