FREEDOM HOUSE KINDERGARTEN AND DAYCARE

Curriculum

FHK purposes to provide an exciting, fun and stimulating learning environment for children aged 2-6 years. The classes are divided into four year groups. We teach basing on the national curriculum using an English methodology that makes learning fun for our students.

Daycare 2-3.8years                                                    Pre-school 3.8-4years  

Junior Kindergarten 4-5 years                                   Kindergarten 5-6years

 

A child qualifies to enter Kindergarten if they are two years old and above.

The Foundation Stage for Early Years at FHK covers development in six areas which are incorporated through a wide range of exciting, stimulating and challenging themes and topics.

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development:

This area of learning is about emotional well-being. Opportunities will be provided for the child to develop a strong self-image and self esteem. This will encourage social skills, self-awareness and cooperation. This area is central to all other areas of the curriculum and it will be part of our everyday routine. There will be daily sessions of circle time when the child will be encouraged to share personal experiences and opinions with the class. The child will be encouraged to become independent, careful and thorough in carrying out their work through classroom responsibilities as well as the management of their own personal hygiene. 

Basically the child:

• Learns to trust key adults.
• Will develop a sense of belonging.
• Will respond to pattern and routine of the day.
• Will form positive relationships.
• Will gain knowledge of understanding of their culture.
• Will share emotions and experiences with their peers and familiar adults.
• Will have feelings of self-confidence and self-control
• Will practice solving problems of their own and their peers.

 

2. Mathematical Development:

Opportunities will be provided for the child to use and investigate number, sorting, measurement, pattern, matching, shape and space through play and practical ‘hands-on’ activities which develop mathematical concepts and vocabulary. Strategies focus on applying mathematical skills to everyday situations. The child explores different ways of solving mathematical problems through stories, songs, games and imaginative play, so that children enjoy using and experimenting with numbers.

Basically the child:

• Will engage in lots of practical activities, working with numbers, shape, space, measuring, weighing etc. The emphasis being upon problem solving and learning through discovery and play.
• Joining in with activities that are imaginative, enjoyable and open ended.

3. Communication, Language and Literacy:

Communication, language, and literacy depend on learning and being competent in a number of key skills, together with having confidence, opportunity, encouragement, sport, and disposition to use them. This area of learning includes: communication, speaking and listening in different situations and for different purposes, reading a wide range of books, reading simple texts and writing for a variety of purposes.

Basically the child:

• Will be given opportunities to imagine and recreate experiences.
• Will explore situations, events and ideas.
• Will be encouraged to develop a love for books, stories, rhymes and poems and music.

FHK aims to link language with physical activities through action songs, role-play and other practical activities. Children will be given opportunities to observe and help adults to write signs, labels, posters and captions and to develop the confidence and ability to eventually produce these themselves.

4. Creative Development:

Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another, and so extend their understanding. Creativity incorporates art, craft, design and technology, music, drama, movement, and dance, role-play and imaginative play. It provides opportunities for children to express themselves through different media. We have a professional teacher for music.

Basically the child:

• Will be given opportunities to experience a stimulating environment in which creativity, originality and expressiveness are valued and recognized.
• Experience a wide range of activities.
• Express their own ideas.

5. Environment (Knowledge and Understanding of the world):

In this area of learning children are developing the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. Opportunities will be provided for the child to interact and learn about the world around them through solving problems, experimenting and making decisions. The child develops a system of enquiry through appropriate topics such as ‘Ourselves’, ‘Our Environment’ and ‘Journey’. The child is engaged in practical activities and experiments. This learning forms the foundation for later work in science, design technology, history, and geography and information technology.

Basically the child:

• Will be given opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world through first hand experiences that will encourage exploration, observation, problem solving, prediction, decision making supplemented by lots of discussion.
• Children will experience a wide range of activities both indoors and out that will stimulate their interest and curiosity to learn.

6. Physical Development:

Physical development in the early years is about improving skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. Opportunities are provided for the child to develop and practice their fine and gross motor skills. The child is encouraged to develop an understanding of how to use their body and be safe. Physical Education and swimming will be conducted by professional personnel.

