CURRICULUM
Orange Seeds Nursery offers a Montessori-inspired, British curriculum.
We provide an enriching, impactful learning experience that encourages each child’s natural instincts and interests, guiding them through this early phase of life.
Living in the UAE offers us all the unique opportunity to mix with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, nationalities and cultures – the likes of which is rarely matched anywhere else in the world. In reflection of this, Orange Seeds Nursery includes Montessori-inspired routines and activities within its curriculum. This helps
us enhance our program and gives children the extra tools for their educational journey, allowing them to be well prepared for the transition into the melting pot of educational philosophies found across UAE schools.
SO, WHAT IS THE COMMON FACTOR BETWEEN MONTESSORI AND THE BRITISH CURRICULUM?
At Orange Seeds Nursery, we are inspired by both, the Montessori philosophy as well as the framework of the British curriculum. With strikingly common beliefs in both, we ensure our hybrid approach enforces that;
- Every child is unique and must be given the opportunities to be independent, free and able to explore at their level.
- The environment is the key feature for learning and must be prepared for the child with the appropriate stimulation. Also, as every child is unique, the variation of challenge in the activities and environment is necessary.
- Development takes place at different rates and in different ways, and we must apply a difference in teaching strategies and approach and recognise that each child’s capability is essential.
HOW DO WE APPROACH THE KEY EYFS LEARNING AREAS IN A MONTESSORI WAY?
- Life skills are taught directly through the ‘Exercises of practical life’ and ground rules are specified through grace and courtesy exercises
- Conscious role modelling by peers and adults
- Culture-awareness of one’s immediate surroundings, through visible objects, speech and action
- Freedom of choice and freedom to explore
- Development of self-confidence through independence and a sense of achievement and pride instilled through giving tasks that they can achieve at their level
- Freedom of speech in the classroom
- Circle time practice, when vocabulary is heard and exchanged
- Pre-literacy skills such as tracing the alphabet, beginning of mark-making in a sand tray and sandpaper letters
- Freedom to approach the reading corner and go through books and grouped pictographic flashcards in an environment that depict objects that match with sounds/symbols
- Observing print in the environment
- Preparation of the hand to write, using the pincer grip, via manipulating jigsaws, threading, pouring, tonging, pegging, activities, also part of the practical life exercises of daily living
- Sensorial education and activities including working with shapes, sizes and patterns
- Concrete manipulation of materials used to count, compare, measure, weigh and observe
- Using sensorial materials to compare and contrast between basic two and three-dimensional shapes
- Working with wooden didactic materials that are exact in size, with no distraction in colour and pattern
- Counting activities in a mathematically rich environment
- Sensorial exercises aimed to teach differences in length, width, weight, texture, temperature and taste
- Cultural activities, related to the immediate environment and the world we live in with a study of nature, plants, pets, growth cycles, weather and seasons
- Exploration and care of the environment both inside and outside
- Peace education including social graces
- Special themed topics, such as continents and the solar system
- Sensorial activities, where children experiment with water, sand, soil, soap, shaving foam, paint and slime.
- Developing gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and balance through practical life activities and outdoor activities, including sand and water play
- All activities that maximise the flow and movement of each child through diverse and challenging environments
- Dance and gymnastics
- Introducing awareness of health
- Independent and group engagement in freely-available activities like arts and crafts
- Music and movement with singing and playing musical instruments
- Drama and storytelling, using props to animate stories
- Spontaneous role play usually occurs in a practical life area, with hanging and folding clothes, ironing, cooking, pouring, whisking, grating
- Providing spaces for role play, learning local culture and both indoor/outdoor active play
HOW DO CHILDREN LEARN AT THE ORANGE SEEDS NURSERY?
At Orange Seeds Nursery, our activities cover all aspects of child development; intellectual, physical and social.
We provide the children with achievable challenges and goals throughout their time at the nursery, so that their self-esteem is nurtured and they are encouraged to continue exploring and learning throughout all aspects of their lives.
Alongside this, we provide additional means of continuous group provisions using theme related activities, sports, languages, mini-chef, gym, music and sensory sessions.
Various engagement programmes and activities;
- Social interaction that supports independence and emotional maturity with opportunities to make their own decisions and good choices.
- Interactive Circle Time sessions highlighting the importance of talking, sharing with and listening to each other.
- Individual and group activities to enhance growth and development – Growth and development activities to encourage both individuality and teamwork.
- Concrete manipulation of objects and activities to help develop mathematical skills and reasoning.
- Reading and writing starter exercises to expose a variety of fine motor skills, preparing the child for the next stage of language development.
- Independence, self-reliance, improved hand and eye coordination developed through a variety of age-appropriate fine motor skill activities based on real everyday life skills.
WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD
The nursery boasts a variety of indoor and outdoor fun environments for the children to play and interact together in;
Indoor Activity Gym
A well-padded, multi-purpose space that allows children to indulge in structured sports activities such as parachute games, obstacle racing and mini football. The versatile space, with great acoustics, is also used for yoga, dancing, running races and music lessons.
Outdoor Play
This enclosed outdoor space that overlooks the garden and pool features a sandpit, water play zone, climbing structure and crawling space. During the months from October – March it is used daily for fresh air and freedom to roam, in a safe and gated environment.
Roof-top pretend play zone
A generous roof-top garden, with sunlight streaming from above, and cooled by air-conditioning, this play area gives a lovely feeling of playing outdoors. The children have ample open space to play in groups and role-play activities with a pretend play kitchen, ironing and drying rack, dollhouse, garage and parking station, a shop and grocery store, a library equipped with contemporary books and a build a city zone too. The children can use their imagination, as they get into different roles they see adults performing at home.
Indoor Green area
A wonderful sun-lit zone, where the children can climb, crawl, jump and slide. It has breath-taking views of the water and mangroves, with space to play hide and seek, relax with building toys, climb an interactive life-sized steam wall or even experiment with other construction tools. An interchangeable soft play structure and toddler trikes are also available for use in this area.
