How to Choose Nursery or KG

Every child learns not in the same way and not on the same day.

At the core of learning for this age are play-based experiences when young children learn independence

and independent learning. A high-quality kindergarten or a nursery creates an environment in which

confidence and self-estee flourishes. As you egi your sear h for the right pla e to egi your hild s education journey, the three most important criteria are:

1) Curriculum.

2) Environment.

3) Teachers.

1) The Importance of Curriculum

There are many educational philosophies and curriculums to select from in Dubai when choosing a

kindergarten or nursery. There is the International Baccalaureate curriculum in its early years

kindergarten program. Among other early years education philosophies offered in Dubai, the Reggio

Emilia approach focuses on open-ended playful inquiry helps children to learn through play; having the

room at the child height simply makes sense, they cannot see their work if it is too high. Other well-

known early years education philosophies available in Dubai are the Montessori philosophy, which has a

more defined structure, High Scope and Rudolf Steiner.

Parents will also find many nurseries in Dubai offer some form of British National Curriculum

accompanied by a variety of standards.

The Primary Years Program of the IB curriculum, which we follow is a child-led inquiry based program

that maintains a sense of structure, guided by the teacher, while allowing the children freedom to

explore things when they become interesting to them. While there are still learning objectives in

kindergarten, the benefit is that they are on a strong curriculum continuum, which is built to lead from

early years learning to primary years and on. The children are challenged at their own level and given

additional support where needed. It is age and developmentally appropriate. The work is not always

about the finished product, but the process itself.

A child may have a masterpiece to take home, and may have applied fine motor skills, organizational

and self-management skills to complete it. He will have made choices and applied thinking skills. The

work may have been shared during confidence building sessions to encourage communication. The

many non-academic skills that are taught are invaluable. Children learn several types of self-

management skills and progress to working independently on their own. There are communication and

social skills that are taught and learned. Children learn research skills. They learn that it is acceptable not

to know an answer, but we need to know how to find the answer. The children are then constantly

encouraged to apply these new skills in real life situations.

2) The Learning Environment

Classroo e iro e t plays a ital role i hildre s lear i g. Childre lear est he i ol ed ith meaningful objects that are already part of their small world. They learn best while using the immediate

and natural surrounding environment and materials because it is relevant to them. Living in the UAE,

children see lots of sand, rocks, shells, etc., that can be brought in the classroom. The word classroom is

used loosely because learning does not always occur in the classroom. The playground becomes a

classroom, the school administrative office becomes a classroom, and the supermarket becomes a

classroom. The kindergarten classroom environment is used in a child-friendly manner to support

learning that may take place in other locations. It is a welcoming environment with an abundance of

natural materials and light. The space should not over-stimulate and is calm to encourage maximum

comfort for the child to bring his own thoughts and ideas to life.

3) The Influence of Teachers

It is important to remember just how much adults can influence children. Teachers at Uptown are

exceptionally experienced and understand the need for global understanding. They do not always simply

give the answer to the children. Instead they look for ways to solve the problem together. The teacher

facilitates the learning, and is seen as a learner as well. Teachers are flexible and know that deviating

fro the pla is a epta le a d so eti es e e e ouraged. Pare ts are al ays el o e at Upto

and a canteen at school encourages on-site participation. Parents are enabled to become more

knowledgeable about the teaching methods and philosophies used in the classroom, and informed

about the activities they see taking place. There is an open-door policy that encourages parents to assist

in the classroom and experience the transparent learning.

Value the Journey of Your Young Child

Value the work of your child and the process he has undergone. Value the experiences he has while she

is away from you for the day. Your hild s jour ey is priority. K o that the e iro e t you e roll your child in will shape who he becomes as you select a nursery or kindergarten. Look to the adults in your

hild s orld ho ill tra sfer their o alues ithout e e k owing it. Children, young students, need

to know how to solve their own problems. Value their independence because we will not always be

there to solve their problems for them. One day, they will be adults who have to function independently

without parents. It is our responsibility to teach them how the leave the nest and succeed without us.

Every child learns not in the same way and not on the same day.

Lyndsey Thompson, BA, GradDipStratMgt, PGDipTchg, PreK Team Leader, Uptown School and Susan

Simmons Whistler, Communications at Uptown School

Reference website: http://www.uptownschool.ae/