Special Activities
Educational Centers, Part 1

Educational Center

This year we have opened the Education Center in our kindergarten; its purpose is to enrich the children’s learning experiences, beyond their daily learning in the classes by the curriculum.

The children will be exposed to varied learning skills and activities. They will go to the center in small groups, enabling individual attention to be given to each child.

The emphasis in the center is learning by fun experiences and games.

The center is divided to three different subjects: Mathematical, Language and Sensory-motor skills. There are activities in each subject designed for each age group.

The Math Center includes the math skills children need to learn before they go to school, such as: identifying numbers, basic arithmetic, number sequence, basic geometry and so on.

The Language Center includes the English language abilities, such as: learning the letters and the alphabet, learning words, rhymes, meanings and so on.

The Sensory-Motor Center includes three different subjects, which greatly promote development and enhance the learning process. The subjects are: Fine motor activities, Sensory Activities and Visual-Motor activities.

The parents will be involved in their child’s learning process by a continued contact with the teacher, and will be able to practice with their child at home. They can also consult the teacher at the Educational Center in any related subject.

Come and see us learning!

Art Center

This center offers activities that will allow the children to express ideas and feelings through a variety of media. They will also experiment with new techniques and materials. During these activities the children should develop a sense of design, color, texture, and form; self-expression, creativity; imagination; self-confidence; fine motor development; co-operation; vocabulary; language.

Activities include:

painting; drawing; printing; collage; sculpture; cutting; gluing.

Computer Center

This center will provide the children with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with technological terms and items. They will work with others, using technology while sharing tools; building as a group and working in pairs at the computers.

Activities include:

using of familiar technology appropriately (e.g. cassette recorders, computers) and identifying familiar technological items and describing their use in daily life (e.g. telephone)

Puzzle Center (with fully equipped kitchen)

This center helps the children develop eye/hand coordination; co-operation; fine motor development; visual discrimination; classification skills; self-confidence; language and vocabulary; listening skills and appreciation.

Activities include:

manipulative play; puzzles; small blocks; board games; construction toys (Lego, Marbleworks, Lacing); office center; kitchen center (fully equipped) and play-dough table.

Music and Drama Center

This center will offer the children the chance to express their ideas and feelings through verbal and physical expression. In drama they will acquire skills while preparing for performances (e.g., making stage puppets, costumes, props and set design) as well as basic dramatic skills learned through movement and repetition. In music, children will move in response to the tempo and mood of music (e.g. fast ,slow, dreamy, or scary music) Demonstrate understanding of rhythmic patterns and recall and repeat familiar songs, dance, steps, and rhymes.

Activities include:

Drama: role-playing; playing parts of characters from folk tales and legends of various countries; identifying feelings and how to express them; naming different elements in performance; using their own creativity in movement and mime; enacting stories from their own and other cultures.

Music: adapting songs; performing in a group (e.g., choir, music band); demonstrating understanding of rhythmic patterns (e.g., clap on the beat, playing an instrument); using simple musical terms correctly.

Discovery Center

This center will help children to demonstrate curiosity and willingness to explore and experiment and care for the natural world. They will develop an awareness of the characteristics and functions of some common materials, as well as understand strategies for planning and organizing.

Activities include:

sand and tactile tables; woodworking; live animals; weighing; sorting; general science investigation; natural materials (rocks, leaves, shells); specific scientific terms; observations about results or findings; accomplishing scientific experiments.

Sports, Health, Nutrition Center

This center will help children to develop their self-confidence; co-operation; team work; imagination; release of energy and emotion; coordination; body awareness and the exploration of their environment. The Gym center also explores the main aspects of a healthy diet and how our body functions at its best! In order to explore nutrition properly we will also give students hands-on experience in our kitchen facilities.

Activities include:

climbing; sliding; balance beams; rocking toys; balls; hoops; tumbling; wagons; dancing; games; big wheels; learning body parts and food groups; understanding the human body; vocabulary and language; and cooking.

Special Activities/Educational Centers continued on page 2 »