PLAY . LEARN . GROW
our curriculum
At Auchenblae Pre-School we follow the "Realising the Ambition" curriculum for our 2s Group and the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) for our Pre-School Group, ages three to five.
The curriculum is a balance of adult led and child initiated play, which underpins all future learning and development by supporting each child, developing their confidence and self esteem and ensuring they feel happy and secure. It is important that the children have time to explore, play and have fun - we provide a range of different play-based learning experiences throughout each session.
The CfE is built on guiding principles which inform our work with the children.
These are:
* A Unique Child – every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
* Positive Relationships – children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person.
* Enabling Environments – the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning.
* Learning and Development – children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and all areas of Learning and Development are equally important and inter-connected.
Summary of the Areas of Learning
COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE
We help children learn to communicate in various different ways, whether that’s through speech, body language or facial expressions. They will show examples of paying attention, listening and understanding through taking part in various activities and games. Between 16-26 months, regular circle time will help your child show an interest and recognition in stories, songs and rhymes. Later, they will work with shapes to help them develop an understanding of simple concepts such as big and small.
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MATHEMATICS
The world of numbers, shapes and space opens up a whole new level of understanding for your little one. We use simple games such as ‘Pop to the Shops and 'Insey Winsey Spider" to help children understand counting and shapes. As they begin to count and measure, they will learn to put numbers in order and work out which numbers are more or less than others. Later, we help them compare quantities and objects to solve problems.
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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
We like to use fun ways to develop children’s movement, handling and self-care. Pulling up on to climbing frames, drawing pictures and dancing to music all help to progress these key skills. Your child will learn to coordinate large and small movements as they meet milestones such as walking, catching a ball and handling tools. Life skills such as washing hands before meals and putting on their coat are also practised day to day.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPLMENT
This important stage is where your child learns to become social. As they get older and self-confidence grows, they will talk to other children when playing and make friends. We’ll also teach them how to manage their feelings and behaviour (for instance, taking turns and learning what isn’t acceptable).
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LITERACY
As a precursor to learning how to read and write, children will demonstrate an understanding of simple sentences and will be able to discuss something they have just heard. We regularly take groups to the mobile library for story time, and we encourage children to select books they’d like to take back to th Playroom to read. Daily art and craft activities help them to develop the co-ordination they will need to begin to write, whilst playing with clay and dough strengthens the muscles in their hands to enable them to control a pencil.
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UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
At Pre-school, we teach your child about the world around them - how to describe plants, animals and objects and understand differences between them. From the age of 2¼, we help them talk about events in their own lives and families, and we observe celebrations such as Diwali to develop awareness of the cultures and beliefs of others. Your child will also start to understand how technology is used, with hands-on experiences to stimulate their learning.
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EXPRESSIVE ARTS & DESIGN
This creative learning area stimulates the imagination and teaches children to explore and express themselves. Learning how to represent their thoughts, feelings and ideas through art, music and stories is fun and builds confidence. At Pre-school, we teach them to safely use a variety of tools, materials and techniques so that they can experiment. They’ll be combining materials to make collages, and from 2 upwards, they will see what happens when they mix different colours together.