Tamagawa International Preschool's Curriculum

 

All learning objectives are developed to meet standards consistent with, and incorporating elements of, Early Elementary curriculums in the U.K. and North
America and Australia with an investigative, student directed, learning approach.

 

Artist Appreciation

 

The program is aimed at introducing your child to artists and musicians to foster an appreciation of the Arts. The first artist we have been learning about is Pablo Picasso. After looking at his many different styles of painting, the children created their own cubist self portraits. We looked at paintings from Picasso's blue period and then afterwards the children painted there own blue pictures.

 

Physical Education Class

 

At our Physical Education class, professional early childhood gym coach, Chiba, guides children to enjoy building their physical strength.  All the children have been participating in the classes with lots of enthusiasm. We have been learning to stretch, jump, hop, do somersaults, walk backwards, throw a ball and lots more. Our PE program is based on Yanagisawa program, special program tailored for young children.

 

Center Based Learning Activities

 

Students learn by engaging a number of subject and theme specific activity centers designed to use materials within them to foster a meaningful, hands-on, approach to learning.

 

Language Arts

 

Children participate in whole group, small-group, and individual learning activities to develop language awareness and promote language skills.
A focus on “reading readiness” guides our reading programs which use a variety of resources (big books, “authentic readers” – storybooks, and guided readers).
Students have the opportunity to expand their curiosity upon concepts learned in instructional time during center time and by engaging in projects.
Assessment is undertaken regularly using professional, progressive, assessment tools that gauge each student’s abilities. These assessment tools also drive
the next steps in teaching to further each student’s progress in their listening, speaking, reading and writing capabilities.

 

Mathematics

 

Children learn with the emphasis on the use of countable, manipulative, items during instructional time and center time. This approach allows students to develop concepts in math that are appropriate to their cognitive development to allow them to move from “concrete” mathematical operations to “abstract”
operations. Resources used in instructional time include elements taken from North American classroom textbooks as well as modified Montessori modules.

 

Thematic Learning

 

Students focus upon themes that are relevant to their understanding of the world around them. Thematic learning engages the students’ interest
to promote a deeper, more enriched, understanding of the subject matter during instructional time, center time, and time dedicated to projects.