Early Childhood and Primary School Curriculum Overview 2016-17

ISS Preschool (3yr & 4yr) Philosophy & Curriculum Overview 2016-17 “What children learn does not follow as an automatic result from what is taught, rather, it is in large part due to the children’s own doing, as a consequence of their activities and our resources. “ –Loris Malaguzi

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ISS Preschool Philosophy ISS’s Preschool program encompasses the image of the child to be strong, capable and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. Young children are naturally curious and try to make sense of the world around them. We believe that the Reggio-inspired approach of social-constructivist learning best suits our values and practices of our ISS philosophy. Learning Early​ childhood ​ is focused on ​learning how to learn. “​Learn ​to learn” is a crucial stage for young learners as they develop a sense of their own individuality and their role as members of a collaborative learning community. We support their emerging independence through self-directed learning, goal setting and reflections with caring adults these are keys to consolidating learning. Well- Being Each student is educated in a holistic manner encompassing “head”, “heart” and “hands” which significantly impacts the cognitive, social/ emotional development of the child’s learning process. By embracing the Reggio principles a social-constructivist learning approach, we provide an engaging and experiential learning environment for our children. As we enrich our children’s minds we also develop their character, confidence, critical and creative thinking and self-awareness. Community We have a supportive partnership between home and school, whereby parents are integral to, children’s success. Relationships are fundamental—within the school community and beyond, with a sensitivity and responsibility towards others and the environment. Citizenship is nurtured.

We believe that we must​: ● hold a positive image of children as competent, strong & powerful ● nurture every child’s cognitive and social/ emotional development

● value every child as an individual who develops in unique ways and times and we need to continually support their growth ● provide a rich, stimulating and responsive environment that promotes the development of the whole child ● encourage every child to discover their individuality within an environment of collaboration and mutual respect ● foster the growth of every child’s creativity, innovation, and collaboration skills through a combination of teacher guided and child initiated play, projects and explorations ● provide time for play outside so that children can experience the natural environment

What makes our Early Childhood program Unique? Our Reggio inspired program of social-constructivist learning is influenced by leading philosophers such as Loris Malaguzzi, Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey, Jerome Bruner; and is aligned with research from “Project Zero” at Harvard University. ISS Preschool teachers listen, observe and respond to the interests and ideas of children, and continually make connections. This vital part of the Reggio approach fosters integrative and critical thinking skills, including the ability to respectfully consider possible reasons for success or disappointment. Methodologies ● Reggio Emilia Principles ● Inquiry based Emergent Learning ● Developing Dispositions “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but rather a fire to be kindled.” –Plutarch

Reggio’s Guiding Principles

Image of the Child ● Children are respected as capable, innovative, and full potential ● Children are valued as individuals with unique ways of learning ● Children develop a shared sense of ownership of the world and their place in it Environment as Third Teacher ● The environment is stimulating, dynamic and designed to pique children’s interests and engage them in the learning. ● The environment promotes a sense of well-being, exuding beauty and displaying children’s work to demonstrate the value of their ideas and abilities ● The environment values relationships, the learning process and aesthetics Thinking made visible through documentation

● Documentation is crafted to determine how each child learns, and to plan ways to further enrich the curriculum ● Documentation is displayed that describes the group’s investigations, learning experiences in progress, children’s ideas and theories, and reflections profoundly on the learning process ● Documentation is developed to make learning visible for parents and the children themselves, who use it revisit their feelings, ideas and understandings

Teacher as Researcher ● Teachers use multiple-strategies—visual, auditory, kinesthetic—to engage different styles of learners and help every child reach their fullest potential ● Teachers are committed to reflecting on their work and regularly collaborate to share information and mentor one another Parents as Partners ● Parents are respected as collaborators and advocate for their children ● Parents are valued as part of the team responsible for preparing every child for the future ● Parents are given meaningful opportunities for engagement

Inquiry Based Emergent Learning Inquiry learning starts with children actively involved in the learning process. By building on natural curiosity, inquiry learning allows children to connect, question, communicate and reflect. This approach to learning fosters a ‘research based disposition’ and creates a community of inquiry. We believe that focusing our curriculum and developmental goals through project based inquiry learning, an emergent curriculum, filled with observation, exploration, discoveries and documentation, all set in a natural, experiential environment supports the learning process.

