Preschool & Junior Kindergarten

RASA’s Early Years Programme is comprised of our Preschool (3-4 year olds) and Junior Kindergarten (4-5 year olds). Class sizes are kept small with multiple teachers per class. Students spend time learning through play-based activities and exploring four Units of Inquiry throughout the year. Our lead and assistant teachers can also divide the groups to provide differentiated instruction in many of the subject areas offered at RASA (math, language arts, and science). Foreign language, art, and music are taught by specialist teachers.

Curriculum

Similar to the elementary grades, the IB-PYP curriculum offers PS/JK students the opportunity to explore four transdisciplinary themes throughout the year. Students and teachers work together to identify questions, explore answers, and link their knowledge across subject areas.

Reading/Language Arts

• Language and vocabulary development in all aspects of classroom life

• Role and collaborative play

• Developing listening skills in circle time and discussions

• Encouragement of a love of books and response to stories from a wide variety of genres

• Pre-writing, pre-reading, and pencil skills

• Letter recognition

• Drawing, mark-making, and emergent writing

Foreign Languages

• Introduction of foreign language through songs and action rhymes

• Simple greetings and phrases

• Vocabulary introduction and development

• Counting

• Stories and tales

• Role play and games

Mathematics

• Rote counting and concept of one-to-one correspondence

• Number recognition from 0 to 10

• Use of numbers in everyday experiences and play

• Match or sort to one or more attributes

• Begin to describe 2D shapes and use comparative language (big/small, long/short)

• Introduction to simple graphs as a way of explaining data

Science

Topics

• Living and Nonliving Things

• Food Sciences 

Skills

• Observational skills 

• Prediction  

• Questioning

• Sensory play 

• Tool use 

• Explaining thinking

Physical Education/Health

Units 

• Slow and Fast Movement 

• Controlling Movement and Spatial Awareness

•  Cooperative Games 

• Track and Field - running, skipping, hopping, galloping

Health Focus

• Safety in the gym and on the playground

• Cooperation and sharing 

• Moving the be healthy 

• Dramatic play

Reading/Language Arts

• Use of language to reflect and communicate information and ideas in a variety of contexts

• Listening skills and instruction following

• Repetition and recall of familiar stories and problems

• Anticipation and prediction in stories

• Response to a wide variety of genres and authors

• Pre-writing and pre-reading skills

• Letter recognition and phonic awareness

• Emergent writing and inventive spelling

• Letter formation and writing own name

• Drawing of pictures to tell stories and record events

Foreign Langauges

• Introduction of foreign language through songs and action rhymes

• Simple greetings and phrases

• Vocabulary introduction and development

• Counting

• Stories and tales

• Role play and games

Mathematics

• Counting and consolidation of one-to-one correspondence through concrete use of numbers in the school day

• Number recognition and formation

• Begin to use math to solve problems in class

• Naming 2D and 3D shapes

• Sorting to two or more attributes

• Use of graphs and sets to display simple data

Science

Topics

• Five Senses

• Measuring Systems 

Skills

• Observational skills  

• Record observations 

• Questioning

• Use of simple scientific equipment, e.g. magnifying glasses 

• Estimation

• Cause and effect

Physical Education/Health

Units

• Slow and Fast Movement 

• Controlling Movement and Spatial Awareness

•  Cooperative Games 

• Track and Field - running, skipping, hopping, galloping

Health Focus

• Safety in the gym and on the playground

• Cooperation and sharing 

• Moving the be healthy 

• Dramatic play