What to Expect in a Nursery School Curriculum

Introduction

A nursery school curriculum, also known as a pre-school or playschool curriculum, lays the foundation for a child’s early learning through engaging activities, lessons and play-based learning experiences. Nursery schools, or preschools, cater to young children between the ages of 3 to 6 years before they enter primary school. This is a critical time for cognitive development, social-emotional growth and building basic skills through play, exploration and hands-on learning. Let’s take a look at the cognitive development activities for preschoolers in a Montessori school.

Key Components of Pre-School Curriculum

A well-rounded nursery school curriculum focuses on holistic development by addressing different domains of learning. The most important components included are:

Social and Emotional Development

At the pre-school level, a major focus is on developing social and emotional skills. Children are taught to make friends, share, take turns, cooperate, express feelings appropriately and develop self-regulation. Role-play activities, circle time discussions, puppet shows etc. help teach empathy, kindness and respect for others.

Language and Literacy

Storytelling, rhymes, poems help introduce children to the world of books and foster a love of reading. Activities involve identifying letters, sounds, numbers, shapes, and colours to build basic academic skills through interactive and fun methods.

Physical Development

Both gross motor skills like running, jumping, balancing and fine motor skills like scribbling, crayons, and lacing are developed through games, yoga, sports and arts/crafts. Outdoor play in swings, slides and indoor play with construction toys are common.

Learning Through Play

Play is recognized as the best medium for learning at this age group. Children are provided with different play areas in the classroom like block corner, dramatic play corner, art area, book area, nature area, music area and toys to stimulate cognitive development through pretend play and experimentation.

Creative Arts

Activities like drawing, colouring, modelling with play dough, and paper folding develop creativity, concentration and hand-eye coordination. Children are also exposed to different forms of artistic expression like dance, music, drama.

Parental Involvement and Communication

Regular parent-teacher interactions, parent workshops, and open communication help parents understand their child’s progress and collaborate effectively with the school.

Moral Development

Stories featuring moral values, celebrating festivals, and manners help nurture virtues of sharing, caring, honesty and respect.

Social and Emotional Development

Activities for social-emotional development may include role-playing real-life scenarios to teach sharing, taking turns, expressing feelings appropriately, following simple instructions, awareness of personal space and respecting others. Stories featuring kindness and empathy are read aloud. Puppet shows feelings charades and group games encourage collaboration and following rules.

Language and Literacy

Nursery rhymes, picture books, storytelling, naming objects, describing pictures, and early writing activities develop foundation skills in pre-reading, writing and vocabulary. Fingerplays, flannel board stories, and matching games reinforce letter-sound knowledge and sight word recognition. An eclectic children’s library provides exposure to various genres.

Physical Development

Both gross motor skills like jumping, balancing, throwing and catching balls as well as fine motor skills through lacing cards, clay modelling, paper folding, are developed through structured indoor and outdoor play periods. Movement to music and yoga postures are also included.

Learning Through Play

Play based learning is a core tenet of a nursery school curriculum. Dedicated areas for block play, dress-up corner, art station, book nook, and science exploration encourage open-ended pretend play, role-playing, experimenting and discovering through hands-on activities designed to stimulate cognitive development.

Creative Arts

Art experiences with crayons, paints, and collages develop colour recognition and creative expression. Exposure to music, dance, and drama helps bring out talents and appreciation for the arts. Children celebrate various festivals through crafts and performances.

Parental Involvement and Communication

Regular parent-teacher interactions ensure collaboration on each child’s progress. Workshops on topics like growth milestones, parenting techniques, and healthy habits aim to educate parents. Regular newsletters and open communication keep them informed. Homework involving stories, and art projects strengthens the home-school connection.

Moral Development

Stories about kindness, sharing, truth and values teach life lessons. Manners like saying please, and thank you and respecting elders are emphasised. Non-competitive group games encourage collaboration. Events commemorating occasions teach cultural heritage and diversity.

Conclusion 

Quality preschools in Ahmedabad will follow globally recognized frameworks like the U.S.-based HighScope or the U.K.-based Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). GIIS Ahmedabad, one of the best playschools in Ahmedabad, offers the British Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum to nursery students. Along with the emphasis on bilingual multicultural education, 21st-century skills and global citizenship, children experience joyful learning through dedicated play areas, experiential activities and hands-on lessons.The international learning environment holistically grooms each child with a solid pre-academic base and balanced social-emotional development as they embark on their educational journey. Visit GIIS Ahmedabad to see the award-winning facilities and teaching pedagogies in action.