Dispositions “Learning to learn” encompasses a range of skills and aptitudes children must acquire in order to reach their full potential. This includes powerful dispositions which when explicitly developed; create an essential gateway for learning. Attention to important “brain aware” aspects of learning such as executive function has proven to be an accurate predictor of success and of our approach. Learning Dispositions ● Belonging; taking an Interest ● Well-being; being Involved ● Exploration; persisting with difficulty ● Communication; expressing an idea or feeling

● Contribution; taking responsibility

Executive Functions ● Self-regulation ● Perseverance ● Working memory ● Goal-setting and planning ● Reflection ● Cognitive flexibility

ISS Preschool Curriculum To understand curriculum from a Reggio perspective, it is important to consider these three essential points. Reggio concept of “​Progettazione” Carlina Rindali (1994). 1. Knowledge- building does not proceed in a linear way 2. Construction of knowledge is a group process 3. Children produce their own theories

ISS Preschool (3yr & 4 yr) Curriculum Overview & Structure for Learning 2016-17 Young children are capable and competent and naturally try to make sense of the world around them. When they see something new they make a theory, test that theory and then build knowledge much like scientists and in fact all of us. All of us build on what we know in order to get to what we don’t know. For example, when a child is building a tower with blocks he/she will build it higher and higher until eventually it falls over. Through repeated trial and error the child learns that at a certain height the blocks will fall. Based on this knowledge children play with support structures such as a wider base going to smaller blocks on top like an inverted pyramid. So, from previous knowledge they experiment and make theories to move to new knowledge. This is called constructivism. The educational philosophy of ISS Preschool is a holistic/constructivist philosophy. Relationships are a huge factor in early childhood development and affect learning in the cognitive, social/emotional, physical and aesthetic domains. As children build knowledge they form relationships with objects, and people. The contact with people whether young or old leads to social constructivism which enables us to build knowledge by watching, talking, working and playing with others. Continuing with the blocks example, if a child is working in a group and he/she sees a

classmate use 3 pillars to support a large block rather than one he/she can learn from this experiment and build new knowledge. Through dialogue and interaction the child uses language skills, problem solving skills. The block work involves fine and gross motor skills as well as science (balance) and mathematical skills. A drawing of the structure brings in the aesthetic and the use of marks on paper to communicate which is the first stage of writing. The environment is a crucial factor in the development of the young child. Comfort and safety, both physically and emotionally, and materials that allow for choice, a sense of wonder, and the various developmental levels of the children are a necessity. The teachers construct the classroom environment to function as an ongoing partner in the teaching-learning process. The environment is not static but develops and changes as learning leads in new directions. Each classroom has focus for learning known as “Learning Studio”. The learning studios focus has materials that change during the course of the year. All classroom spaces have common centers that are present throughout the year which include, literacy, writing, mathematics/small manipulatives. Throughout the year not only will materials change in the learning studios but new focus within the studios can be added and present ones removed or changed into something else. The environment is dynamic rather than static. Curriculum is implemented in an integrated manner through projects/emergent curriculum, play and free choice activities that allow for individual or group work. Projects/emergent curriculum involve extended learning processes that are driven by the children’s interests and ideas. Teachers determine topics for these projects by observing, photographing, listening to and speaking with children as they go through their day. Once an interest has been chosen students in small groups or whole class groups participate in activities related to the interest that allows them to work on their theories and build upon them as they learn new knowledge. As activities proceed teachers design and implement further activities or offer new materials that will extend the theories. Thus the activities become extended dialogues between children and teachers that enable in depth learning to take place over extended periods of time. Sometimes several projects could be ongoing with small groups or a project could involve the whole class. It is through these in-depth studies and learning studios throughout the spaces that the curriculum is implemented. In this way children make connections between the various strands of the curriculum and realize that all of the curriculum areas are a part of everyday life. For example, shopping for groceries involves reading, writing, fine and gross