Physical development has two other important aspects:

1. It helps the child gain confidence in what they can do.

2. It enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active.    

Basically the child:

Will be given opportunities to explore the space around them, both indoors and out, and to devise and take part in activities that will assist their physical development.

            Will use the language of movement alongside their actions.

Kindergarten (5-6years old)

 Some schools call it Top Class/ Kindergarten/Reception Class. Whatever the designation the parent’s question is, “What will my child be doing in Reception year?”

 

This outline is to provide parents with brief details of what their children will be learning in the Reception year. Our Reception groups are differentiated to allow children to work at levels appropriate to their ability and therefore your child may be set work that differs from some of the general outlines below. The following provides you with general information of the curriculum covered through the six areas of learning, which are incorporated through a wide range of exciting, stimulating and challenging themes and topics.

 

 

PROBLEM SOLVING, REASONING AND NUMERACY

 

Term One

·         Recognize numerals 0-10

·         Count reliably up to 10 everyday objects

·         Talk about, recognize, and recreate patterns.

·         Use language such as circle or bigger to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes.

·         Say and use the number names, in order and in familiar contexts, such as nursery rhymes.

·         Use non-standard measures.

·         Use language of time-‘o’ clocks.

·         Experience practical capacity.

·         Sort or match objects and talk about sorting.

·         Find one more or less from a group of up to five objects.

 

Term Two

 

·         Find one more or one less than a number from 0-10.

·         Counting and ordering numbers to twenty.

·         In practical activities and discussion begin to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting.

·         Show an awareness of money.

·         Use language such as more or less, greater or smaller, heavier or lighter to compare two numbers or quantities.

 

Term Three

·         Consolidate all areas covered in previous terms.

·         Begin to relate addition to combining two groups of objects and subtracting to ‘taking away’.

·         Read, write and order numbers 0-20

·         Use everyday words to describe position

·         Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve problems

·         Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s.

 

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

 

Term One

·         Have an emerging self confidence to speak and listen to others about wants, needs and interests.

·         Children will develop a comfortable and efficient pencil grip.

·         Extend their vocabulary to explore the meanings and sounds of new words.

·         Recognize letter sounds and introduce blending.

·         Children will learn to form lower case letters correctly and to write own name.

·         Recognize initial sounds in and letters in words and writing.

·         Show an interest in illustrations and print in books.

·          Look at simple non-fiction texts.

·         Learn to recognize high-frequency and familiar words.

 

Term Two

·         Listen to and join in stories and poems one to one and also in small groups.

·         Children will continue to consolidate work from the previous term.

·         Children will continue to practice handwriting, learning correct letter formation.

·         Children will become aware of the need to use punctuation.

·         Show an interest in illustrations and print in books.

·         Begin to be aware of how stories are structured.

·         Write labels, captions and simple sentences.

·         Write words by blending sounds.

 

Term Three

·         To continue and consolidate work from previous terms.

·         Show an understanding of the elements of stories such as main characters, sequence of events and openings.

·         Use writing as a means of recording and communicating.

·         Retell narratives with increasing detail. Retell stories giving main points in sequence.

·         Know initial, medial and final sounds in common words

·         Children will attempt writing for a variety of purposes.

·         Children will begin writing simple sentences, sometimes using punctuation.

 

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

 

Term One

·         Children will sing simple songs from memory.

·         Tap out simple repeated rhymes.

·         Children will be given opportunities to experiment with construction kits, paintings and drawings.

·         Experiment with materials to create different textures.

·         Work creatively on a large or small scale.

·         Imitate and create movement and respond to musical stimulus.

·         Perform Nativity-Drama and songs.

·         Children will have opportunities to engage in representational play.

 

Term Two

·         Opportunities for children to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings in a variety of ways such as, role-play, painting and responding to music.

·         Appropriate materials and media will be used to extend children’s thinking through involvement.

·         Children will learn to find solutions to problems.

·         Children will have opportunities to dance and to respond to music.

·         Children will recognize and explore how sounds can be changed.

·         Children will recognize sound patterns and match movement to music.

 

Third Term

·         Activities will be designed to build children’s confidence and self-esteem.

·         Language will be introduced that enables children to talk about their experiences in greater depth and detail.

