Our Programme
THE FIRST FIVE YEARS LAST A LIFETIME: The well-being of the child underpins all that we do at Heart of Albany .
Our environments and learning experiences presented to the children are reflected in the research and knowledge of emergent curriculum. Our programme is based on New Zealand Early Years Learning framework of Te Whāriki We have also been inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning.
Children’s learning is fostered and enhanced through exploration, play and experimentation, whilst being challenged and supported by their educators.
We believe in the potential of each child to participate in, and work towards his/her own development and growth within a warm, caring and rich play environment.
Practical Life activities
These activities help the child to develop independence, confidence, coordination and concentration. They satisfy the child’s need for meaningful activity with familiar tools they might find in their home. These activities can include food preparation, using kitchen tools such as a spoon, tongs, chopsticks, jugs to transfer water or everyday ingredients. For the young child there is something special about the tasks that an adult considers ordinary, for example washing dishes, polishing a silver plate or shoes, sweeping the floor. They are exciting for the child because they allow them to imitate the adult.
Sensorial Exercises
‘Sensorial’ comes from the word ‘senses’. A young child experiences the world around them through the constant use of all their senses. The sensorial activities sharpen the child’s observation skills by helping them to become aware of details such as colour, weight, shape, texture, size, sound and smell. Dr Montessori believed that this process of learning to discriminate and categorize is the beginning of conscious knowledge and prepares the child for further exploration and learning.
Language and Literacy
The Montessori language materials are designed to offer the child the opportunity to learn the shapes and phonetic sounds of each letter, and when ready, gain the ability to blends sounds together to create, read and write words with meaning.
Maths
The Montessori mathematics materials give the child concrete, hands on activities that help them to learn numbers and quantities at an age when they enjoy manipulating equipment. Dr Montessori demonstrated that if a child has access to mathematical equipment in their early years, they can easily and joyfully learn skills of arithmetic, such as counting, sequencing, performing simple numeric operations and recognising the decimal system. For example the child not only sees the symbols for 1, 10, 100, 1000 they can hold each of the corresponding quantities in their hands.
Cultural, Arts and Music
At Koru Montessori we offer many opportunities for children to expand their knowledge of the World around them. Large wooden puzzle maps of the world and its continents, animals, people and flags of the world are associated with each continent.
Te Reo Maori and Tikanga are incorporated into all aspects of our daily life at Koru and the children enjoy learning about what it is to be a New Zealander and our country’s cultural heritage.
Beautiful wooden puzzles and sets of nature cards show the parts of plants and animals. Through working with these activities the children become observant of the world around them and gain an understanding and vocabulary to describe their environment at an age when their natural curiosity leads them to discover rather than by being told.
Koru also takes these materials into the outdoor environment, where the children help to care for the animals (cat, hens), the gardens and the environment. Koru Montessori uses environmentally sustainable practices including organic gardening sprays and cleaning products, recycling, composting and a worm farm.
Group singing, dancing, creative arts, crafts, poetry and games are all incorporated into the programme.
Social and Emotional
By age two to three, the child has already laid down the basic foundations of his or her personality and is now ready to experience an ever-widening circle of adults and other children. Social competence and emotional wellbeing are critical to the young child’s brain development, future school success, and emerging cognitive abilities. Our teachers at Koru Montessori create an environment that actively supports the social and emotional development of each child. As a teacher responds respectfully to the child’s needs and offers them meaningful activity that builds the child’s self-esteem, the child develops a sense of trust in the teacher and a sense of belonging to the classroom community. Children are free to move, make choices, explore and interact with others. Where there is freedom to explore and work together, there is also a high level of social interaction. They sit together, work together, solve problems together, children learn to encourage and develop a sense of compassion and empathy for others. They become more socially aware, and work and play in larger groups. This social interaction is supported throughout the environment and is encouraged with the nature our multi-age classroom setting.