KINDERGARTEN -

KINDERGARTEN LEARNING PATHWAY

True North School – Kindergarten cultivates creative thinking, curiosity, and a love for learning for ages 18 months to 5 years old. Our faculty aims to develop children’s integrity and resilience to help each child become confident, and a self-directed learner for an ever-changing world.

Reggio Emilia Approach®

The Reggio Emilia Approach® is an educational philosophy based on the belief that we learn through making connections between concepts and experiences. We make these connections through interactions with others and the environment we live. This approach is a student-centered and constructivist self-guided curriculum that uses experiential learning in a relationship environments.

100 LANGUAGES

The infinite ways that children can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imagination.

THE CHILD

The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education views young children as individuals who are curious about their world and have the powerful potential to learn from all that surrounds them.

THE ENVIRONMENT

The third teacher of the child, open and free-flowing.

THE TEACHER

The collaborator, facilitator, observer and companion of the child.

WHAT OUR PROGRAM OFFERS

At True North School, the Kindergarten Program (ages 18 months – 5 years):

Emphasizes developmentally appropriate learning opportunities grounded in developmental theory, knowledge of each child’s development, and the Vietnamese socio-cultural context.
Nurtures child-initiated inquiry, wondering and questioning.
Offers children opportunities to communicate their ideas through performing, visual arts, creativity, movement and uninterrupted play.
Emphasizes oral language as the foundation of literacy development.
Empowers children to make decisions about their learning.
Enables children to understand their experiences with others and the world through exploration, collaboration and play.
Embraces the outdoors as an integral part of the learning environment.
Supports children through exposure to multiple educators in order to best meet their developmental needs within the context of the early years environment.
Gives children the opportunity to learn in multi-age environments. The True North School Kindergarten program moves children from our early years program toward academics – literacy, mathematics, science instruction and other STEAM-related concepts that are age-appropriate.

THE 100 LANGUAGES

The infinite ways that children can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imaginings.

A METAPHOR

Children express themselves through many “languages,” or modes of expression, including words, movement, drawing, painting, sculpture, shadow play, collage, and music.

VARIOUS WAYS OF REPRESENTATIONS

The hundred languages represent the infinite amount of potential each child naturally has and each child’s individual view and take of their community. As is widely accepted by educators and supported in research, children learn in a variety of ways. This knowledge is the reason why providing different means for learning and exploring is critical in the educational journey.

LEARN ABOUT “THE 100 LANGUAGES”

“The 100 Languages”

THE CHILD

THE “TEACHER” OF THE CLASS

The Reggio Emilia philosophy values the child as central to their own learning, not simply an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge.

UNIQUE WAYS TO EXPRESS INTELLIGENCE

The approach inspires the child to explore the world in their own unique way, and encourages self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving.

THE ENVIRONMENT

“The third teacher” of the child – open and free-flowing

THE THIRD TEACHER

A Reggio-inspired environment is often referred to as ‘the third teacher’. It enables uninterrupted exploration, play, and learning.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACES

Spaces in and outside classroom are equally valued as formal classrooms, and the design of the spaces allow children to move freely between the two.

THE TEACHER

The collaborator, facilitator, observer and companion of the child.

THE OBSERVER

Teachers are encouraged to observe children rather than to direct them. It is important that children are allowed to experiment in their own way, make mistakes and find new solutions. Teachers carefully observe the child to understand their interests, strengths and talents, following a documentation recording of the learning journey.