motor skills, math, science social interaction and in Norway some Norsk language and culture. Life and learning involve integration more than compartmentalisation. Research has proven that young children who work/play this way learn to be creative thinkers, problem solvers, group members and most importantly life - long learners who engage eagerly in new learning. They develop the dispositions that are needed to learn. Learning Studios Our learning studios each have a focused aspect of learning and provide a space for searching, researching motivations and theories of children from scribbles on up, a place for exploring variations in tools, techniques, and materials with which to work. Our Learning Studios are a place that favors children's logical and creative itineraries, a place for becoming familiar with similarities and differences of verbal and nonverbal languages. Our Learning studios provoke specific and interconnected events making it possible to transfer new knowledge acquired about form and content in the daily educational experience. Nature/ Science Studio ​“Nature inspires creativity in a child by demanding visualization and full use of the senses” – Robert Louv In the Science and Nature Studio the children investigate and explore with different senses. The Children participate in weekly nature walks that include adventures off-campus. Learning Goals: ● experience nature and develop a sense of wonder at the diversity of nature ● experience joy at being in the natural world, and gain a fundamental understanding of nature, conservation and interaction in the natural world ● experience and learn about animals, plants, and about their mutual dependence ● have positive experiences of outdoor activities and being outdoors in different seasons ● develop a love of using nature for exploration and physical challenges, and gain an understanding of how one can use the environment and countryside whilst also looking after it ● learn to observe, wonder, experiment, systematise, describe and talk about phenomena in the physical world ● develop science and math inquiry skills including wondering, questioning, exploring and investigating, discussing, reflecting and formulating ideas and theories

● develop scientific dispositions including curiosity, eagerness to find out, an open mind and delight in being a scientist Art Studio "Every child is an artist" -Picasso The art curriculum for ISS preschool is reflected in the following poem written by the father of the Reggio Emilia approach, Loris Malaguzzi. We foster student’s creativity using a large variety of media. We believe it is the right of children to imagine and to express themselves in any of the 100 languages. The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred, always a hundred ways of listening of marveling of loving, a hundred joys for singing, and understanding, a hundred worlds to discover, a hundred worlds to invent, a hundred worlds to dream. The child has a hundred languages, (and a hundred hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine, the school and the culture separate the head from the body. They tell the child to think without hands, to do without head to listen and not speak, to understand without joy, to love and marvel only at Easter and Christmas. They tell the child to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine. They tell the child that work and play, reality and fantasy, science and imagination, sky and earth, reason and dream are things that do not belong together. And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there. The child says: No way. The hundred is there! Loris Malaguzzi

Learning Goals: ● develop their sensitivity to listening, observing and expressing themselves through a range of encounters with reflections on culture, art and aesthetics ● strengthen their cultural identity and their personal modes of expression ● use their imaginations and creative thought processes, and discover the joy of creating things ● develop their abilities to process and communicate their impressions, and produce varied forms of expression through creative activities

● develop an understanding of tools, techniques and form in order to express themselves aesthetically through visual language. ● experience that art, culture and aesthetics foster closeness and understanding Tinkering Studio The artist does not tinker with the universe, he recreates it out of his own experience and understanding of life.” -Anonymous In the Tinkering Studio the children are provided with an opportunity to explore a variety of materials. Children are given the opportunity to play, build, and create with little to no direction. Materials set out have included: locks, keys, plastic caps, magnets, cds, washers, nuts and bolts. Children have taken apart electronic items -e.g. laptop computer and put together items to “fix” it or create something new. Learning Goals: ● motor skills and hand-eye coordination ● develop spatial skills ● experience different types of sizes, shapes and measures through sorting and comparing ● experience, explore and play with shapes and patterns ● acquire accurate and applicable mathematical concepts ● experience position and orientation, and thus develop abilities to navigate ● develop a capacity for creative, divergent thinking ● experience how technology can be used in everyday life ● develop science and math inquiry skills including wondering, questioning, exploring and investigating, discussing, reflecting and formulating ideas and theories ● develop scientific dispositions including curiosity, eagerness to find out, an open mind and delight in being an inventor/creator Imagination Studio "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." -Fred Donaldson

