Pre School (3 - 5 years)

Pre-school starts at approximately three years. Our trained pre-school carer's develop each child’s reading, writing and numeracy through our extensive curriculum and development programmes. A copy of the curriculum is available for all parents.

Our aim is to provide the children with a sound educational grounding and to ensure they enter school happy and confident.

We keep progress files on all the children, which are shared with parents.

Giraffe’s Reach programme is based on well researched early childhood educationand development theory and practice, and is founded on six key areas, Personal Social and Emotional Development, Early Maths, Language, Creative Development, physical development and understanding and appreciation of the world.

Young children learn in a holisticway through play and other key experiences. By planning around atheme we ensure that children have the opportunity to progress in allsix areas of learning through purposeful play activities that makesense to them.

“I am me, who are you” - Asa child develops positive feelings about themselves and theirabilities they become curious and motivated to learn. They developincreased levels of concentration and self-confidence, and developincreased awareness in making and expressing choices, plans anddecisions while taking great pleasure in personal achievement.

“One Two Three –maths’ easy”- offers programmes that help children gain an understanding of underlying mathematical concepts through concrete, hands on experiences provided through play activities – counting, sorting, recognising pattern and developing an awareness ofnumbers through activities and projects throughout the centre.

“It’s Good to talk” – incorporatesprogrammes that encourage development in Speaking, Listening, Readingand Writing skills.

Languageis key to effective communication. We encourage each child to talkabout their experiences with adults and other children to help expandtheir vocabulary. As adults read books they begin to make aconnection between written and spoken word. This will in turndevelop children’s pre- writing skills as they make marks on paperusing pencils, crayons and paint. Children are provided with theopportunity to browse freely through a range of appealing books, places for them to sit are available so that children can lookthrough books and choose a story for an adult to read to them. Wordsare on display throughout the centre for labelling toys and areas.

At Giraffe, we aim to give children a solid foundation in each of theseareas so that they start primary school confident speakers, ablelisteners, are familiar with words and books, have pre- writingskills and are familiar with letters.

“Expressive Me” - integratesopportunities for creative development, which is closely linked toemotional development. Allowing children to express their creativitythrough art, music, and movement enables each child’s naturalcreativity find expression. Opportunities for creativity raises theirself-esteem and gives them a great sense of achievement and selfworth. The emphasis on placed on the enjoyment of the experiencerather than on the end product.

“Watch Me Move” - provides a wide range of activities and equipment to ensure that thechildren gain control over their bodies and muscles and thus gainconfidence in their movements. Our movement and fitness programmespromote emotional as well as physical well-being. Children’sphysical development is enhanced by their growing confidence andenthusiasm for physical play. “TheWorld & Me” – recognisesthat children are naturally curious about their immediateenvironment. Our focus is learning through activities that promoteunderstanding and importance of our environment, bringing childreninto regular contact with trees, plants, animals and other elementsof the natural environment such as sand, soil, rocks and water. Thechildren are encouraged to talk about the weather and the seasons,where they live and some of the people who care for us in the localcommunity, e.g. the postman, doctor, nurse.