TEACHER TRAINING FOR PRESCHOOL
Stanford Canadian International School
The Preschool Program – Preschool Overview for Teachers
Introduction to Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum and Strong Start BC Program
The Government of British Columbia Curriculum and Syllabus – Meeting the BC Performance Standard
At Stanford Canadian International School, we offer the British Columbia (BC) Curriculum, which has been designed by the Government of British Columbia and is based on ongoing studies and development of children as a whole being, not just how well they can complete exams and remember information. The Preschool Curriculum is based on two separate documents, “British Columbia Early Learning Framework” and “StrongStart BC Program”.
The first one outlines the beliefs and philosophies of Early Learners, and what we, as Educators, need to be aware of as young children start their education journey, and, looks at the difference and abilities between toddlers and preschoolers. The second document is the Program (or curriculum) and it outlines how schools or preschools should set up and run their environments, their daily schedules, a syllabus to follow, recommended materials and equipment, and the standards that each school or preschool should meet.
Curriculum vs. Syllabus
| Curriculum | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| The Curriculum is the overall content and standards taught in an educational system or course. Normally a year but can be for a fixed term of time. It is set out by the Government or Administration of a school, college or institution. It is the same for all teachers and normally follows a standard or guidelines that must be met each year or term. | The Syllabus is the document that contains all of the concepts or topics that will be covered in a subject. It is a course than can be a school term or shorter. It is set out by the exam board of a Government or institution. |
It varies from teacher to teacher, based on the development and progress of the children, and the teacher’s individual teaching style.
British Columbia Early Learning Framework
This document looks at all developmental aspects of children, and has beliefs and philosophies on modern day child, and all of the things that to consider as they begin their learning journeys.
It outlines four concepts, that have been identified as important to think about for Early Learners:
– Children are Natural Learners
– The Importance of Relationships
– Environments to Support Early Learning
– Learning Through Playing
Based on these concepts the BC Government developed four Areas of Learning, which have their own Learning Goals for the two development levels, Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten. These Learning Goals ensure Early Learners are confident and self-aware, with the skills and abilities needed to start their formal education in Kindergarten. We use these Learning Goals to assess each child’s development in each different Area of Learning. The four Areas of Early are:
– Well-Being and belonging
– Exploration and Creativity
– Languages and Literacies
– Social Responsibility and Diversity
Each one of these Areas of Early Learning, and their Learning Goals is delivered, or taught, within the different learning Times in the StrongStart BC Program.
StrongStart BC Early Learning Programs
This document outlines how the curriculum is delivered on a day to day basis. It discusses the importance of routines and schedules and sets specific learning Time and Learning Centres that are required to meet the Learning Goals.
The Learning Times are the different classes or times of day (subjects) where lessons or activities are taught. They can be taught in different Learning Centres set up around the classroom or school. Learning Centres are small themed areas of the classroom or school that encourage deeper learning.
The StrongStart Daily Program
The Daily Program should have the following:
– Circle Time
– Shared book Time
– Creative Art/Project Time
– Snack Time
– Library, Computer or Gym Time – Goodbye Time
The Learning Centres
The Centres can be temporary, except for the Language and Literacy Centre. This must be a permanent feature in each classroom.
– Manipulative Centre
– Building Centre
– Science/Nature Centre
– Dramatic Play Centre
– Creative Centre
– Language and Literacy Centre
– Book Centre
– Outdoor Centre
– Games Centre