NURSERY
(2-5 YEARS)
Way of Learning
The Cradle School’s Nursery Programme is designed to encourage self-discovery, independence and love for learning in young children. It is a community of Pre-Nursery, Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2 and Reception classes.
Learning is done using a multi-modal form of presentation in a serene, clean, and child-friendly environment. Our curriculum is a hybrid curriculum of Nigerian and North American Montessori, delivered using the Montessori method of teaching. Our qualified teachers and assistants give the needed support and guidance to help children bloom and explore the world around them. Our goal is to facilitate learning, support each child in discovering themselves and reach their highest potential.
To achieve this, we use effectively designed instructions, practice turns, constructive feedback and engagement cycles.
School Work
Practical Life and Sensory Activities
Our students learn age-appropriate, essential life skills and fine motor skills that enables them to become active members of their families and society. Such activities include sorting cutlery, setting a table, sweeping, simple baking, buttering bread, making orange juice etc. Our young children are taught to care for themselves, for others and for the world around them.
Social Skills and Morals
Our children are taught social awareness skills that enables them to function effectively in social settings. The importance of etiquette is also introduced and inculcated at this stage. The five magic expressions (please, thank you, excuse me, sorry and may I) are taught and solidified all through this programme.
Language Arts
Our language art program consists of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Grammar and Spelling development. Our reading program involves the five components of reading: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. As our students’ progress through the language and reading program, they learn to develop their expressive and receptive language skills through speaking and writing and listening activities.
Mathematics
At this stage, our children learn to build on and to solidify their knowledge of numbers, which they acquired in Playgroup. With the use of hands-on instructional materials, and Montessori teaching aids, they begin to understand the four basic operations in mathematics. They learn to work with shapes such as squares, triangles and rectangles. They learn to think critically and to solve word problems in mathematics. Our Nursery Programme also introduces our children to concepts of place value, the decimal system and working with money.
Cultural
The children learn about the world around them through physical and cultural geography, art, music, religion and history. At this stage, our children learn about weather conditions in Nigeria and around the world, Geographical maps, family, continents and the planet Earth. They get familiar with the stories of creation of the world and famous stories like Noah and the ark and the life of Jesus Christ.
Science
The concepts of living and non-living things are introduced at this stage, appealing to a young child’s interest in things they see around them. This serves as the foundation for understanding and exploring zoology and botany. A child at this stage learns about plants and animals and non-living things around them. They are also introduced to exploring physical and chemical properties of matter which will serve as a foundation for studying physical sciences in the future.
Sports and Exercise
Our children are encouraged to engage in sports, games, play and age-appropriate exercise to help them develop their skills of coordination and body control.