Ekam Curriculum

Curriculum

Ekam Early Learning Centre is a learning environment which fosters creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving. Ekam Early Learning Centre ensures an environment where children and adults partner to construct meaning and explore possibilities.

All children are naturally curious. They learn best when their themes of learning stem from their experiences and interests. Our learning programmes stimulate their attention, making them learners for life. The curriculum encourages children to ask questions, plan investigations, explore various outcomes, and reach conclusions, with teachers being facilitators. Through play and inquiry, our children develop into confident communicators, problem solvers, and thinkers.

Our pedagogical philosophy is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and learning outcomes by the IB Primary Years Program. While the Reggio approach emphasizes nature, creativity, stimulating environment and hands-on learning, keeping in mind that children have 100 languages to express themselves. The inquiry-based methodology strives to generate a robust inner enthusiasm for lifelong learning and to develop children’s innate abilities and talents.

We strongly believe that all children are resilient and intelligent. We strive to create a community founded on the idea of respect – self-respect, respect for each other, and respect for the environment.

Consistency within our school’s daily schedule is an essential factor towards building community and relationships among peers and adults alike. While routine is flexible, the components of the day remain the same from class to class. Each group participates in group conversations during circle time, engages in project work, and has an opportunity for unstructured gross motor exercise. Ample time is allotted for meals, play, reading, and building relationships. Students also have a substantial schedule that is augmented with music and art enrichments.

The curriculum framework at Ekam Early Learning Centre is broadly defined around six guiding principles and seven areas of learning.

The Guiding principles are as follows:

Children are individuals who develop at different rates

Each child is unique. Each one grows and develops skills and competencies at his/her own pace. At Ekam, we respect each child’s individuality and cater to his/her learning style. Learning is made fun through play and children are given ample time to discover and absorb the rich learning experiences provided at school.

Young children are creative and inquisitive by nature. They are capable and competent, and can express in more than a hundred ways

All children are creative and express themselves in different ways. At Ekam, we provide a detailed and stimulating environment that fosters creativity and encourages children to express themselves in various ways. Children are viewed as capable communicators who grow in their ability to communicate through their ‘hundred languages.’ A hundred different ways of thinking, discovering and learning which extend beyond verbal communication and include creative expression through singing, movement and dance, drawing, building, sculpture, painting, performance, Science, mathematics and more. These hundred languages are valued and nurtured in a child which makes them competent and creative learners.

The classroom environment acts as the third teacher

One of the most influential and essential components of our philosophy is to ensure that the classroom acts as a ‘living organism, a place of shared relationships among children, teachers, parents, and a feeling of belonging in a world that is alive, welcoming, and authentic’. Because the classroom acts as a living organism, it is one of the more critical components. Classrooms and common spaces are carefully integrated, as well as with the outside community. Classes also use natural furnishing to encourage real-life interactions.

Teachers are nurturers and guides who help facilitate the process of learning in the classroom

At Ekam, teachers are partners in the learning process. They guide experiences, open-ended discovery, and problem-solving. The main goal for the teacher is to listen and observe the children. The teachers also have an ear for opportunities so that they can encourage further exploration of children’s interests. Children and teachers collaborate to learn, but it’s the responsibility of the teacher to identify when a concept can be used to encourage further discovery and learning.

Parents are partners in education

At Ekam, parental participation is a critical component of the learning philosophy. Parents play an active role in their child’s learning experiences as well as help to ensure the welfare of the children in the community around them. Parent participation is supported through reciprocal relationships with the teachers, and the views and opinions of parents are respected and acknowledged..

Learning through play-based inquiry

We use to play as a context for learning where children can explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in imaginative and playful ways. Engaging young children through play-based inquiry helps create a natural love for learning in them. Learning through play creates a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning in later life. It helps them build self-regulation, social skills, creativity, persistence, communication skills and problem-solving skills.

The Areas of Learning are as follows:

S.No	Subjects	Class Description
1	Language and Literacy	This area is divided into oral communication, speaking, listening, reading, comprehending simple texts, and encouraging writing skills. Language and Literacy help children to express themselves in various ways through oral and written communication and also instils a love for reading.
2	Math	This area helps children develop their skills in logical operations, like counting, sorting, matching, creating patterns, comparing and measuring, describing shapes and problem-solving. We help them build a strong mathematical foundation through practical tasks, stories, songs, games and imaginative plays. We also help children understand how mathematics can be applied in real life during their pre school education
3	Science and Social Studies	Students learn various skills and attitudes through the transdisciplinary themes that we follow at Ekam Early Learning Centre. The teachers create a very enriching and stimulating environment which provokes the children to inquire, ask questions, and this leads to inquiry-based learning. In Science, students learn about the characteristics of animals and plants and the basic physical properties of objects and materials. They also learn about our environment and how to respect and care for it. In Social Studies, students learn about themselves in terms of age, gender and physical traits. They also learn about other people, their characteristics, and how they live. They learn about different types of families, and the different roles people play in families, school and the broader community in which they live.
4	Personal, Social and Emotional Development	Children learn to manage emotions and regulate their behaviour. They learn to control impulses, follow behaviour guidelines, cope with strong emotions and delay gratification. In our nurturing and supportive environment, teachers gently guide children and help them develop positive social skills. They learn to share, wait their turn, express empathy, show kindness and respect others. Students also learn to participate cooperatively and constructively in group situations.
5	Cognitive Development	Preschoolers always want to learn how things work, and they learn best through play. Children at play are solving problems, creating, experimenting, thinking and learning all the time; this is why we encourage play at school. Which supports their cognitive development – that is the child’s ability to think, understand, communicate, remember, imagine and work out what might happen next. Students learn to construct their thought processes, including remembering, problem-solving, and decision-making that helps demonstrate positive approaches to learning.
6	Physical Development	Ekam Early Learning Centre employs a knowledge-based and fundamental skill-set approach to physical education. We guide our young students to develop gross-motor and fine-motor skills. They learn balance, coordination and travelling skills, such as running, hopping, climbing and jumping, this promotes social skills as they play together and also helps build resilience. Our state-of-the-art indoor gym and outdoor play areas are well equipped to support physical development in our learners.
7	Creative Arts	Learning arts help children experience a unique integration of the body and mind. We, therefore, encourage children to indulge in and appreciate different forms of creative expressions like art, music, dance, and role play.