All instruction in the Maple Bear Preschool follows educational principles which have made Canadian practice so successful:

Outcomes are defined: Learning is targeted to achieve very specific learning outcomes.  It is clear what the children need to learn.

Canadian performance standards are applied: Canadian performance standards determine the learning outcomes.  Maple Bear students are expected to achieve performance levels similar to Canadians.

Curriculum development for English-language subjects is done in Canada by Canadian experts.

Canadian style teaching strategies are implemented: Canadian teaching strategies encourage student independence, strong literacy skills, higher level thinking and problem solving.

A sophisticated set of learning resources are used: Learning resources include books, manipulative materials, visual materials, electronic media, and computer technology.

Assessment of student learning is based on Canadian standards. In all cases, Canadian programming exceeds the requirements of local elementary education authorities in each country.

Bilingual immersion methodology is used in Maple Bear schools to develop competence in languages. This means that children learn to listen, speak, read, and write in both a second language and their native language by surrounding them with conversation and instruction in both languages.

In Australia, our students are immersed in English, plus a specially developed second language curriculum that strongly emphasizes on bilingual language and literacy. Children learn in both languages right from the first day!

By the end of Senior Kindergarten, Maple Bear students will be able to

• communicate effectively in both languages by listening and speaking
• have a good understanding of alphabetical symbols
• read basic text in both languages
• use phonic strategies to approach new words
• use writing strategies appropriate for beginners
• use and respond to media

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfill their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth andage five have a major impact on their future opportunities. Maple Bear sets high standards to ensure children’s readiness for elementary school. Maple Bear gives children the broad range ofknowledge and skills that provides the right foundation for good progress through school and life.

English Language Arts
By the end of Senior Kindergarten children will communicate effectively in English by listening and speaking, will have a good understanding of alphabetical symbols, will be able to read basic text inEnglish, will be able to use phonic strategies to approach new words, will be capable of using writing strategies appropriate for beginners, and finally, will be able to use and respond to media.

Personal and Social Development
Children will learn to share, to respect others, to listen, and to understand that people have different talents and functions in our society.

Science
Children will demonstrate curiosity about the natural world, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of common materials and identify cycles in nature using techniques of observation.

Creative Activity
Children will understand colour, shape and use of media to express ideas. They will be able to describe responses to music, art, drama and dance.

Physical skills and well-being
Children will develop physical skills (such as balance and flexibility), an awareness of health and safety rules, an understanding of sharing, taking turns, cooperation and socially acceptablebehaviour.

Mathematics
Children will become problem solvers. They will learn about patterns in the environment, number concepts, comparisons, sets, basic formal operations (e.g. adding and subtracting), 2-D and 3-Dobjects, simple graphs, basic measurements, estimation and basic probability.

Language development and acquisition
In learning a second language children pass through several stages in a predictable order: listening, developing understanding, speaking, reading and writing. Successive stages begin whilepreceding stages are still in development. When Maple Bear children learn a second language their development proceeds through the same stages in the same sequence as in learning the firstlanguage. Research shows that learning two languages at an early age offers both linguistic and cognitive advantages.

Literacy, which includes listening, speaking, reading and writing, is one of the most important goals of the Maple Bear program.