The children of Discover First Step Pre-School experience a community of learning that is fueled by a strong image of the child and supported by the fundamental belief that children learn best from hands on experiences, as a subject with rights who learns and grows through relationships with others. Here are some of the skills and experiences children take through their learning journey, well beyond their education, and into life thereafter.
Learning @ DFS
The Children of Discover First Step Pre-School
Community
Children thrive when learning is a social and connected experience. Encouraging interaction with the wider community fosters curiosity and values diverse sources of knowledge. This approach helps them recognize the value in others and different experiences.
Confidence and Risk Taking
Children are respected and welcomed in sharing their ideas, opinions, and theories. They grow in confidence and begin taking risks, testing, and attempting new things. A willingness to take risks is critical to the active learning process as children learn greatly through trial and error.
Problem Solving and Research Skills
Children become expert researchers and problem solvers as they are challenged by educators to find the answers to questions. They learn to seek knowledge outside of themselves through broad interactions with people, materials, resources, and technology.
Unlimited Learning Potential
Learning is an active process, not a digestion or pre-conceived knowledge. The emergent curriculum and access to a wide range of resources and materials allows children to go further, deeper, and more broadly into their enquiries than a pre-determined curriculum might allow.
Sense of Self
Children are highly valued in their uniqueness, the individual voice is encouraged, invited, and supported through dialogue and creative experiences. Children grow comfortable in their own skin, proud and understanding of the person they are and are becoming.
Sense of Belonging
Children are given opportunities to take ownership of their space, their choices being responded to in the environment and experiences offered by Educators. Documentation which makes learning visible provides children with a strong sense of being and belonging, and a deeper connection to their space.
Independence
Children are supported in taking on daily tasks such as carrying back packs, placing water bottles in baskets or supporting cleanup of snack. Children grow strongly independent and experience a strong sense of self-worth in performing an active role in the community.
Inspired to Learn
The emergent curriculum provides children with opportunities to construct knowledge based on their interests. They see learning as fulfilling, enjoyable and meaningful and are therefore encouraged drive their knowledge further.
Generosity of Spirit
Children experience joy and fulfillment through their connections within the community, they find value in these interactions. They become highly collaborative, cooperative, and supportive of others. They become active, willing, and respectful participants in the world.
Role of Parents
With parents being invited as active participants in the learning journey, a child’s sense of worth, confidence, belonging and importantly, sense of identity, blossoms creating a seamless and powerful partnership between home and school.
Value of Play
Recognizing the value of play, imagination and creativity children are supported in wondering, creating, and imagining. It is critical that children are supported in these creative endeavors in support of their individual expression and also of future abstract thinking in particular linked to mathematics and scientific pursuits.