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Our Before School Program Gillies Ave
At BestStart Gillies, our before-school programme happens in a fun and interactive way.
In a playful way, we help our 4-year old’s to grow in self-care, attention and concentration skills, emotional regulation, language skills and social skills.
Our strategies include all age groups, yet a little more structure is given to our 4-year-olds with a perceptual programme to equip them to step into their new entrance/year 1 room with confidence and with enthusiasm for lifelong learning.
Literacy abilities grow through songs, discussion, writing and drawing, art, and the use of magazines and printed material to help our 4-year-olds to identify pictures, symbols, and text.
Our different areas of play are set up, offering different provocations for our four year old’s to explore. These areas of play include science and nature, mathematical concepts, literacy and creative art. Teachers spend time with children in these different areas and use spontaneous opportunities to encourage conversation, critical thinking and more complex play.
Numeracy is woven into songs and play. We make learning fun and easily accessible. From counting (in English, Te Reo Māori and (including cultural identity) in the home language to making patterns, sorting materials, and basic addition and subtraction, our children understand how to identify numbers and simple mathematical concepts.
Teachers provide a variety of hands-on science experiments and experiences – Our 4-year-olds are exposed to different vocabulary as they discover the wonder of science from a purely explorative approach.
By providing various physical challenges and activities, our 4-year-olds build social skills and perceptional development like eye-hand coordination, eye-foot coordination, mid-line crossing and balancing. They are always excited to be taught new songs and actions, integrating Te Reo and even sign language, as they enthusiastically play various musical instruments.