A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener
Monday, November 5, 2018
At the beginning of school we often get a LOT of parents hanging around when they drop their children off, peering in the windows and hoping to watch what their children get up to. Some have even mentioned how much they would like to stay for the day. While we can’t entertain these notions, we do appreciate the sentiment - after all, it’s fun being in kindergarten! So we thought we would put together this little blog post for those parents who might be wondering, and give an insight into the lives of our kindergarteners, particularly our pre-nursery class (2-3 year olds).
Morning greeting and free play
When our children arrive with their parents, we give them a big welcome and let them ease into their day of learning with some free play. There are a variety of toys for children to choose from as well as the learning corners, which are comprised of monthly themed, subject provision for children to be independent in their learning journey. For example, one corner might be introducing mathematical concepts such as big and small. Dim sum containers allow children to sort large and small dim sum into the right basket. Another corner is the creative corner, with a variety of materials and paper for children to draw and stick items together in their own artistic collage. Not only are children playing, they are developing their physical, cognitive, social, problem-solving and linguistic skills in a way that engages and stimulates them. Free play is crucial for laying the foundation for children’s later academic development.
School song & morning fitness
We start our day with our school song and themed English, Mandarin and Cantonese musical movement songs to warm up our brains and bodies. More importantly, exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build gross motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. For children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills.
Circle Time
A short circle time of 10 minutes helps children to settle and is a chance for teachers to go over the rules and routines of class. Usually songs about the weather and days of the week are sung to help reinforce language related to these concepts. Teachers also introduce use circle time to introduce the themed adult led activities of the day.
Adult-led activities
These activities are based on the school’s curriculum and allow the teachers the opportunity to work with children in small groups, giving them the chance to observe children up close, assess their abilities and gauge how the child can be challenged or supported to further their learning. When children are not doing small group activities, they are free to play or go to a learning corner.
Music & Movement
Children have daily music and movement classes which alternate between the language teachers. Songs are picked according to the month’s theme and children are introduced to various elements of musical education, from body percussion, learning the beat, actions and lyrics, to accompanying the song with different instruments or learning to dance and walk in special ways. All of these help your two-year old to not only develop their sense of rhythm and music, but learn how to work together as a group, develop mathematical concepts and language abilities. Children love to dance and sing, and it’s an important developmental milestone when your children can do this to music.
Extended Free Play and P.E.
Twice a week, children have physical education to help their emerging gross and fine motor control. Over the course of the year, teachers will begin with basic movements such as walking, running, jumping and climbing before moving on to more difficult movements such as hopping, skipping, galloping. Children will also learn how to balance, throw and catch, building their muscles in a fun and interactive way. Every day children practice these movements through extended free play (of 20-25 minutes), where they can choose from a variety of fun and creative toys to develop their creativity and imagination. We have a ball pit, indoor sensory slide, dress up trunk, tent, small-world role plays, climbing walls, musical instruments and cars for children to use. Teachers make use of this time to observe their children and assess them formatively. It’s at times like these we can see what interests individual children so that we can plan our adult-led activities according to their interests and preferences.
Toilet and snack time
When children have finished playing, they line up to go to the bathroom and take care of their hygiene needs, before washing their hands and taking out their snack boxes. These important self-care skills lay the foundation for more difficult ones such as washing, dressing and taking care of themselves when they are older. Snacks are served by our lovely aunties who spend the morning preparing healthy, sugar-free, organic snacks. Sometimes it’s macaroni and vegetables in soup, other times it’s fruit and crackers! Though these times are a little quieter, it’s also a chance for children to practice socialising with others and we’ve seen many a friendship develop over snack time!
Character & moral education
Our school prides itself on social, emotional and character development. Older kindergarteners follow the PATHS SEL curriculum. However, our pre-nursery students are still too young to understand the concept so this time is used alternately by the different teachers to read stories on the school’s monthly Fruit of the Spirit theme, which highlights one of nine character values, such as love, peace, kindness and self control. The children love listening to the stories and these may often spark a discussion or a mini whole class activity, such as ‘sharing an ice-cream’ where children pass a ‘ice-cream’ scoop ball to each other’s ‘ice-cream cone’. Story-telling is a vital part of children’s learning development for a variety of reasons. Stories help children to get to know sounds, words and language, develop early literacy skills, learn to value books and stories, spark children’s imaginations and stimulate curiosity, develop social and communication skills develop, help learn the difference between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe’, understand change and new or frightening events, and also the strong emotions that can go along with them.
Home time!
Once story-time is over, it’s time to get ready to go home. Children love packing away their things and changing into their ‘home’ shoes, knowing that they will soon be seeing you! When you pick them up, remember that their day of learning is not yet over. Take the time each day after school to go over what they have learned and ask them about their day. This will continue the good work they have been doing all morning and help to consolidate their understanding and development.
【Application for 19-20 School Year has begun】 Mighty Oaks is a nurturing educational bilingual/trilingual environment with a focus on character building. Our little learners explore, laugh, love and grow together, turning from little acorns into oaks of righteousness. We are now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 academic year. Apply to secure an interview spot in February. Interview spaces are limited and will be on a first-come-first-served basis so act now! Join our Mighty Oaks family in 2019-2020!
