Early Years
Welcome to Early Years
The Early Years Programme at OCAC Suzhou provides a nurturing environment for children aged two to six. With inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach and guidance from the IB PYP framework, our students discover the joy of learning through a balance of play that foster social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and creative development.
We promote:
- The participation of families
- The collegial work of all personnel
- The important of the educational environment
- The presence of the teaching team
- The learning and advocacy for children
Early Years in the PYP is a holistic learning stage that strengthens Student’s Agency preparing them for life-long learners.
As a career educator, I have amassed experience through a Master’s degree program in preschool education from Nanjing Normal University, a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Nanjing University, and 18 years of work experience at bilingual and international schools. It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to give you a little window into our Early Year’s program here at OCAC Suzhou.
In the Early Years, we are a tight-knit family of professional educators, with extensive IB experience, who aim to create a caring and unique play-based learning environment for our students. Our facilities include a very large outdoor play area, multi-purpose rooms, a library, a dance studio, and a pool. This year, we added more specialist teachers to ensure that the students were learning from the experts of each field, including library, PE, visual arts, and performing arts. Our goal is to cultivate life-long learners who are knowledgeable, caring, and creative.
I consider myself very fortunate to work alongside such wonderful families and educators. On behalf of our learning community, I want to invite you to become a part of our family.
In the Early Years, we are a tight-knit family of professional educators, with extensive IB experience, who aim to create a caring and unique play-based learning environment for our students. Our facilities include a very large outdoor play area, multi-purpose rooms, a library, a dance studio, and a pool. This year, we added more specialist teachers to ensure that the students were learning from the experts of each field, including library, PE, visual arts, and performing arts. Our goal is to cultivate life-long learners who are knowledgeable, caring, and creative.
I consider myself very fortunate to work alongside such wonderful families and educators. On behalf of our learning community, I want to invite you to become a part of our family.
Our Early Years curriculum is representative of play-based and inquiry-based approaches, as well as the concept-driven approach of the IBPYP which is integrated with our school mission and vision. We have a distinctive dual language programme where we encourage using English with home language support. Students are given time and space to process, and we allow them to draw on known languages when collaborating and learning keywords in students’ native language. Acquisition of new language and development of language is aligned with vocabulary related to each UOI (Unit of Inquiry).
In Early Years, children generally pick up language required swiftly through story-telling, rhymes, songs and THRASS (English). Students’ agency is highly encouraged and appreciated in our young learners for them to be confident enough in their learning journey. To motivate meaningful interaction and development of the whole child in all areas, we provide an environment for children to develop age-appropriate concepts and skills that are related to the IBPYP Key Concepts and Approaches To Learning Skills.
In Early Years, children generally pick up language required swiftly through story-telling, rhymes, songs and THRASS (English). Students’ agency is highly encouraged and appreciated in our young learners for them to be confident enough in their learning journey. To motivate meaningful interaction and development of the whole child in all areas, we provide an environment for children to develop age-appropriate concepts and skills that are related to the IBPYP Key Concepts and Approaches To Learning Skills.
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We believe it is important to remember that young learners do not come as blank canvases. Each child has their experiences, relationships, environments, family dynamics and self-interests. We’ll consider these facets when working with young learners. Each child is given time to contribute to their learning through interaction with their peers, displays of ability and peer mentoring.
Through the IB Primary Year Programme’s (PYP) inquiry-based approach and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach we endeavour to foster children's learning through the development of all their "languages" and by creating an environment to support this way of thinking and being.
Through the IB Primary Year Programme’s (PYP) inquiry-based approach and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach we endeavour to foster children's learning through the development of all their "languages" and by creating an environment to support this way of thinking and being.
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