(VEN) - The seed is in the ground, the rain falls, the sun shines and soon the small sapling will break the ground reaching for the light. Children are these small saplings - hunting around them in their quest for knowledge and understanding. How to foster and care for these saplings is an important responsibility - they all deserve the best opportunities to develop to their full potential. For last 15 years, ABCIS have been offering this through the British curriculum.
In recent years there has been much research on the earliest years of a child's education. It has long been recognized how important this but there have been numerous ongoing debates on how best to achieve this. In September 2008 all UK schools, nurseries and child care centers caring for children aged five and under were legally obliged to provide what has be known as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This is based on six areas - physical development; creative development; communication, language and literacy; knowledge and understanding of the world; problem solving, reasoning and numeracy and personal, social and emotional development.
The aim of this curriculum ensures the development of the whole child and allows all to develop their strengths, in whichever area they lie. This learning takes place in such a way that the children are active and engaged learners who are applying their knowledge, in ways that are relevant and stimulating to them. In this way the earliest roots of learning are embedded in such as way that the child will be able to build on them as they move through the school. The Key Stage 1 curriculum (for children aged five to seven) then develops this further.
The early years at ABCIS
The needs of these children are particularly special and are met on a purpose built campus. This includes 3 separate play areas - an area for the children in EYFS where they can use sand and water or cycle (amongst many other activities), a large play area for Key Stage 1 with play equipment to develop their physical skills and a large grassed area for free play. Classrooms are bright, airy, spacious and stimulating areas in which to learn. An important feature in all classrooms is the children using a range of ICT. This includes interactive whiteboards, cameras, programmable devices and remote control toys. Learning these skills at such a young age in this technically dominated era is as essential to a child's life skills as being able to read, write and manipulate numbers. Every year a significant investment is made in quality, appropriate resources purchased in UK to support the needs of this broad and balanced curriculum. A swimming pool, built with those first nervous stages in mind, does much to develop confidence in a new experience.
All class teachers are experienced in the British curriculum and adapting it to individual learners as needed. In this they are aided by experienced teaching assistants who work in partnership with the teacher in developing children's skills and knowledge. It is widely recognized that parents are essential partners in all children's learning and this is something encouraged in many ways.
And so we encourage that small sapling to grow. It develops roots in the essential skills that are needed by any learner whilst reaching for the light of achieving their highest potential. And what happened to those very first small saplings of 15 years ago? They're enthusiastic, caring and confident young people preparing to enter university./.
Xuan Trung
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