 ____The
Kindergarten program at AHSS is based on early
childhood principles and the concept that "play
is the work of children". Activities are planned
around the interests and needs of the children
who participate in directing their own learning
with the assistance of teachers and Kindergarten
director Mrs. Lexi Haddadin.
____Throughout
the year children are actively engaged in hands-on
projects and thematic study units. Both the Arabic
and English languages are emphasized throughout.
The children participate on many field trips to
places like bakeries, animal shelters, museums,
and places of cultural and historical interest
in the Amman area. They also have an annual olive-picking
and olive-making activity after which they enjoy
a breakfast together featuring their homemade
olives. The children also share in the making
of other dishes such as soup and spaghetti. The
AHSS Kindergarten emphasizes the concept that
children learn best when they are actively involved
in their learning, not when they are just passive
recipients of knowledge.
____The
Kindergarten accepts children between three and
five years old in its Montessori, Bustan (KG I),
and Tamhidi (KG II) classes. The Montessori class
(established in 1982 and the first in Jordan)
was begun under the auspices of Her Majesty Queen
Noor and was fully equipped with Montessori materials
through a grant form Her Majesty.
|
Here,
I am never afraid.
Here, I am accepted and liked.
Here, I know what I'm allowed to do and
what I'm ___not
allowed to do and why these limits exist.
Here, others listen to me.
Here, I meet tolerance and understanding
and I ___amhelped
with the things I find difficult.
Here, they see what I am good at and tell
me.
Here, I may try new ideas and make my own
___choice.
Here, I can sense that what I think, feel,
and ___wish
is
of importance.
Here, I feel that I am accepted and that
I am ___some-
body. |
--
Phi Delta Kappan magazine, November
2001, poem describing the sentiments of a young
child in a Swedish preschool. -- |
