Curriculum Features
Placing children at the centre of their learning, our curriculum covers the six learning areas “Physical Fitness and Health”, “Language”, “Early Mathematics”, “Nature and Living”, “Self and Society” and “Art and Creativity” to promote self-directed learning in children. It incorporates learning themes that children are interested in, and caters for children’s developmental needs at different ages and individual differences in learning, while providing a rich and diversified learning environment for children to explore. Our school-based curriculum that is open and flexible in its design encourages self-directed learning, helps children develop positive values and attitudes, fosters a balanced development in children and encourages them to love God and love others.
Language (Biliteracy and Trilingualism)
To go in line with the Education Bureau’s principle of “developing reading habits at a young age” and to promote a reading atmosphere in school, our curriculum is designed to introduce students to a story at the beginning of every module. Through using a wonderful variety of colourful books, we aim to ignite students’ interests in reading. We immerse children in interesting stories to develop their thinking skills and promote their development in different areas, thus cultivating in them a creative and exploratory mind, enhancing their language abilities, encouraging them to enjoy studying in a happy learning environment and instilling in them a habit of reading.
To implement “biliterate and trilingual” teaching, our professional native-speaking English teachers and Putonghua teachers offer children ample language-learning opportunities with stories, role-plays, games and activities, creating a language-rich environment for children to learn the three languages.
Learning/Teaching Approaches & Activities
Emphasising play as the first step of constructive learning, we incorporate project-based activities, site visits, group learning, stories, learning scenarios in children’s learning, with the provision of a stimulating learning environment. Children are given choices about what they want to play with, how to play and who to play with in different learning zones. The first-hand experiences they gain from participation, manipulation, discovery, experiment and interactions with the environment and people will enable them to construct meaningful knowledge. The activities also offer children learning opportunities to experience autonomy, enjoy the freedom to explore and process their learning, thus motivating children to learn and achieve learning outcomes.
(1) Story-based integrated thematic approach
We implement thematic teaching supported by books and picture books relating to children’s life experiences. A variety of learning activities and games, with engaging scenarios, are designed to enable children to gain a deep understanding of the story, enhance their interests in learning and exploration, and encourage them to show care for society and their surroundings. We also leverage the scenarios, words and context of storybooks to stimulate thinking, develop children’s language abilities, as well as establish in them a love for reading and maximise learning outcomes.
(2) Thematic extention activities
Upon the completion of each thematic unit, we extend children’s learning with subjects, exploratory questions or topics they are most interested in from the lesson, and engage them in a variety of extension activities in between, such as drama, visits, field trips, art or science tours, to allow them to learn through hands-on experience. By doing so, we can broaden their education beyond their main subject areas, unleash their creativity, help them construct knowledge, motivate them to learn and consolidate their learning.
(3) Project approach
With a great emphasis on nurturing in children an interest in learning and helping them develop an exploratory, inquisitive mind, we implement the project approach that responds to children’s interests, abilities and life experiences, and create a learning environment that supports exploratory learning. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their own learning, through which they will be able to construct knowledge and develop a positive attitude towards learning.
(4)Moral Education
We focus on promoting children’s moral development and aim to help them develop positive values. A moral education curriculum that centres around the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control – is designed to go in line with our story story-based integrated thematic approach. The curriculum covers the six main learning areas in early childhood education, incorporated with stories, arts-and-crafts activities, nursery songs, videos, sharing sessions and parent-child activities, to teach children good behaviour and positive values.
Children are expected to develop social skills and problem-skilling skills through the activities. They will learn ways to deal with different challenges and practise good manners and behaviour in life. Through the “Fruits-of-Holy-Spirit Ambassador Program”, observation records, the school radio and other activities on campus, we strive to promote a positive school moral climate that enables children to develop as a whole person in life.
Learning Assessment
Each child is provided with a learning portfolio that objectively keeps track of their overall development. It includes an observation report, a theme-based assessment report, a learning diary and a parents’ feedback form.