Effective communication and language skills are a few things lacking in India today. There are too many different methodologies implemented and although pre-schools claim to use phonics, it's not in the same degree as in America. What we have is too many textbooks; too much of academics. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Hence, it's important that children have good exposure at pre-school stage. The telling difference is in the style of teaching, on the flexibility and structure of the program and last but not the least, a good classroom environment.
At 'Stepping Stones' the belief is that learning can be fun. Play is the most important and significant aspect of any child's life. Experience has show that children easily adjust to a routine if their day starts with some free play. It's also so essential for the child's overall growth. Therefore, a typical day at school starts off with children playing outdoors – swing, slide, monkey bars, etc.
There's a strong emphasis on physical exercise, which is good for the children. It not only improves their health, but also allows honing of their motor skills, and with a certain degree of experimentation on the part of the child. They love to do things differently. Then there's music. Children are taught to use their ears to listen, as their eyes follow the teacher and sing – nursery rhymes, songs with action, shlokas, etc. A delightful way to learn, indeed!
Classroom activity is again fun and in no way a rigorous ordeal. Give them the material and they'll explore. They'll cut, color, trace, paint and each time, they'll call for their teacher's attention, "See what I've done." They'll keep themselves more than occupied. These prewriting exercises have an extraordinary effect on children. They develop their hand muscles, improve co-ordination skills and foster creativity. Teachers use flash cards, flip charts, worksheets, Montessori equipment, audio/video tapes, games and much more to educate them about letters, sounds, reading, numbers, colors and shapes. All aimed at preparing children learn skills to be academically competent, creative and confident.
At 'Stepping Stones' there's always interactive 'story-time'. All children love stories and for them, these are exciting journeys they love to go on. Especially when it's narrated through expressions, hand movement, singing and music. During the narration they are quizzed, challenged to think and answer and they get instantly involved in this mimetic application. The telling effect is that they have opportunities to think and at the same time enjoy the experience. Besides being great fun it's an ideal learning process learn through communication of ideas. |
Previous | Next
|
