Learning through play
In Kindergarten, the classroom environment is purposefully designed to invite, provoke, and enhance learning. This creates a fluid, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment.
Moreover, our team of specialist Kindergarten educators recognize students' learning needs throughout the day, and over time drive the collaborative creation of the environment. The space is constantly evolving as the students express their interests and wonderings.
In addition, our educators engage is displaying and sharing students' work as well as documenting their learning. This contributes to a learning environment that reflects and helps extend the children's interests and accomplishments.
MAKER SPACE
Students learn to implement mathematical strategic thinking and to investigate how things work and fit together. They learn to communicate their creations, discoveries, and observations. Students develop their fine and gross motor skills. Students collaborate with peers and communicate ideas and to use problem solving skills effectively.
IMAGINATION STATION
Students learn to regulate their emotions and work through feelings. They use their imagination and role-play to explore elements of drama, and they learn to re-tell stories and familiar events. They learn about a variety of people in their community and to work cooperatively and communicate with their peers. Students develop conflict resolution strategies and use problem solving skills effectively.
S.T.E.A.M. STATION
Students learn to use measurement in a variety of ways and explore shapes and their attributes. They make observations and show findings using artistic and creative ways, learn to read and write numbers, and to understand quantity. They use math and scientific language and learn to connect previous knowledge with new experiences.
DISCOVERY CENTRE
Students learn to use problem-solving skills effectively and to work cooperatively with others. They learn to sort, classify, and share their findings to care for the environment. They describe naturally occurring patterns, they communicate their discoveries, and they wonder and inquire about the world.
NUMLIT CENTRE
Students learn to label illustrations, write stories, and learn letter sounds. They engage in class projects, they sequence and compare objects, and learn how to use writing tools like word walls, dictionaries, and word books. They create complex patterns and designs and read and write numbers to understand their quantity.
ATELIER
Students practice their fine motor skills and use their imagination to create and problem solve effectively. They learn to identify and use the different elements of design and share and utilize a variety of tools and materials. Students demonstrate an understanding of art vocabulary. They learn to become confident learners and work cooperatively with others.
The learning environment is often viewed as the third teacher. To enhance learning and optimize students' potential and academic success, the learning environment helps students respond creatively and in meaningful ways. Researchers and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines, including early childhood education, developmental education, psychology, cognitive science, and school architecture and design, have come to understand that a key to learning in today's world is a classroom environment that is functioning successfully as a third teacher and responsive to the student's interests while providing opportunities for them to make their thinking visible, to then foster further learning. (Fraser, 2012, p. 67)