Our Programme : Infancy (Early Years) Programme | Pre Primary Programme | Elementary Programme
Infancy (Early Years) Programme
Life’s journey of learning and discovery starts from the moment of conception. In the secure environment of his or her mother’s womb the child is already sensing, feeling, growing and responding. After birth, by the end of the first year, it is almost like a miracle has happened! The child can control the movements of his/her whole body, eager to explore the space around; stretching and crawling, grasping and releasing objects, sharing our laughter and emotions; ready to widen the range of activity by standing or walking.
Ages 15 months to 3 years old
8.30 am to 12 noon, Monday to Friday
Curriculum
The Early Years curriculum is designed around the developmental needs of children from 15 months to 3 years old based on the Montessori Method. There are a wide range of activities covering different aspects of this development.
Exercises of Practical Life
“The Exercises of Practical Life are formative activities, a work of adaptation to the environment. Such adaptation to the environment and efficient functioning therein is the very essence of a useful education.” Maria Montessori
Care of self
Children, however young, love to be busy and fruitfully occupied. Activities to help with care of self, such as dressing frames, washing hands, eating independently and learning to use the toilet on their own are some examples.
Care of the environment
Children learn to take care of their environment easily if it is part of their daily lives. Various activities and experiences prepare them to take care of their surroundings like caring for plants, sweeping, mopping, dusting and polishing. They take great joy in such work.
Grace and courtesy
It is the simple graces that come together to strengthen and enable good inter-personal relationships … learning how to say please and thank you, how to wait ones turn, how not to disturb another child while working and how to be a constructive and helpful member of a community. The Exercises of Practical Life help with co-ordination, concentration, orderly work habits, responsibility, social relations and independence.
Manipulative Activities
These activities help the child to refine his or her movements, both large and fine. The materials offered are designed to assist the development of co-ordination, independence and self-esteem. The large movements include walking, running, jumping, climbing, and various whole hand movements. The finer movements include wrist and finger movements, strengthening the pincer grip and activities for eye-hand co-ordination. All these activities for both large and fine movements indirectly help cognitive skills and logical reasoning. Children explore, manipulate and arrive at conclusions.
Language and Communication
Young children ‘absorb’ language effortlessly and must be given opportunities to develop and expand their vocabularies, visual acuity, listening and conversational skills. This happens through a collaborative effort in a stimulating and nurturing environment, with the exchanging of ideas and thoughts through various activities such as naming, matching, sorting, painting, singing, music and both one on one and group interaction.
15 months to 3 years
Infancy/Early Years Programme
Our Infancy programme focuses on self-sufficiency, strengthens gross and fine motor skills and appeals to the senses. It is integrally related to skills required for independence in our day to day lives, something the young child intuitively craves. The principle followed is ‘learning by doing’.
3 to 6 years
Pre Primary Programme
Around the age of 2 ½ to 3 years, children transition to the Pre-Primary environment. Along with their physical growth and coordination, they are provided with experiences that further develop their senses, enrich vocabulary and the power of communication, as well as an understanding of numbers. They get a feel of the culture that surrounds communities around the world and their connection with it.
Grades 1-6
Lower Elementary: 6 to 9 years (Grades 1,2,3)
Upper Elementary: 9 to 12 years (Grades 4,5,6)
Around the age of six, children are ready to stretch beyond the environment they know and explore what lies beyond. They have a voracious appetite for facts, a desire to assert their claim for mental independence, and vivid imaginations. The mixed age group in each Elementary environment provides opportunities for wider social interaction. Groups of children work on different concepts, unlike in a traditional classroom where every child is doing the same thing.
Grades 7-12
The journey continues at Head Start Educational Academy
hsea.edu.in
On completion of the Elementary programme (Grade 6), children have the option of continuing their journey from Grade 7 to 12 at Head Start Educational Academy, Sarjapur. Both the ICSE and IGCSE exams are offered for Grade 10 and the ISC and AS & A Level for Grade 12.