In the imagination studio the children participate in role-play, small world play and drama. Every child is an active and engaged learner who explores the world with body, mind and senses. Learning Goals: ● express joy and wonder in their encounters with the environment, the natural world and other people ● focus attention, manipulate, investigate, observe, question, test theories, solve problems, create and represent ideas and their understanding of the world around them through play in divergent and increasingly complex ways ● engage with others to negotiate, collaborate and create and communicate feelings, ideas, experiences and knowledge ● through play, explore materials that support an increasing awareness and understanding of concepts associated with literacy and numeracy ● participate to the best of their abilities in an inclusive learning environment

Block Studio "Play stimulates the parts of the brain involved in both careful, logical reasoning and carefree, unbound exploration." -Greg McKeown In the Block studio, children are encouraged to explore, and problem solve. They work with balance, science, math and social emotional language. All these things interweave in a sophisticated way. Blocks allow children´s imagination to guide their play; from this flows rich social and cognitive learning as well as confidence and independent thought. Because there is no correct use of blocks, there is no failure; each success encourages the next experiment. Learning Goals: ● develop understanding of design, stability and balance ● develop understanding forces of gravity, tension and compression ● develop spatial skills ● experience different types of sizes, shapes and measures through sorting and comparing ● experience, explore and play with shapes and patterns ● acquire accurate and applicable mathematical concepts ● experience position and orientation, and thus develop abilities to navigate

● develop a capacity for creative, divergent thinking ● build with a variety of shapes and size ● develop an understanding about how the characteristics of the material affect a structure's stability ● develop science and math inquiry skills including wondering, questioning, exploring and investigating, discussing, reflecting and formulating ideas and theories ● develop scientific dispositions including curiosity, eagerness to find out, an open mind and delight in being a builder Music & Movement Studio "Music brings people together. Through music, children take an inner experience and move it into a shared creative experience. Group music-making releases energy which can be channeled in creative, productive directions. Children learn about themselves and others by playing music together and by listening to each other — tapping into hidden courage that can be played out by singing together or discovering the inner resources to listen quietly to another child's playing." -Judi Bosco In the Music and Movement Studio, children explore and experience the joy of music. They are able to express themselves through moving to music and creating music. Learning Goals: ● explore and express self through movement in response to music ● create music and collaborate with others to create music ● express self through music and movement individually and within small collaborative groups ● develop a sense of rhythm, beat and differentiate sounds ● develop a sense of positive self-image through physical achievements ● have positive experiences of varied and all-round movements and challenges ● continue to develop their body control, gross motor skills and fine motor skills, sense of rhythm and motor sensitivity ● develop an understanding and respect for their own and other people’s bodies, and for the fact that everyone is different

More Learning Spaces P.E. - Physical Education & Health All of the children participate in a physical education class 2 times per week. The class is taught by a physical Education Specialist teacher. The classes are taught using 2 specially designed gymnasiums. one general large space and a smaller soft space. ​The children learn basic locomotor patterns, various types of body movements, and basic coordination skills.​Through the school year the “Kindergym” (soft space) is set up with a different course for students to go through with developmentally appropriate skills set at each station. Children work on improving their balance, basic rolling skills, jumping and landing safely, basic gymnastics skills and locomotor skills. Children learn to listen, follow directions and to follow verbal and physical cues.  

Learning Goals: ● Demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities ● Demonstrate understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities. ● develop an understanding and respect for their own and other people's bodies, and for the fact that everyone is different

Learning Areas integrated within emergent curriculum and learning studios Communication, Language and text Seeing children as capable and powerful communicators means recognizing them as active social partners who are able to initiate and respond to communication exchanges. When we are aware of and able to understand and respond to the many “languages” children use to communicate, we give every child a “voice”. Reciprocal communication exchanges build sense of connection and enhance children's language skills, social conversational skills and cognitive activity. Communication also happens through creative expression. When children manipulate materials, explore music and movement, create symbols (e.g. mark-making), and engage in imaginative play, they are communicating. Creating and designing fuse together the cognitive, emotional, and physical

domains--thinking, feeling, and doing. Encouraging the creative expression of ideas, feelings, and interpretations using a variety of materials helps to solidify children´s thinking skills, and strengthens their memory and sense of identity. Learning Goals: ● ● ● ● ●

