Solid foundation for lifelong learning
UNDERSTANDING that play-based learning opportunities create the foundation for success in school, the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) offers an early childhood programme that promotes play in an optimal way.
“What makes our programme unique is that we pull best practices from a variety of learning philosophies and use creative assessment to substantiate learning,” says Azra Pathan, ISKL’s elementary school assistant principal.
The ISKL early childhood education programme is broken down into three age categories – three, four and five years old.
To ensure the best possible outcomes for its students, ISKL maintains a ratio of 12 students to two adults among three-year-olds, 14 students to two adults for fouryear-olds and 16 students to two adults for five-year-olds.
The positive impact of the ratio is clear when you walk into a classroom. While groups of children are playing in different parts of the room, an adult is always nearby to guide the activities, engage the students in dialogue, and ensure they verbalise what they are thinking and learning.
Here are five more ways that set ISKL apart from other schools and early childhood learning centres.
A flexible curriculum that includes a variety of learning strategies and pedagogies –The ISKL three- and four-year-old early education teams use the Creative Curriculum to guide teachers’ practice.
The five-year-old team follows Common Core Curriculum, which focuses on developing critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.
“Incorporating the best elements of Reggio, Montessori, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and Common Core, the ISKL curriculum is constantly evolving and improving to ensure the richest learning experience for our children,” says Azra. One-on-one access to various early childhood learning professionals – If required, students can work with a speech therapist, counsellor, library and technology expert or English as an additional language teacher to help them grow.
Five-year-old students have specialised lessons in music and art as well as learn from world language and physical education specialist teachers.
These teachers also consult with the three- and four-year-old sections to ensure all the early childhood programmes have support from experts in their field. This access to learning professionals is unprecedented in most early learning centres. Creative and collaborative approach to show learning progress of every student – While most early childhood learning programmes ignore assessment for young children, ISKL prides itself in documenting the learning journey of students based on nine development areas and 23 learning objectives.
To help show student progress in these development areas, ISKL’s three- and four-year-old classes use an online learning service called Storypark.
On the site, every child has their own learning story where teachers post pictures and report on learning objectives and results on a regular basis. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the story as well.
“Storypark is an example of an interactive, community-based approach that visibly shows how play results in profound learning and truly documents changes in young people’s minds,” says Azra.
Intentionally designed learning environment and lessons – Learning experiences for ISKL students are always aligned with guided-inquiry approaches, allowing students to investigate, create, problem-solve and expand on their ideas.
“Today’s companies are looking for employees who are collaborators, problem-solvers and communicators – not just subject matter experts in given disciplines,” says Azra.
“This is why the basis for our early childhood programmes is guided inquiry. There has to be a skilled adult to guide the inquiry and help with setting the foundation for the child’s executive functioning skills.”
Collaborative education ISKL teachers and other professionals are constantly collaborating with each other to ensure students’ transitions between grades are successful.
Partnerships with parents and a strong connection between school and home also build a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
Learn more about early childhood education at the ISKL Melawati Campus’ elementary school Open Day at 10.30am on March 13.