Early Years at the Jakarta Multicultural School

The Early Years at the Jakarta Multicultural School

Early Years education is the most important stage for young learners. This is the stage where they develop their cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills.

Young learners learn their skills through their personal experiences; therefore, it is very important to provide them the proper space to explore and discover their potential.

These are the areas that the young learners need to be exposed to:

Creativity:

Learners are given the opportunity to explore and express themselves using imagination through movement, music, role-play, and various art fields such as painting, drawing and crafts. At the same time, they are able to appreciate works of art.

Numeracy:

Learners are learning to see how things work around them and how to apply what they have learnt. The learners are learning to recognize differences, classification and patterns.  By providing appropriate activities learners are able to take initiative, make plans and are able to solve problems that occur accordingly.

Environment and Social awareness:

Learners are able to recognize and describe their own feelings and are able to have self-control. The learners are developing a sense of responsibility for oneself and others. They know their rights, follow rules and are able to organize themselves. Learners are also aware what is happening around them by exploring and discovering the world around them through observation and fun class experiments.

Language and Literacy:

Learners develop and understand language used inside and outside the classroom, such as instructions, rules, conversation and stories.  Learners are able to communicate their thoughts using proper words, to ask and answer questions clearly. Learners develop and understand the relationship between the shape and sound of letters, imitating the form of letter, and understand the words in the story.

Motor skills

Learners develop their fine and motor skills.  During body and movement or physical activities, learners are developing their ability to move their body coordination, balance and agility.  As for fine motor skills, learners develop the ability to use tools through various activities.

Young learners learn through play.  Play is not only fun and make children happy, but it also helps them learn and develop intelligence, creativity, empathy, as well as communication and social skills. Playing is learning. Learning by playing. When learning is fun, pleasurable and meaningful, young learners will quickly grasp all the things they have been taught.

Early Years education is very important for every child. Their first “school” experiences are very critical, for this will shape their understanding about themselves, their behaviour towards learning and their attitude about school.

In school, we make sure to provide assistance, guidance and encouragement to  young learners to develop their cognitive, social, language, emotional and motor skills abilities.

Every child is one unique individual therefore they have different needs, traits, learning styles and likes. So, we make sure to pay attention to the individual development of each learner. We give attention and support they need to build confidence in order for them to become independent and self-directed learners.

At JMS, our holistic, developmentally-appropriate, and balanced curriculum is delivered through learning by playing approaches. Activities are integrated in order for them to learn several skills in every learning engagement.  We put emphasis not only in the cognitive development of its learners but also to the other equally important aspects of development such as the social, emotional, language and motor. All these are given equal value in all learning engagements. Balanced school-life experience is a priority in JMS for young learners.

Activities prepared, big or small, are designed to always stimulate the curiosity of the learners making them inquisitive and critical learners.

Experiential-learning is provided not only to engage them in hands-on activities but most importantly to train them to reflect on the process of learning.

Age-appropriate activities and differentiated teaching are implemented in teaching the concepts and skills; hands-on activities, reading materials, and writing activities are planned thoughtfully in order to optimise their learning experiences.  JMS intends to make all our learners successful in all their learning endeavours.

We advocate for a “healthy and fun” learning experience. “A happy learner is a confident learner”.