·         Children will continue to extend their experience and imagination through pictures, paintings, poems and stories, music and dance.

·         Children will be encouraged to share their ideas and to discuss and appreciate the beauty around them in nature and the environment.

 

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIOANAL DEVELOPMENT

 

Term One

·         Children will be encouraged to show an interest in classroom activities.

·         Children will be taught to operate independently within the environment and show confidence in linking up with others for support and guidance.

·         Children will be expected to dress and undress independently and manage their own personal hygiene with adult support.

·         Experience circle time and share experiences and feelings.

·         Develop an awareness of different cultures and religion.

 

Term Two

·         Children will select activities and resources independently.

·         Activities will be provided which enable children to ask questions seek answers, make decisions and solve problems

·         To provide experiences, activities and materials which are challenging but achievable.

 

Term Three

·         Provide activities and familiar experiences to allow children to share knowledge from different parts of their life experiences.

·         To further develop an awareness of culture and religious differences.

·         To allow opportunities for the children to become curious, enthusiastic and busy resulting in confident, independent learners.

 

PHYISCAL DEVELOPMENT

 

Term One

·         Children will move with confidence in a variety of ways showing some awareness of space.

·         Children will be encouraged to join in with action songs.

·         Children will move with imagination and with safety.

·         Children will have opportunities to move around, over, under and through balancing and climbing equipment.

 

Term Two

·         Children will show an awareness of space.

·         Role-play experiences will be encouraged.

·         Children will use small and large equipment, showing a range of skills.

·         Children will begin to handle tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with basic control.

 

Term Three

·         Children will develop and demonstrate fine motor control and coordination.

·         Children will begin to recognize the importance of keeping healthy and recognize changes that happen to their bodies.

·         To provide the opportunity for children to develop and refine existing skills.

·         Children will continue to use a wide range of small and large equipment showing a range of basic skills.

·         Swimming lessons will take place once every term.

 

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD- POSSIBLE LINES OF DEVELOPMENT.

 

Term One

·         Myself: Food and health. Children will learn about the importance of food, water, and exercise for humans to stay healthy and alive.

·         Harvest: healthy and unhealthy foods.

·         Myself: My Environment and School/Home. In studying their environment children will learn to ask questions about where they live and the natural world.

·         Myself: Families. Children will look at their families and family trees. They will identify simple features and significant personal events in their lives.

·         Gorillas: habitats and Climates.

·         Dry weather: Seasons.

·         Christmas.

 

Term Two

·         People who help us. We will look at people who help us at home and school. Children will learn about the Emergency services and keeping safe.

·         New Year and wet seasons. We look at seasonal changes and traditions and customs. Children will learn about animal’s survival in different weather. Children will look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.

·         Resurrection. The Resurrection story and new life.

 

Term Three

·         We will explore the history of animals; extinct and surviving and their fossils and nature.

·         Transport. We will learn about a variety of transport systems, looking at the history of transport; air, land and sea transport.

·         Hot weather. We will investigate outside- small beasts, hot weather patterns, plants and flowers and understand that plants need light and water to grow.

 

 

 

FHK-Time Table for Term One (January-April 2014)

 

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:30-8:45am	Devotions	Devotions	Devotions	Devotions	Devotions
8:50-9:20am	Literacy development	Creative development	Physical development	Emotional development	Physical development
9:25-45am	Mathematical development	Emotional development	Mathematical development	Literacy development	Creative development
9:50-10am	Circle time	Circle time	Circle time	Music & Art	Circle time
10-11am	Break & play block	Break & play block	Break & play block	Break & play block	Break & play block
11-11:50am	library	library	library	library	library
12noon	Pickup - half day students	Pickup - half day students	Pickup - half day students	Pickup - half day students	Pickup - half day students
12:30- 1pm	Lunch –full day students	Lunch-full day students	Lunch-full day students	Lunch- full day students	Lunch-full day students
1-2:45pm	Informal learning-science	Informal learning-language	Informal learning- knowledge of the world	Informal learning- exploration	Informal learning-environment
3pm-4pm	Pickup-full day students	Pickup-full day students	Pickup-full day students	Pickup-full day students	Pickup-full day students
5:00pm	School offices close