Our Daily Routine at Little Orchids

 
AM Session (PM session) Verbal Behaviour Project
9.15am : arrivals.  12.30pm : arrivals.
9.15am - 10.00am     : choice time/ Ball Pool  12.30pm - 1.15pm   : choice time/ ball pool
10.15am - 10.25am   : break time/ brush teeth/ choice time.  1.15pm - 1.40pm   : break time/ brush teeth/ choice time.
10.25am - 10.45am   : group time  1.40pm - 2.00pm   : group time
10.45am - 11.00am   : outside time  2.00pm - 2.15pm   : outside time
11.00am - 11.15am   : music time.  2.15pm - 2.30pm   : music time.
11.15am                    : Departure time.  2.30pm                  : Departure time.

HighScope Curriculum

At Little Orchids we follow the HighScope approach which is a complete system of early childhood education. It provides teaching approaches and a comprehensive curriculum that addresses all areas of learning and development.

HighScope is a quality approach to early childhood care and education which has been shaped and developed by research and practice over a forty year period. It identifies and builds on children’s strengths, interests and abilities. The HighScope curriculum is used internationally in a variety of settings including day-care, crèches, playgroups, nursery and primary schools.

HighScope curriculum promotes independence, curiosity, decision-making, co-operation, persistence, creativity and problem solving in young children. HighScope believes in active participatory learning which children participate actively in the learning process. They discover things through direct experience with people, objects, events and ideas.

Adults are actively involved in the playroom they thoughtfully provide materials, plan activities and talk with children in ways which both support and challenge what children are observing and thinking. Activities are developmentally and appropriately matched to their current and emerging abilities.

Areas of the room are labelled and provide diverse materials that give children a broad range of experiences that promote initiative and independence. Materials are easily assessed and can be put away easily on their own. The material reflects the children's interests so children are comfortable and excited about learning.

Another important aspect of HighScope curriculum is the adult-child interaction. Adults balance the freedom the children need to explore with the limits they need to feel secure.

The central belief of the HighScope approach is that children construct their own learning by doing and being involved in working with materials, people, and ideas. HighScope provides the practitioners and manager with a recognised and evidence based curriculum and a flexible open framework for learning which can meet the needs of individual children and validated observation record.

HighScope provides children with:

• A consistent and flexible daily routine which provides for child and adult initiated activities

• Opportunities for children to engage in the active participatory learning process

• Adults who value and appreciate children and provide a creative and supportive learning climate

• Children develop self-confidence, initiative, creativity and problem solving skills

• Children learn about social relationships, the world about them, maths, science and technology, reasoning and language

• Children develop positive attitudes to self, others and to future earning

Highscope promotes family involvement by:

• A partnership approach to the child’s care and education and on-going exchange of information between family and setting

Verbal Behaviour Project

The Verbal Behaviour project focuses specifically on the verbal behaviour approach to enhance the children's ability to learn functional language. The project focuses on promoting communication skills due to the high number of children with speech and language delay. Language delay has a direct impact on a host of other important skills. Therefore the most important aspect of this intervention programme is the early development of effective communication skills. The reasoning behind the verbal behaviour approach is to provide an incentive for the child to communicate.

Our rules of play at Little Orchids

• We share

• We are kind

• We listen

• We look after our toys

• We keep our feet on the floor

• We sit on our chair

• We wait our turn

• We help to tidy up

• We keep our hands down

It is important that parents also use these rules of play at home so the child experiences consistency.

Outdoor play

Staff at Little Orchids value outdoor play to provide the children with rich learning experiences that can only happen outdoors.

All children benefit from having extended opportunities for learning outdoors. The outdoors environment provides particularly good opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills. The outdoor environment can be a highly motivational place for the    development of communication skills, and motivation is key to stimulating the use and development of communication skills. Children must first experience the desire to express their thoughts, feelings, ideas and intentions.

Children need varied opportunities to interact with others and to use a wide variety of resources for expressing their understanding, and the outdoor area provides a larger and more varied activities.

Media Initiative for Children Respecting Different Programme

Media Initiative for Children Respecting DiversityAt Little Orchids we use the core resources of the MIFC particularly the persona dolls, songs and rhythms, feelings cube, mirrors, storybooks and jigsaws. The focus of this age group in our setting is to support the children’s emotional and social development. The emphasis is on supporting the children to understand and express their feelings, improved awareness of behaviour associated with feelings, increased self-confidence, independence, increased awareness of other’s feelings and beginning of empathy.

We use the persona dolls to support the development of their social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and increased awareness of themselves.

The significance of social and emotional development is seen in every area of a child’s life. The child will have a strong foundation if he/she can manage his/her own feelings, understand other’s feelings and needs and interact positively with others.

HOW CAN JO JINGLES CLASSES HELP TO DEVELOP KEY SKILLS?

It has been widely acknowledged that singing with children and encouraging ‘active music making’ can aid a child’s development in many key areas other than just musical ability. Research is even suggesting that the earlier music is introduced to a child the more potential that child will have for learning in the future.

Through our fun, and lively music sessions Jo Jingles aims to help children develop in the following key areas:

   Language/Communication

The use of simple rhymes and lyrics, singing and other vocal activities help to support language development. Repetition, call and response songs help to reinforce and practice listening and speaking skills.

   Listening

The use of simple music and sound games helps children to develop the vital skills of listening and concentrating.  We promote ‘active listening’ in all of our classes, our interactive sessions encourage children to think and react to what they hear.

   Mathematical

Learning how to beat and count to simple music rhythms, as well as singing basic counting songs assist with mathematical development.  Themes such as numbers also feature in classes.

   Movement/Physical

Movement put to music aids physical development. Applying specific movements such as hopping or jumping to particular moments in songs helps children to distinguish between purposeful and non-purposeful movement.   Actions such as beating an instrument or even clapping helps develop hand eye co-ordination.

   Memory

Children will ‘pick up’ a catchy tune quite naturally and will remember words and actions more easily when they are put to music.  Repetition of songs and activities and also noise games are used in classes to help build children’s sense of anticipation.

   Confidence/Personal Social Skills

Themes are used every week to help children develop a sense of self and the world in which they live.  Programmes always follow the same routine with which children become familiar and comfortable.  Children collect instruments, take turns, and are encouraged to answer questions/share experiences helping build confidence and social skills.

   Imagination/Creativity

Imagination is used to a great extent in classes; often children will be encouraged to role-play throughout songs or may act-out a song using basic props. In our older classes children are encouraged to think about sounds and noises made by everyday objects as well as musical instruments so that they can create their own sounds at home.  We introduce a wide variety of different styles of music at age appropriate points in the programmes, and encourage children to think about how the music makes them feel and what the music might be about.