Little Skittles subscribes to a Pedagogy of Play and employs the International Preschool Curriculum (“IPC”):
• The Pedagogy of Play believe that there are multiple ways of learning and that a playful mindset is a powerful tool to develop, express and communicate thinking and feeling.
• IPC is designed for an international, global child; the curriculum fosters cultural awareness and includes international perspectives aligning multilingualism and diversity. Little Skittles’ immersive, bilingual environment of English and Mandarin makes language and literacy development natural and joyful.
At Little Skittles, we believe that all children develop at different ages and have different learning preferences, and that deep learning does not always unfold in a linear fashion. Our teachers are trained and licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency and continue their education from online courses and team workshops from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
The first five years of a child’s life is a crucial period of growth; a child’s experiences and opportunities during this window serve as the foundation for later learning. Little Skittles believes that this development does not occur spontaneously or in isolation. Early development and the foundation for later learning are influenced greatly by features of
the child’s environment and experiences. Drawing on science of early learning and development, Little Skittles believe in three overarching principals:
Major areas of development are deeply intertwined in the brain, in behavior, and grow in tandem and influence each other
When high daily levels of stress hormones go unchecked, a child’s stress response system is continually activated, and learning becomes more difficult
Relationships and the environment neurologically structure a child’s brain and shape the foundation for future learning
When children play, they are engaged, relaxed, and challenged — states of mind highly conducive to learning. Through play, children (and adults!) try out ideas, test theories, experiment with systems, better understand social relations and take risks. They explore the unknown, and their imaginations activate.
When students are exposed to stimulating activities and unconsciously understand the purpose of a school task, and then see that these tasks as meaningful, students are far more willing to engage in the hard work and the process of learning.
Yes, it is possible to allow (and encourage) children to take learning risks and to keep them safe. It is possible for children to engage in purposeful play within boundaries and teachers should be aware and adaptable to pivot lessons to accommodate extensions of play if needed, to meet learning and curriculum goals. And yes, play can be chaotic and messy… but our teachers are patient and our children make good use of our bathroom sinks and our front yard hose!
Little Skittles encourages a playful mindset: finding opportunities to lead, explore and enjoy in different contexts. Cultivating playful mindsets in which teachers and students view Little Skittles as a place to lead learning, explore the unknown and find joy in learning is absolutely central to playful learning.
In order for our children to experiment, they need to trust Little Skittles. For playful learning to thrive, our students need to feel that all ideas and identities are valued and that they can be authentic. Our culture of playful learning provides children with a coherent and constant experience as they move from
playgroup to nursery to kindergarden.
The first five years of a child’s life is a crucial period of growth; a child’s experiences and opportunities during this window serve as the foundation for later learning. Little Skittles believes that this development does not occur spontaneously or in isolation. Early development and the foundation for later learning are influenced greatly by features of
the child’s environment and experiences. Drawing on science of early learning and development, Little Skittles believe in three overarching principals:
Major areas of development are deeply intertwined in the brain, in behavior, and grow in tandem and influence each other
When high daily levels of stress hormones go unchecked, a child’s stress response system is continually activated, and learning becomes more difficult
Relationships and the environment neurologically structure a child’s brain and shape the foundation for future learning
When children play, they are engaged, relaxed, and challenged — states of mind highly conducive to learning. Through play, children (and adults!) try out ideas, test theories, experiment with systems, better understand social relations and take risks. They explore the unknown, and their imaginations activate.
When students are exposed to stimulating activities and unconsciously understand the purpose of a school task, and then see that these tasks as meaningful, students are far more willing to engage in the hard work and the process of learning.
Yes, it is possible to allow (and encourage) children to take learning risks and to keep them safe. It is
possible for children to engage in purposeful play within boundaries and teachers should be aware and
adaptable to pivot lessons to accommodate extensions of play if needed, to meet learning and curriculum goals. And yes, play can be chaotic and messy… but our teachers are patient and our children make good use of our bathroom sinks and our front yard hose!
Little Skittles encourages a playful mindset: finding opportunities to lead, explore and enjoy in different contexts. Cultivating playful mindsets in which teachers and students view Little Skittles as a place to lead learning, explore the unknown and find joy in learning is absolutely central to playful learning.
In order for our children to experiment, they need to trust Little Skittles. For playful learning to thrive, our students need to feel that all ideas and identities are valued and that they can be authentic. Our culture of playful learning provides children with a coherent and constant experience as they move from
playgroup to nursery to kindergarden.
