Our Programme
We believe that learning happens through play and our staff ensure high quality interactions that foster children’s creativity, early literacy, and math concepts, problem solving skills, social competencies, memory skills, communication and discovery.
Our Preschool educational programme has been designed with links to local schools in mind ensuring that the children are fully prepared for the move to school. Learning is at the heart of our programme and philosophy.
Your child’s story of their learning and development is emailed to you each month. Portfolios are available for you to view while you are at the centre and are given to the child when they leave the centre.
Our centre uses the New Zealand curriculum Te Whāriki for planning and is approved by the Ministry of Education, ensuring children develop holistically. We focus on what your child can do and what they are interested in, creating competent and confident learners who enjoy exploring their environment.
At Little Scholars our early childhood education programmes are divided into three approximate groups, and are flexible to accommodate the needs of the children:
Babies Room: 3 months – 2.5 years (approx)
In our babies room we provide a day filled with plenty of interactions, fun, communication, and learning. We do this through planning for the children based on their learning and parent involvement. Our babies’ room was purpose built to ensure a safe, welcoming, and quite environment for our children, with plenty of space and natural lighting. The space is self-contained and provides a separate sleep room for the children to have undisturbed rest times. All equipment is designed especially for children under the age of two while promoting holistic development, and extension of their learning. Children’s routines from home are followed and our caring staff is always there to put your mind at ease. Each day you will receive a report outlining what your child has eaten, bottles, any medication received, nappy changes, and something special your child has enjoyed throughout the day.
Every day our babies like to explore a range of activities including; Messy Play, Music and Movement, Creative Arts, Reading and Early Literacy, Group time, Outdoor Play, Family Play and Manipulative Play.
Preschool 1 Room: 2.5 – 4.5 years (approx)
At Little Scholars, alongside our regular learning opportunities we also run a programme where extra experiences are offered to extend the older children’s learning. Resources include board games, manipulative activities, puzzles, beads, pencils, paper, art media etc. At Little Scholars we believe in laying the foundations for a life-long love of learning, and have created an environment where children are nurtured and encouraged to explore all aspects of our educational programme. In our spacious Preschool room we have 3 qualified and registered teachers, and 1 teacher in training to work with your children in preparation for school. Learning happens through play and our staff ensure high quality interactions that foster children’s creativity, early literacy and math concepts, problem solving skills, social competencies, memory skills, communication and discovery. Our Preschoolers love to cook! What better way to encourage healthy eating habits than involving the children in the cooking process? We enjoy making a variety of foods and explore new tastes – soups, muffins, biscuits, scones, pizzas and slices are just some of the yummy foods we like to create. Cooking introduces basic literacy, math and science concepts and relationships are strengthened as children learn to cook and share with others.
Preschool 2 Room: 4.5 – 5 years (approx)
A Transition to School room for our top ten eldest children only provides a programme aimed at ensuring your little scholars has the best head start for school. Our educational programme has been designed with links to local schools in mind ensuring that the children are fully prepared for the move to school. Learning is at the heart of our programme and philosophy. Little Scholars is a language and print rich environment that exposes children to all forms of literacy through centre displays, labeling of equipment and everyday objects. Storytelling from an early age helps foster a love of books and the written word. Books allow children to explore a world of make believe and fantasy as well as facts. All this develops the necessary early literacy skills needed to support children’s reading development at school. Preschool children also have a selection of home reading books they can take home each week to share with you. Each book has a focus and a set of activities that you can do with your child. Each week children also make an entry in their personal writing books.
Our Transition to School room also focuses on ensuring the children are holistically ready for school working on perseverance, resilience, responsibility, mindfulness and self help skills.
