The academic program applied in the kindergarten is in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and the Turkish Education Association Pre-School Education Program. It is an authentic program which has been designed based on several pre-school programs and approaches that have been proved to be effective around the world. The program is intended to build an awareness of national values as well as developing an international point of view. The program objectives are achieved by integrating themes with each course and activity. The activities are planned by taking different learning styles and individual differences into consideration.
The students are actively involved in the process of learning by asking questions, experiencing, enjoying and exploring.
The program includes age-appropriate themes that care about the environment and allow the students learn academically and get engaged in several activities that appeal to their interests.
Great Emphasis on Foreign Language Education
At TED Istanbul College Kindergarten, the foreign language education is provided by native speakers of English and Turkish-speaking English teachers. The teachers who are native speakers of English help the students acquire English in a native-like manner.
In order to make sure that the students use their mother tongue accurately and effectively and express themselves accurately, the Turkish language activities are provided by the Turkish classroom teachers.
A DAY IN THE KINDERGARTEN
Circle Time
A regular kindergarten day starts with the breakfast and the circle time. During the circle time, the class members sit around a circle and sing songs, talk about the weather, seasons, and the daily program.
Theme Time
The program is based on themes. The themes are determined and introduced by the classroom teachers in an age-appropriate manner. Several themes to be covered throughout the year help the children gain new knowledge, skills, and behaviors. The children learn about themselves and the environment through the themes. In addition, throughout the process, the children learn to wait their turns to speak up, share their opinions with friends and listen. They also learn new vocabulary.
Free Play Time
During the free play time that the children experience every morning, they gain daily life skills. By socializing with their peers, the children develop communication skills and learn to express their feelings and thoughts correctly. They also learn to share the school materials and the toys they bring from home and to consider others’ feelings. During this time, the teachers observe the children’s personal needs and abilities.
Garden Time
During the garden time, the children go to the indoor playground or to the garden and play several games. During the garden activities, the children naturally meet their need to move. Activities that help to develop body coordination and that require balance, speed, strength, etc. are also provided.
Science and Mathematics Time
During the Science and Mathematics time, the children learn by having fun, explore the environment, conduct experiments, and make observations, investigate and examine, play through and enjoy mathematics, and carry out classification, putting in order, grouping, patterning, etc. activities.
Phonics Activities
The phonics program forms the basis of the English literacy activities. The program intended to teach the students 42 letter sounds in English by fun has been designed to address different senses and learning styles.
Literacy Activities
The literacy activities are intended to teach the colors, shapes, numbers, and basic concepts. In addition, the activities promote the development of the cognitive skills like perception, attention, vocabulary, matching, grouping, putting in order, comparing, and hand-eye coordination.
Thinking Skills
The students are provided a special period of activity time to improve their thinking skills. The activities provided during this period are designed to promote the students’ cognitive skills including the visual-audio perception, attention-memory activities, problem solving skills and creativity.
Turkish Activities
The Turkish activities promote the linguistic and cognitive development of the students. The Turkish activities include the tongue twisters, finger games, poems, riddles, chats, illustrated book reading, storytelling, imitation, pantomime, dramatization, story completing, etc. The Turkish activities are intended to make sure that the children speak Turkish accurately and fluently and to improve their vocabulary. Children with improved vocabulary knowledge are more capable of recognizing words and have a better command of the language.
Values Training
The values training activities are intended to teach the children how to differentiate between and practice the values like respect, cooperation, honesty, responsibility, and trust. These abstract values are taught through specifically designed activities that turn the values into concrete experiences. In designing the activities, the cognitive and emotional development level of the children are considered.
Art Time
During art activities, the children use various materials and design the things they imagine. Thus, they display their creativity and hone their fine motor skills by creating authentic works.
Story Time
Various stories are read out for the children about each theme. Sometimes, the children are asked to complete the stories or to make a picture of the story. Visual reading activities are also carried out. The children pick up books from the library in the class and review the books. They also bring story books from home and share them with friends.
Play Time
During the play time, the students decide on what corner to play in the class and what they want to do. It is a period in which the students experience the social life. After play, they evaluate the results together.
Rest/Nap Time
The rest/nap time is for the students in the pre-k group only and it is after lunch. During rest/nap time, the teacher reads out stories for the children to help the students adapt to the process.
OTHER KINDERGARTEN ACTIVITIES
Branch Activities
The branch activities guided by the specialized music, PE and chess teachers are intended to promote students’ experiences in different areas.
Club Activities
The club activities help the children discover their individual interests and abilities. Two hours of sports and art activities are provided. Throughout the year, the students are given education in one of the areas including sculpture, art, rhythm, basketball, creative dance, judo, tennis, gymnastics, and chess and thus, they gain basic skills in that area.
Parent Involvement
The parents plan an activity on certain days and carry it out with the students in the school. They meet with the classmates of their child and have fun. In addition, the parents are invited to the school for theme-end presentations, portfolio activities and several ceremonies and celebrations. Thus, they have the opportunity to observe their child’s progress.
Field Trips and Theatre Activities
Trips are organized to the places that appeal to the children and that are theme-related. Thus, a natural learning environment is created for the children. Trips are organized to museum, supermarket, doctor’s office, post office, forest, gym, bank, etc. with an aim to make sure that the children experience the social life. In each semester, two theatre plays are staged by professional theatre companies in our school.
Weekly Activity Days
In order to ensure that the students come to the school eagerly and enjoy their time in the school, on certain days of the week, the children bring some games or materials from home or they are engaged in some activities with their parents at home. The activities called Demonstrate and Tell Day, Book Day, Toy Day, etc. help the children learn how to assume responsibilities, share, and enjoy the school.
English
At TED Istanbul College Kindergarten, the foreign language education is provided by native speakers of English and Turkish-speaking English teachers. The teachers who are native speakers of English help the students acquire English in a native-like manner.
In order to make sure that the students use their mother tongue accurately and effectively and express themselves accurately, the Turkish language activities are provided by the Turkish classroom teachers.
The phonics program forms the basis of the English literacy activities. The program intended to teach the students 42 letter sounds in English by fun has been designed to address different senses and learning styles.