The Preschool Group | 3–5 years
Curriculum
The Tūī Room kaiako support children to acquire the skills needed to settle into the primary school environment with ease through a play-based curriculum. The curriculum reflects all aspects of Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa (the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum). Throughout the day, the teachers set up and plan fun and challenging activities that extend children’ s interests and learning. These activities instil a positive attitude towards learning that will help your child during their time at school and later in life. We also have a Transition to School Programme, where the older children of the group are provided with more complex, challenging and stimulating group activities to further develop skills in literacy, numeracy, organisation, concentration and problem solving. The transition to school group visits Mount Cook School on a fortnightly basis where they are invited to participate in school activities. This includes being able to play in the playground and choose indoor activities that are of interest to them.
The children’s interests are developed through extra-curricular activities such as optional weekly football sessions with Little Dribbers Football Club, participating in the annual Wellington Children’s Art Exhibition, and excursions (for example to Capital Gymnastics, Te Papa, the Wellington Zoo, and around our local Massey University and Wellington High School campuses).
Our Tūī Room kaiako help children learn:
- Connection to home and culture.
- To become confident speaking in a group, and contributing their ideas, opinions and knowledge, in a safe and supportive environment.
- To ask questions in group situations and to seek help from teachers and their peers when needed.
- How to follow instructions.
- Foundation literacy skills – recognising their name, the names of others, and simple words in the environment. The children learn that print has a meaning and is a symbol for spoken words, that print goes from left to right, and where a book starts. We do not specifically teach children to read and write, but will support children if they show an interest.
- Early writing skills – how to hold a pencil correctly, which direction to write and, for those who are interested, how to write simple words.
- Essential listening skills – listening to others when in a group, listening to stories, and recalling information.
- Creative thinking and problem solving.
- Creative arts, music and movement.
- How to take turns and share equipment.
- Social and emotional competence – developing positive conflict resolution strategies, working with others in groups, developing empathy for others, and responding to their own emotions appropriately. These skills will enable children to manage their relationships in the school setting.
- Research and investigative skills – finding information that is of interest to them and extending their curiosity.
- To become responsible and independent with self-help skills – for example wiping their nose, going to the toilet, putting away their belongings.
- To respect their teachers, peers, environment, belongings and themselves.
- Early mathematical concepts such as numbers, length, shape, and weight. This is incorporated through a range of activities including singing, play, stories, games, and mat time.
- Scientific concepts. This is developed in many ways including through baking, sandpit play, and water play.
