Reception Curriculum Guide

All learning at our school is based around the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (PYP), an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework.

Throughout the year, students will be guided through six Units of Inquiry of global significance, providing opportunities to broaden their learning by developing their conceptual understandings, strengthening their knowledge and skills across, between and beyond subject areas.

The following four Units of Inquiry will be explored throughout the year. Each unit is developed around a concept, a Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.

Central Idea: Knowledge of ourselves and the impact of our interactions helps us to flourish

An inquiry into:

• Myself: My health and wellbeing
• Interactions: My relationships with others and my sense of belonging
• Growth: The impact on my learning and development

Central Idea: People can express feelings and ideas through a variety of arts 人們可以通過不同的藝術形式表達自己的情感和想法。

An inquiry into:

• How feelings can be named or described
  
• How art can be used to express feelings and ideas
  
• How art can be appreciated and enjoyed
  

Central Idea: People play a role in supporting living things 人類對其他生物生存提供支持

An inquiry into:

• Characteristics of living things 生物的特徵
  
• How living things change 生物生長的變化
• Our responsibility towards the well-being of other living things 人類對其他生物健康成長的責任

Central Idea: Exploring materials helps people decide how to use them 探索不同的物料能夠幫助人們了解如何使用它們

An inquiry into:

• Different materials 不同的物料
  
• Properties of materials 物料的特徵
  
• Uses of materials 使用物料
  

The development of language is fundamental to all areas of our learning programs. Language helps us communicate our thinking and understanding.

Language is socially constructed - it is dependent on social interactions and relationships. It permeates all subject areas. As such, we view all of our teachers and assistants to be language teachers.

English is our main language of instruction, with Chinese (Mandarin) taught as an additional language. We take similar approaches teaching both English and Chinese.

Students are provided opportunities to enrich their vocabulary by describing different sensorial experiences and exploring stories, songs and rhymes. Students learn how to interact socially - using appropriate voice and body language. Students recount and retell experiences and stories through socio-dramatic play, drawing and "writing".

Mathematics is a global language of concepts and symbols through which we make sense of the world around us.

Mathematics is taught through three main stages:

1. Constructing meaning and ideas about a mathematical concept through interactions with objects, discussions, experimentation and play;
2. Transferring these ideas and understandings into symbols;
3. Applying these ideas and understanding in real-life and hands-on problem solving activities.

Mathematics is taught through the strands of number, shape and space and measure.

Students explore the concept of counting. They learn how to connect number names, numerals and quantities (including zero) up to 20. They are provided opportunities to explore patterns around them, describing and creating them by using materials, sounds, movements and drawings.

Students explore the concept of space by following and providing simple directions. They compare the length, mass and capacity of different objects. They sort and describe basic 2D shapes and 3D objects. They explore the concept of time by identifying days of the week.

Our outdoor learning is a central pillar of our school and a wide range of engaging experiences enable our students to learn about and connect with nature.

Students explore a range of land-based environments (including school grounds and local built environments). They will use different tools to observe nature in outdoor and natural settings. They will investigate how plants need water, light & a suitable temperature to grow and flourish. They will have opportunities to create and maintain a sensory garden.

Our PE program focuses on developing a range of fundamental movement skills. This is mainly done through our Perceptual Motor Program.

Wellbeing is another central pillar of our school. Throughout our wellbeing program, our students explore relationships, identity and aspects of health (physical, social, emotional and spiritual). Our wellbeing program also teaches our students about child protection, anti-bullying and mindfulness strategies.

Students will learn how to approach and persevere with new situations and change. They will be provided opportunities to share practices of their own culture(s), discuss the physical similarities and differences between themselves and others, recognising that each person is an individual. They will learn about people and places that can keep them safe when needed and ways to ask for help. They will also learn about the importance of healthy eating and personal hygiene.

Our Arts program is taught through four main strands: music, visual arts, drama and dance. Music is taught by specialist teachers.

In Music, students learn the concepts of beat and rhythm through singing and playing basic instruments. They explore different ways to express their feelings and emotions, as well as, responding to sounds and music.

In Visual Arts, students are provided opportunities to explore a range of materials and tools to create images and objects related to themselves, others and their environments using a variety of forms.

In Drama, students engage in purposeful socio-dramatic play using objects, puppets and images to create or retell stories.

In Dance, students are provided opportunities to move to music, exploring space, time, dynamics and relationships.

Science and Social Studies are primarily taught through the Units of Inquiry (see above).

Students are provided to show and build the understanding of how the world works by exploring the different properties of materials; investigating the behaviour of light and sound; and observing how different objects move. Students also describe natural patterns they see daily and as seasons change. They explore human needs and the concept of family.

• Uses appropriate words to describe sounds

• Identifies different sounds and places them in context

• Recognises rhyming words

• Creates own rhymes

• Completes sentences using appropriate rhyming words

• Remembers and reproduces a sound sequence

• Begins to show understanding of the basic concepts of print, for example, orientation, directional movement, layout, spacing, punctuation.

• Recognises own name in print

• Recognises some high frequency words

• Uses familiar and common letters

• Writes own name

• Innovates on familiar stories through play

• Count forwards and backwards to 20

• Recognise numerals to 20

• Link numerals and amounts up to 20

• Use objects to add and subtract two single digit numbers

• Sort, describe and name familiar three-dimensional shapes and objects in the environment

• Follow and give simple directions, describing paths, regions, positions and boundaries of their immediate environment.

• Create a repeating pattern

• Select shapes to represent something when making pictures

• Find ways to fit shapes into a puzzle

• Nesting, posting and ordering

To see the Subject Guidance for all subjects from Nursery to Year 6 please click on this link

A happy, healthy learning community empowering all members to flourish

Email: info@ichkhly.edu.hk
Website: www.ichkhly.edu.hk
Location: 3 Hong Lok Yuen 20th Street, Hong Lok Yuen, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 3955 3000
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