Preschool & Kindergarten

Language is the vehicle for inquiry and vital to the construction of meaning. Teachers in strive to develop students' love for exploring language in a caring language community in which all students feel supported and confident in language learning and in taking risks.

Our Communication and Language curriculum is divided into three sections: Listening and Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Students practice and develop a wide variety of skills (and precursor skills) to build a solid foundation for their literacy journey. At different points in the Pre/K progression the Letters and Sounds program and Jolly Phonics programs are used to further develop student understanding of letter sound correspondence.

The curriculum is used to foster the love of reading, writing, and literature to meet the individual needs of each student. It capitalizes on children’s innate desire to learn by providing a variety of meaningful experiences that build on student’s prior knowledge and provides opportunities for students to experience language in its different forms.

The development of a student’s well-being is implicitly and explicitly addressed through all areas of the curriculum. Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) is integral to learning and teaching and represents the qualities of internationally minded students and effective lifelong learners.

In PSED, students also work to develop the skills they need to become positive community members. Inspired by the attributes of the IB Learner Profile, students are offered regular opportunities to reflect on their actions and develop agency as they learn to manage themselves and become caring and compassionate members of the wider community.

Developing a curious, positive mindset about mathematics is a core focus of the program.

Younger learners develop and use mathematical concepts when they organize materials and problem-solve through guided classroom play and teacher-directed activities. Older Pre/K students progress into the Everyday Mathematics program, which emphasizes the application of mathematics to real world situations. Numbers, skills and mathematical concepts are not presented in isolation, but are linked to situations and contexts that are relevant to everyday lives. The program also provides numerous methods for basic skills practice and review, including written and recited fact drills, mental math routines, and a wide variety of open-ended problem-solving and math games.

As a key component of our commitment to 'internationalism' and celebration of our host country, all students learn the Japanese language. Penguins and Seals students learn useful vocabulary and phrases to communicate across cultures, sing songs, and explore Japanese culture and holidays.

Students from the Dolphins class (4-5 year-old) and above are grouped by native and non-native Japanese skills. Students in Japanese as a Native Language (JNL) class will have native level spoken Japanese and the curriculum focuses heavily on reading and writing. Students in Japanese as a Foreign Language (JFL) class learn useful vocabulary and phrases through fun activities and natural language learning experiences as well as introductory reading and writing skills.