Early Childhood Education Curriculum

Soong Ching Ling Kindergarten has an E.C.E. curriculum that is based on ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage’ curriculum of England, the period of education up to five years.

  • Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfill their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child's experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
  • The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all Early Years providers should meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children's school readiness and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.

The EYFS starts in the Nursery year level, transitions through to the Kindergarten year level and on into our Reception year level. By end of our Reception year level (4 -5 yr olds), most children will have achieved certain early learning goals, depending on their age and stage of development.

The Areas of Learning and Development

There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in Early Years settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the Prime Areas, are:

  • Communication and Language;
  • Physical Development; and
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Teachers must also support children in four Specific Areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

  • Literacy;
  • Mathematics;
  • Understanding the World; and
  • Expressive Arts and Design

Areas of Learning and Development –

The EYFS is organised into the following seven areas of learning and development. We also include a daily lesson using Mandarin Chinese.
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. All areas of Learning and Development are connected to one another, equally important and underpinned by the Principles of the EYFS.
Educational programmes must involve activities and experiences for children, as follows:

  • Communication and Language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
  • Physical Development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
  • Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems and other written materials) to ignite their interest.
  • Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.
  • Understanding the World involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
  • Expressive Arts and Design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.