Philosophy
Swans (Ages: 3–4)
The Lingua Natal Primary Program is a holistic, educational approach that focuses on the individuality of each child in respect to their needs and talents as opposed to the needs of the class as a whole. For us, the physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, and cognitive needs are inseparable and equally important.
The Primary Program encourages independence and freedom with limits and responsibilities. Here, the students increase their knowledge through self and teacher-initiated experiences. Learning continues to take place through the senses in this phase of development.
Our environments are multi-aged. The older children provide leadership, guidance, and act as role models for the younger children. The mix of ages and children involved in different languages/cultures provides opportunities for a variety of lasting and meaningful friendships.
There are eleven components to our curriculum.
Practical Life
Brain & Body Development
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- Preliminary Exercises and Movement: Walking in the classroom; managing tables and chairs; carrying trays and materials
- Silence (Cessation of Movement): Care of self and environment; dressing; polishing; hand washing; dusting; food preparation
- Grace, Courtesy, and Virtues Project: Social greetings and conventions; introductions; problem solving strategies; non-violent communication
Sensory
Writing Preparation
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- Visual: Dimension; size; color; and shapes
- Geometry: Regular and irregular shapes; geometric solids; superimposed geometric figures; botany cabinet
- Auditory: Sound boxes; bells
- Olfactory: Smelling bottles/boxes
- Gustatory
- Tactile: Rough/smooth; soft/hard; (Thermic Tablets) varying degrees of heat; (Baric Tablets) varying degrees of weight
- Stereognostic (Muscular and Tactile mixed)- Mystery bags/bean bowls
- Physical Geography (globes; puzzle maps; land & water forms)
Language
Full Immersion
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- Indirect Preparation for reading and writing
- Practical life exercises that provide left to right movement and sequences
- Cylinder blocks and metal insets to prepare hand for handwriting
- Geometry, botany, and geography materials to develp sense of shape and direction
- Spoken language skills and vocabulary development
- Word games leading to phonemic awareness
- Reading Mechanics
- Sound-symbol correspondence
- Phonograms
- Phonetic words
- Sight words
- Reading nomenclature from classroom studies
- Language Study
- Function of words (parts of speech)
- Word study (prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, singular, and plural forms)
- Advanced language study: syntax; interpretive; reading and language extension
- Writing mechanics
- Sound-symbol correspondence
- Forming letters without writing
- Alphabet: Lower case and upper case
- Captions and Labels
- Journal keeping; story writing and drawing; copying poetry and songs
- Comprehension
- Respond to text in a variety of ways: speaking, writing, and drawing
- Listen purposefully
- Identify and describe characters and their feelings
- Identify title, author, and illustrator
- Indicate chronological order of events
- Recount plot or information from texts
- Make reasonable predictions about what will happen next in a story
- Participate in group discussions
Mathematics
Counting, Geometry & Measuring
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- Association of quantity, symbol (numeral) & sequence of numbers 1-10
- Linear counting and number combinations of 10 to 1000
- Decimal System
- Geometric shapes, forms and nomenclature
- Fundamentals of the decimal system; understanding numbers to 9,999
- Identify odd and even
- Identify coins
- Measuring & estimating
- Math Tables
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
- Addition and subtraction of two four-digit numbers with exchanging
- Skip counting (using manipulative)
- Fractions
Culture
Art, Music & Movement
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- Art, including two and three dimensional representations and art appreciation
- Movement, including dance, yoga and creative movement
- Theater, including puppetry, dramatic expression and story book theater
- Rhythm; instruments; music and music appreciation
- Food preparation (vegetables/fruits); cooking
Science
Physical & Life Sciences
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Hands-on experiments related to earth, life, and physical sciences.
- The Solar System; Land/air/water; human body; skeleton; five senses; the power of plants; nutrition; healthy habits; natural habitats; the importance of respecting our natural habitats; reduce; re-use and recycle
Botany
The Biology of Plants
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Parts of the plant and their function; parts of the flower and their function; parts of the leaf and their function; germination and its sequence
Zoology
The Animal Kingdom
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The Animal Kingdom; the classification of the animal groups; the characteristics of each
Sensory Experience
Emotional Development
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At Lingua Natal, we put a lot of emphasis in the importance of the Sensory Process in the development of well-rounded, happy, and healthy children. This process also helps bring self-control, satisfaction and concentration, and focus to the child.
Geography
Countries & Maps
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Cultural and Physical Geography: Land and water forms; the globe; map of the continents; map of each continent with its countries; the animals of each continent; the flags of each country; places of interest in each continent; food, music, art, and culture in each country; taking care of our earth; our need for survival; emphasize one human family
Mindfulness
Wellness & Peace
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We practice mindfulness at Lingua Natal because it helps bring calm and quiet to the mind, body, and soul of the child. It also brings concentration and self-awareness. It helps with the “control of self” and thus helps build more peaceful individuals, society, and world community.