===============================
➡【 Acorn Playgroup Trial Class/Acorn親子班試堂】
Morning greeting and free play
When our children arrive with their parents, we give them a big welcome and let them ease into their day of learning with some free play. There are a variety of toys for children to choose from as well as the learning corners, which are comprised of monthly themed, subject provision for children to be independent in their learning journey. For example, one corner might be introducing mathematical concepts such as big and small. Dim sum containers allow children to sort large and small dim sum into the right basket. Another corner is the creative corner, with a variety of materials and paper for children to draw and stick items together in their own artistic collage. Not only are children playing, they are developing their physical, cognitive, social, problem-solving and linguistic skills in a way that engages and stimulates them. Free play is crucial for laying the foundation for children’s later academic development.
School song & morning fitness
We start our day with our school song and themed English, Mandarin and Cantonese musical movement songs to warm up our brains and bodies. More importantly, exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build gross motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. For children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills.
Circle Time
A short circle time of 10 minutes helps children to settle and is a chance for teachers to go over the rules and routines of class. Usually songs about the weather and days of the week are sung to help reinforce language related to these concepts. Teachers also introduce use circle time to introduce the themed adult led activities of the day.
Adult-led activities
These activities are based on the school’s curriculum and allow the teachers the opportunity to work with children in small groups, giving them the chance to observe children up close, assess their abilities and gauge how the child can be challenged or supported to further their learning. When children are not doing small group activities, they are free to play or go to a learning corner.
Music & Movement
Children have daily music and movement classes which alternate between the language teachers. Songs are picked according to the month’s theme and children are introduced to various elements of musical education, from body percussion, learning the beat, actions and lyrics, to accompanying the song with different instruments or learning to dance and walk in special ways. All of these help your two-year old to not only develop their sense of rhythm and music, but learn how to work together as a group, develop mathematical concepts and language abilities. Children love to dance and sing, and it’s an important developmental milestone when your children can do this to music.
Extended Free Play and P.E.
Twice a week, children have physical education to help their emerging gross and fine motor control. Over the course of the year, teachers will begin with basic movements such as walking, running, jumping and climbing before moving on to more difficult movements such as hopping, skipping, galloping. Children will also learn how to balance, throw and catch, building their muscles in a fun and interactive way. Every day children practice these movements through extended free play (of 20-25 minutes), where they can choose from a variety of fun and creative toys to develop their creativity and imagination. We have a ball pit, indoor sensory slide, dress up trunk, tent, small-world role plays, climbing walls, musical instruments and cars for children to use. Teachers make use of this time to observe their children and assess them formatively. It’s at times like these we can see what interests individual children so that we can plan our adult-led activities according to their interests and preferences.
Toilet and snack time
When children have finished playing, they line up to go to the bathroom and take care of their hygiene needs, before washing their hands and taking out their snack boxes. These important self-care skills lay the foundation for more difficult ones such as washing, dressing and taking care of themselves when they are older. Snacks are served by our lovely aunties who spend the morning preparing healthy, sugar-free, organic snacks. Sometimes it’s macaroni and vegetables in soup, other times it’s fruit and crackers! Though these times are a little quieter, it’s also a chance for children to practice socialising with others and we’ve seen many a friendship develop over snack time!
Character & moral education
Our school prides itself on social, emotional and character development. Older kindergarteners follow the PATHS SEL curriculum. However, our pre-nursery students are still too young to understand the concept so this time is used alternately by the different teachers to read stories on the school’s monthly Fruit of the Spirit theme, which highlights one of nine character values, such as love, peace, kindness and self control. The children love listening to the stories and these may often spark a discussion or a mini whole class activity, such as ‘sharing an ice-cream’ where children pass a ‘ice-cream’ scoop ball to each other’s ‘ice-cream cone’. Story-telling is a vital part of children’s learning development for a variety of reasons. Stories help children to get to know sounds, words and language, develop early literacy skills, learn to value books and stories, spark children’s imaginations and stimulate curiosity, develop social and communication skills develop, help learn the difference between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe’, understand change and new or frightening events, and also the strong emotions that can go along with them.
Home time!
Once story-time is over, it’s time to get ready to go home. Children love packing away their things and changing into their ‘home’ shoes, knowing that they will soon be seeing you! When you pick them up, remember that their day of learning is not yet over. Take the time each day after school to go over what they have learned and ask them about their day. This will continue the good work they have been doing all morning and help to consolidate their understanding and development.
【Application for 19-20 School Year has begun】 Mighty Oaks is a nurturing educational bilingual/trilingual environment with a focus on character building. Our little learners explore, laugh, love and grow together, turning from little acorns into oaks of righteousness. We are now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 academic year. Apply to secure an interview spot in February. Interview spaces are limited and will be on a first-come-first-served basis so act now! Join our Mighty Oaks family in 2019-2020!
===============================
➡【 Acorn Playgroup Trial Class/Acorn親子班試堂】
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