Kindergarten Program

What is CWS Early Learning–Kindergarten program?

The International CWS Kindergarten Program (KP) has been designed for students aged 3-5.

This program was designed to help children get a strong start in school, so they can go on to have successful, rewarding lives. The purpose of the CWS kindergarten program is to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years, and to do so in a safe and caring play-based environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of all children.

The goals of CWS Kindergarten program are as follows:

• to establish a strong foundation for the early years by providing young children with an integrated day of learning.
• to provide a play-based learning environment.
• to help children make a smoother transition to CWS Grade 1.
• to improve children’s prospects for success in school and in their lives beyond school.

CWS Kindergarten program is based on the understanding that children develop within a complex set of interrelated systems that includes the family, the school, the broader community, and the World. Although early learning programs have traditionally acknowledged the importance of these systems, they have tended to address each one separately, in terms of its individual impact on the child. By contrast, CWS Kindergarten program recognizes the importance of the child’s development of the interrelationships between and among these systems and builds on those. Holding this at the center of its vision, the program sets children on a more positive trajectory for learning.

Six fundamental principles guide the CWS Kindergarten program they are as follows:

1. Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health.
2. Partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children.
3. Respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion are prerequisites for honoring children’s rights, optimal development, and learning.
4. A planned curriculum supports early learning.
5. Play is a means to early learning that capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance.
6. Knowledgeable, responsive educators are essential.

CWS Kindergarten programs reflect the belief that 3-5 year-olds are capable and active learners, full of potential and ready to take ownership of their learning. It approaches children as unique individuals who live and learn within their families and communities.

CWS Kindergarten program aims to provide every child with the kind of support he or she needs in order to develop:

• Self-regulation
• Health, well-being, and a sense of security
• Emotional and social competence
• Curiosity and confidence in learning
• Respect for the diversity of his or her peer’s education.

CWS Kindergarten Teaching/Learning Approaches

CWS Kindergarten programs are designed to consist of a balance of exploration, guided instruction, and explicit instruction. Kindergarten children need many opportunities to investigate and explore. These experiences allow children to build on their existing knowledge, create and clarify their own new understandings, and experience a variety of approaches to a problem or question. In investigation and exploration, children’s autonomy is high, and teachers should observe, listen, and question in order to provide the children with the support they need using the instructional strategy of scaffolding.

In guided instruction, learning experiences will be thoughtfully planned and executed by the teacher. While providing guidance, the teacher should be flexible in order to make the best use of alternatives and strategies that are generated by the children. Explicit instruction is used by the teacher to clarify steps, extend an idea in a particular direction, or demonstrate a skill that may be used in a broader context.

CWS Assessment is the key to effective teaching and is the starting point for instruction in the Kindergarten program. CWS’ Kindergarten program provides teachers with the chance to observe and assess the children’s strengths, needs, and interests. On the basis of this ongoing assessment, teachers should plan instruction to help children build on what they know and extend their thinking. For example, teachers may pose an open-ended question, give a direction, and then ask a child to demonstrate a familiar concept in a new way or encourage a child to try a new activity.

The different types of learning techniques that should be offered and the teaching/learning approaches that should be used in this program are as follows:

• Learning Through Inquiry
• Learning in Real-Life Contexts
• Learning Through Exploration
• Language Development and Literacy
• Early Numeracy Development

CWS Learning Expectations are as follows;

• Personal and Social Development
  Skills that are foundational for lifelong learning, well-being, and social development (e.g., self-reliance and social skills) are organized under Personal and Social Development.
• Language
  Skills that are foundational for literacy development (that is, oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills) are organized under Language.
• Mathematics
  Skills that are foundational for numeracy development (e.g., skills in the areas of number sense, geometric relationships, measurement relationships, and pattern) are organized under Mathematics.
• Science and Technology
  Skills that are foundational for scientific and technological learning (e.g., inquiry, design, observation, and exploration skills) are organized under Science and Technology.
• Health and Physical Activity
  Skills that are foundational for physical development (e.g., skills for large-muscle and small-muscle development) and for healthy living are organized under Health and Physical Activity.
• The Arts
  Skills that are foundational for learning in the arts (that is, skills in visual arts, music, drama, and dance) are organized under The Arts.