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listen, observe and respond to mutual interaction with children and adults initiate, respond to and engage in reciprocal communication with others learn, understand and use language for a variety of purposes use varied forms of creative expression to communicate feelings, experiences, ideas and understanding of the world around them use their language to express feelings, wishes and experiences, to solve conflicts and to create positive relationships through play and other social interaction express themselves in their first language in addition to gaining competence in language acquisition participate in meaningful interaction and communication with peers and adults, regardless of their abilities develop increasing capacity in the foundations of language that will support later reading and writing. develop their understanding of concepts, and use a varied vocabulary develop a positive relationship with texts and pictures as sources of aesthetic pleasure, knowledge and conversations, and as inspiration for fantasies and creativity listen to sounds and rhythms in the language and become familiar with symbols such as numbers and letters become familiar with books, songs, pictures, the media, etc.

Number, spaces and Shapes From an early age, children are preoccupied by numbers and counting, they explore spaces and shapes, and they form arguments and search for connections. Through play, experimentation and everyday activities, children develop their mathematical skills. Kindergartens have a responsibility for encouraging children in their own investigations, and for facilitating early and good stimulation. Learning Goals: ● enjoy exploring and playing with numbers and shapes ● acquire accurate and applicable mathematical concepts ● experience, explore and play with shapes and patterns

● experience different types of sizes, shapes and measures through sorting and comparing ● experience position and orientation, and thus develop their abilities to navigate

Ethics, religion and philosophy Ethics, religion and philosophy affect our values and attitudes, and help to shape the way in which we perceive and understand the world and human beings. Religions and ideologies provide the foundations for ethical norms. For centuries, Norwegian and European cultures have been dominated by Christian beliefs and traditions along with humanist values. Respect for human dignity and nature, compassion, forgiveness and solidarity are values that appear in many different religions and beliefs and that are rooted in human rights. Learning Goals: ● realise that fundamental questions are important, by providing the time and the necessary peace and quiet for wondering, thinking, conversation and stories ● acquire society’s fundamental norms and values ● develop tolerance of and interest in each other, and respect for each other's backgrounds, regardless of cultural and religious or ideological affiliation ● gain an understanding of fundamental Christian and humanist values and of their place in our culture ● learn about the Christian holidays and traditions and learn about traditions relating to the festivals of religions and ideologies that are represented in the group of children ● learn about religions, ethics and philosophy as aspects of culture and society Local community and society The ISS preschool program strives to ensure that children approach the world outside their families with trust and curiosity. The children participate in exploring and discovering their local community. Children’s varying experiences from their homes, circle of acquaintances and travels provide knowledge about different societies. This learning area also covers the importance of the media in the everyday lives of children.

Learning Goals: ● develop confidence in their own participation in and influence on the community ● experience that all people, regardless of their age or circumstances, form part of and contribute towards the preschool community ● become familiar with and participate in society through experiences in their local communities ● experience that equal attention is paid to boys and girls ● learn about some historic changes to their local communities and societies ● develop an understanding of different traditions and lifestyles ● learn about the human body and begin to understand the importance of good habits and healthy eating - (​Note this learning goal is done through our Preschool Community Cafe). Project Work from Emergent Curriculum Four Types of Projects 73

Source: Working the Reggio Way- Julianne Wurm pg.

74-94

Detailed sample pg.

1. Foundational projects​- Projects children have the right to explore Definition​: This is the foundation, projects that all children will do in the course of the school year 2. Environmental projectsDefinition​: These are projects that grow out of the Learning Studios 3. Daily life projects 4. Definition​: These are projects that spontaneously emerge during assembly or daily life at school. 4. ​Self-managed projects Definition: ​These are projects set up for the children to do independently, alone or with a friend.

Please see our Preschool Community Blog- preschool wanderings for pictures and information of current learning taking place

http://preschoolwanderings.blog.isstavanger.no/

To learn more about Reggio Emilia Approach, please visit : Wikipedia page ​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach NAREA- North American Reggio Alliance ​http://www.reggioalliance.org/ Reggio Children ​http://www.reggiochildren.it/?Lang=en CNN Report on Reggio Emilia Italy Early Childhood School (2013) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVv5ZL9nlgs Wurm, J. (2005) ​Working in the Reggio Way: A Beginners’ guide for American Teachers; Red Leaf Press, USA