Westfields International School: Preschool Curriculum

What a book is
That it contains words and pictures
That a book has a beginning and an end - a back and a front
I may begin to understand that reading and writing is done from left to right, top to bottom and that each printed word represents one spoken word
That these words are words that I can read
I need to learn to love and care for books in order to want to read
I may not learn all these pre reading skills before I am five but I will learn some of them
Books are enjoyable I can find out such a lot of things
My language and listening skills grow with lots of stories, poems, singing, puppets, games and music

REMEMBER: I WILL LEARN AT MY OWN RATE AND THIS MAY BE FASTER OR SLOWER THAN OTHERS

I learn MATHEMATICS as I:

Recognize the names of numbers
Am able to say them in right order
Match each number with the correct amount of things
Know the names of shapes and colors and be able to match them
Put things that are alike into sets (groups)
Learn that things can be put in order e.g. from smallest to biggest
Learn about size more, less big, small
Learn about weight

Learn about space in, on, behind, through

Learn that things are constant e.g. water in a tall dish is still the same in flat dish

I LEARN PRE-MATH SKILLS IN ALL AREAS OF PRESCHOOL - ESPECIALLY THROUGH MATHS., GAMES, SAND, WATER and BLOCK PLAY

Before I learn to WRITE I need to:

Know what happens when I put pencils or paint to paper
Be able to hold a pencil or brush comfortably
Have time to scribble, draw circles and make shapes before I am able to draw things, or letters this may take me a long time
Enjoy drawing and painting in order to learn to write
Learn about letters and words (e.g. my name) how they are formed and what order they go in
I need you to praise and encourage me, even if you cannot see what I have created
I'll need lots of practice, plenty of paper, paint and pens

ALL ACTIVITIES AT THE PRESCHOOL ARE PROVIDED TO ALLOW ME TO DEVELOP MY CURIOSITY, MY IMAGINATION AND THROUGH MY ENJOYMENT, MY CONCENTRATION. TALK TO ME ABOUT THEM AND MY LANGUAGE WILL GROW TOO.

I need to LEARN about the WORLD AROUND ME by:

Finding out what things are called

How they work

Where they come from

What they are made of and who makes them

How they feel, taste, smell, look and sound

Will they hurt me?

How do they grow and develop?

I MAY GET DIRTY, WET, OR EVEN A LITTLE HURT WHILE I AM FINDING OUT ABOUT THINGS, BUT IF I MAKE A DISCOVERY THEN IT'S BEEN WORTH IT.

I may have difficulty explaining or understanding my feelings at a young age, but:

I can act them out in play
I can express them in my art
I can find successful activities to let off steam

To get the most from Preschool, I need an encouraging adult to help me do it my way and my way is through play.

I learn a great deal from a variety of basic Preschool activities:

BOOKS: open up a world of make believe. I love being read to. I learn to listen, concentrate and remember.

DOUGH: is fun touch and squeeze. My hand muscles develop (good for writing and painting) and I can learn math concepts.

COLLAGE, DRAWING and PAINTING: are important areas for me to express myself creatively in my own way. Skills are developed from cutting, careful placing and writing.

BLOCKS: develop my building and balancing skills as well as my imagination. Many math concepts are learned here because blocks are made in wholes, halves, circles, quarters, triangles, etc.

PUZZLES: are fun and I learn about shapes, colors, and how to place pieces. My hand coordination develops as well as my memory and concentration.

NATURE and SCIENCE: through interesting objects and activities I begin to learn all about the world around me.

FAMILY PLAY: it?s always fun to dress up, I can act out my feelings, fears and anxieties which helps me accept them.

MUSIC: I?m happy when I sing. I learn many songs, music games and all about instruments and how to play them. I develop my sense of rhythm and my memory.

MOVEMENT: in a movement game, I learn to cooperate and join with others. I learn to enjoy using my body and learn new ways to move it.

SAND and WATER: these are basic activities I love. The feeling of sand and water the ways t I mix and use them, lead to my learning science and math concepts.

ADVENTURE PLAY: I can construct my own towers, huts and castles. I learn to organize and direct my play while learning about my safety limits. My physical strengths grow.

I LEARN THROUGH ALL THESE ACTIVITIES BECAUSE I WANT TO AND IT'S FUN!

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