KINMA PRESCHOOL

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF KINMA PRESCHOOL

It is central to the aims of the Kinma Preschool to make the child's transition from the home to the preschool as positive as possible. Consequently, the preschool environment is warm, friendly, happy and secure. The teachers create high levels of friendly interaction and encourage parental participation, making the links between home and preschool strong. Therefore parents are involved in the continuing development of their child.

The preschool is a challenging, interesting and an exciting learning environment. The teachers base their programmes upon recognised stages of child development. Yet, at the same time, they carefully consider the individual needs of every child. This involves constant evaluation of each child's social, emotional, intellectual and physical progress which is recorded in each child's personal profile.

Subsequently the individual child's experiences are enriched and further developed, eg. children who have mastered basic skills such as the ability to manage the use of scissors, drawing materials, brushes and other related fine and gross motor skills are not limited to these but can choose from a wide range of activities during "activity" time.

Different children have different interests. Within the preschool these personal interests are incorporated into the programme so as to foster the child's understanding. The teachers build upon the child's interests so as to widen the child's experiences. These, in turn, are enriched through excursions of all types and visits to the preschool by people with expertise in various fields.

The preschool is also involved with the primary school. The interaction between the older and younger children varies but may include joint music sessions, the older children's reading to the preschoolers, participation in special theme days and general play. A unique opportunity for the older preschoolers is special transition activities with the 5-year old group. These activities create a smooth transition from preschool to primary school for the children who wish to continue their education at Kinma.

Independence and responsibility are fostered within each child. Children are encouraged to take care of their own and school property. Children are also expected to respect their peers in a way that is self-disciplined. The teachers aim to develop independent, responsible people.