Advisor's message
|
I have been watching the activities of Sambo's Tots Playhouse & Playschool with my 40 years professional experience in early childhood education. My first impression when I entered the gates was that everything here is for small children. The wonderful playground, the welcoming environment where the toys are all designed to be age specific to help small kids develop their skills further, be it physical or intellectual. Every activity brings about a challenge that kids can explore and learn from.
For early childhood education all this is very important along with ensuring that there are enough toys that children can use. This helps to reduce conflict among kids and enables them to explore more which is the principle of development at this age. For example there are enough bicycles, swings, balls, Lego and the like. The playground set provides an opportunity for children to learn about principles that promote social well being, i.e. taking turns, letting friends slide down before sliding, sliding together, taking care of each other, and being polite, just to name a few. These social principles can only be learnt through experiences. My second impression was about the warm welcome I have seen parents and children receive at Sambo's Tots. Class leaders as well as class assistants, cleaning and kitchen staff all had nice and kind words to each child and adult entering. They clearly know all children by name and welcome them. In addition it was heartwarming to see the diversity that the school represents. All staff show empathy as well as acceptance of every child the way they are without any discrimination or differentiation. The colors in the garden, the inviting colors on the walls, and on the various toys provide comfort for small kids and support their knowledge about colors as well as building their creative side regarding appreciation of beauty and art. I was also pleased to see how well the school is taken care of. Every time I visited I found that the school was clean and hygiene practices were followed. It is also notable that the owners of the school take good care in ensuring that accidents are limited by outfitting the premises with child safe rubber tiles. On the walls they also present children's photos and artwork that enable kids to show and tell their parents what they have done when they visit. I observed so many different activities that Sambo's Tots is providing that help children develop their skills. They draw, paint, cook, exercise, sing, dance and read stories. The staff also pay a lot of attention to playfully teach about numbers and letters in a way that also introduces other concepts around our environment including animals, fruits and vegetables, transportation and so on. And the fact that they recycle and use recycled materials is a plus for the environment. In addition, music plays an important role in how the school functions with each song accompanied by musical instruments (class leaders and class assistants can play musical instrument) and each activity brings out more enjoyment for each child. Every child also receives their own little instruments, most home made, to develop their rhythm skills as well as listening skills. Music is accompanied by dancing which is liked by all kids. Physical exercise takes place not only in the playground but also in the classroom. In the classroom kids can follow and participate in physical activities along with their little friends and under the instructions of the teachers. For small kids the most important elements are play, imagination and stories, and physical activities. Children hear a lot of stories with interesting plots, there is a puppet show or story telling every day and I saw children listening with amusement. Small children at Sambo's Tots learn through the following methodologies: • Group instructions– where the teacher shows and explains a concept • Small group – where kids get to solve a task or a problem collectively • Individual – where each child solves a task on her/his own Small kids deepen their knowledge by exploring many activities and experiences and repeating these many times. I believe that children at Sambo's Tots have the opportunity to explore life in a balanced and loving way and staff do everything in their power to ensure that all children enjoy their time as they learn. Sambo's Tots also promotes healthy eating habits for children and provide snacks that are rich in fruit and vegetables. I wish all the enjoyment to children at Sambo's Tots Playschool & Playhouse! Ica Hornyak, School Advisor |
