| Smart Start Education Program |
Every parent wants to give their child the best possible start in life. Our comprehensive and innovative Smart Start Education Program has been developed within the framework of the National Early Childhood Curriculum document, to ensure your child reaches their true potential and is school ready.
Kowhai Kids Smart Start Education Program is designed to...
- encourage children to learn and explore alongside others in a respectful manner while developing their individual strengths.
- meet children’s individual needs and interests through fun yet challenging experiences such as cooking and baking, art and music, in and outdoor adventure play.
- provide meaningful, stimulating experiences that build children’s skills and knowledge such as carpentry, trips out into the community and imaginative play.
- place special focus on developing life skills and capabilities that support your child to grow in confidence both socially and academically, as they navigate life and take their first steps to school.
- be flexible – catering to all ages and stages of early childhood.
| Our program incorporates these essential curriculum areas and activities: |
| * Mathematics | * Puzzles |
| * Technology | * Outdoor Play |
| * Science | * Water and Messy Play |
| * Music and Movement | * Play dough |
| * Art and Craft | * Languages |
| * Manipulative play | * Dramatic Play |
| * Literacy and Writing | * Sand Play |
| * Animal and Plant Care | * Block Play |
| * Carpentry and Construction | |
Kowhai Kids Smart Start Education Program emphasises the importance of caring for our planet. Our centre environment provides space for vegetable gardens, flower gardens, compost, worm farms and pets. The children are encouraged to play an active role in the care of the natural world around them.
| Give your kids the Smart Start ! |
| Tuku atu te Smart Start ki ā koutou tamariki |
Partnership with Parents and Whanau
Kowhai Kids values the important role parents play in children’s early education and care. We invite you to be a part of our program through .........
- Parent Teacher Evenings – a time for you to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their learning journey and to work collaboratively on setting goals to meet your child’s needs.
- Daily logs and Weekly Diaries – written daily logs are a way for you to read about what has been happening in your child’s busy day. Weekly diaries provide a round up for the week with photos emailed to you.
- Monthly Newsletters and frequent notices are emailed for convenience, printed as necessary.
- All About Me/More About Me/Goal setting – We ensure that your child’s individual learning needs are met by working on the goals you set initially, and then collaboratively thereafter.
- Parent feedback – will be actively encouraged formally through parent surveys, and informally through chats with your child’s teacher.
- Parent/Whanau Voice – we respect and encourage family/ whanau contributions to our planning and to your child’s portfolio. Please add stories from home as you wish, and comment on learning stories at your pleasure.
- Centre trips and visits – we love having our families join us when we venture out into the wider community. We believe parent support enhances the child experience. Parents are always very welcome in the centre and we embrace family/ whanau input to our children’s projects and learning activities.
- Community Projects and Fundraisers – Kowhai Kids believes in community. We get behind causes and involve ourselves in raising funds for groups that need our support.
| Smart Start Education Program |
Kowhai Kids Smart Start Education Program helps prepare your child for school and underpins our commitment to provide high quality early childhood education to the children and families of Rodney.
Kowhai Kids Smart Start Education Program caters to group learning while simultaneously supporting children’s individual needs. We do this through...
- Observations – Teachers observe your child actively engaged in play to identify their interests.
- Planned Programs to offer the best learning opportunities – our teachers observations of your child at play are then used to plan activities that will extend your child’s learning, but have achievable outcomes to help build confidence. Our Smart Start Education Activity Program is always displayed on our centre walls and we welcome parents contributions and feedback. The children’s art and work projects are also displayed for their reflection and enjoyment.
- Portfolios – your child’s portfolio documents their learning journey at the centre. Regular additions are made based on what was observed, planned for and achieved. These additions include learning stories, photos and child’s own work - a great souvenir of their pre-school days.
