Learning should be fun and engaging, while fostering creativity. Establishing strong foundational numeracy skills is one of the ways that we prepare children for Grade R. Rather than relying on rote memorization, we use varying manipulatives to learn number symbols and counting. For example, we learn the number five by saying the word, learning its symbol, and by counting sticks we find in the grass, toes on a friend’s foot, or by rolling a dice and moving our bodies in five silly motions. In our ECD Programme, mathematical explorations are endless and creative – bringing smiles and laughter to little faces.

Early childhood is an explosive time for language development; during this time, we begin to understand and process the world around us while learning how to express our interpretations, thoughts and feelings. In our ECD Programme, children begin their journey as literacy lovers by engaging in a curriculum that is driven by children’s literature. Our curriculum themes are centred around children’s stories. As we begin building early literacy skills, children develop an understanding of the relationship between printed texts and the words we speak, as well as an appreciation for reading and the ability to read and write.

In Art, there is no “right way” and that is why we love it! Most of our art projects are open-ended and allow for creative exploration, although we also work to develop fine motor skills through guided activities. We encourage children to experiment without focusing on the end result — mistakes are somewhat encouraged so that children learn to persevere through them, developing grit and resilience. One of our favourite art projects is “The Splat”, where students create a giant paint splat on paper and, after letting it dry, use crayons to turn it into something else – whether it is realistic or completely imaginative is their creative choice and there is no right or wrong way. Through this activity, we remind children that mistakes should not be regarded as wrongdoings – they are simply a step on the journey learning!

Social-emotional development is arguably the most important component of a high-quality ECD Programme. Not only do we want our children to be empathetic and caring, but we want them to be resilient and emotionally balanced. Free play affords children the invaluable opportunity to experience different emotions firsthand, while learning to work through negative feelings and embrace the positive ones. Stories also provide a platform for analysing a character’s emotions and relating them back to children’s experiences, which is much less threatening than speaking directly about our own emotions.

Teaching Knowledge and Skills happens rather organically at Thanda. For instance, we begin every year by learning about Belonging; our younger group thinks about themselves in relation to their household, while our older group looks at themselves in relation to their community. While evaluating Thanda’s role within the community, we learn about Thanda’s pigs, dogs, and cats. Children walk around our colourful Community Centre and learn to greet Thanda’s dogs, Shady and Dre. Through this experience, the theme of Belonging intersects the theme of Animal Safety, where children learn to respect animals that are both familiar and unfamiliar.