What will my child learn and do at kindy?

At Kidsfirst Kindergartens we really do care about your child and the time they spend with us in those incredibly important early years that lead into school.

When your child is with us, you can expect to see lots of little changes as they start to gain more independence, learn and develop. By the time your child is ready for school we like to think they will have developed as confident, competent learners.

During a child's time at a Kidsfirst kindergarten, they'll have many opportunities to participate in activities to help prepare them for reading, writing and maths activities in primary school.

Importantly, we'll also focus on your child's ability to work alongside others co-operatively and relate confidently to both teachers and peers, while bolstering traits such as perseverance, creativity and curiosity.

We’re only too aware of the important role we play in helping children to grow and develop. For many Kiwi kids, kindergarten is where they gain a love of learning and education. It’s where they have fun, try new things, work together with others and make friends. But it’s very important that this isn’t just free play. That’s why we employ fully qualified teachers and tailor our activities around the Ministry of Education’s national early childhood curriculum Te Whaariki.

Kidsfirst supports the Ministry of Education’s aspiration statement for children:

“to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.”

What will my child learn?
Our early childhood education programme provides a variety of experiences for your child, so they can learn to make sense of their world. It's important that children embrace new challenges, that they learn to co-operate with each other, and set goals for themselves assisted by our qualified teachers.

We want to help your child have fun and get ready to become a confident and competent learner during their school years.

How does the curriculum work?
We believe in first learning about your child, identifying your child's strengths, abilities and interests. Then we develop comprehensive and well-documented programme plans to broaden your child's learning and development.

These programme plans build on things that interest and excite your child and we use these plans to help him or her to learn. We offer a safe learning environment where your child is encouraged to interact, explore and make decisions. We'll work with your child on an individual basis, as well as in group activities, to develop your child's interests and abilities.

Does that mean it's all learning and no play?
Certainly not. We're talking about young children and the best way for them to learn is through play. By trying new things, mixing with other kids and expressing themselves, they develop skills and knowledge. If they're enjoying themselves it makes learning easier and more fun.

That's the goal - because we're also trying to teach your child that exploring our world can be fun, exciting and satisfying.

How children learn at Kidsfirst
Our teaching programme supports children to learn best when they are engaged in active play. There are several aspects to our teaching programme:

1. The Core Programme
   Consists of a wide range of activities provided daily by our teachers. Each core activity in the kindergarten has been chosen to provide your child with a variety of skills.
2. The Emergent Curriculum
   This is based on activities that result from your child's interest and investigation.
3. Programme Planning
   Teachers provide activities that will broaden your child's learning and development within the kindergarten. This often includes 'planting the seeds', providing the opportunities and supporting your child to drive the learning activity.
4. Individual and Group Learning
   The ultimate objective is a unique learning programme designed specifically for your child, which will provide opportunities for group and individual learning.

What do they do?
There's so much that goes on, but our core programme contains a wide range of activities that are provided daily by our teachers to help your child develop a variety of skills. Some of these activities include music and movement, language and literature, science and nature, art and painting, carpentry and construction, physically active play, sensory activities, sand and water, maths, collage, puzzles and blocks, dramatic play and ICT(computers, digital cameras).

How does this lead into school?
Our teaching programme has been developed to lead into the sorts of things your child will do and learn at school. The core activities of our programme are designed to link into the essential learning areas and skills of the New Zealand curriculum framework as used by primary schools. Your child will particpate in many activities that will prepare them for ongoing learning in areas such as maths, reading and writing. They will also gain the social skills to enable them to integrate well at school. And when it comes time to go to school, we'll help with making sure the transition is smooth and easy.

Who'll help my child to develop skills?
We believe that alongside parents, early childhood education are the first guides for our children in establishing a lifetime of learning. That's why we only employ fully qualified and trained teachers to work with your child.

• All Kidsfirst Kindergartens teachers have a minimum tertiary qualification of a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
• All teachers are registered with the New Zealand Teachers Council
• Teachers continually update their knowledge and skills through a large number of professional development opportunities that are provided each year
• All teachers hold a current first aid certificate.

What if my child has special needs?
We understand that every child is unique and adapt our programmes accordingly. Te Whaariki can be moulded to take into consideration the strengths and requirements of individual children in order to get them working to the best of their abilities. An Individual Development/Education Plan (IDP or IEP) will be developed for children who require additional or alternative resources. Children with special needs will be fully included and educated within our framework of Te Whaariki and extra support may be accessed.

Who can I talk to?
Kindergarten is a partnership with parents, whanau/family and caregivers. We like to take every opportunity during our conversations with you to share your child's progress and development. If you have anything you would like to discuss with us, simply ask or make a time to come back.