Grad R-Pre-School
Education Programme
Grade R Preschool education is
the provision of education for children before the
commencement of statutory education, usually between the
ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction.
Preschool is also known as nursery
school, day care or kindergarten
or even Grade R.
Preschool
work is organized within a framework that professional
educators create. The framework includes structural
(administration, class size, teacher-child ratio, etc.),
process (quality of classroom environments,
teacher-child interactions, etc), and alignment
(standards, curriculum, assessments) components that are
associated with each individual unique child that has
both social and academic outcomes.
Age and Importance
Preschool is generally considered appropriate for
children between three and five years of age, between
the toddler and
school stages. During this stage of development,
children learn and assimilate information rapidly, and
express interest and fascination in each new discovery.
It is well established that the most important years of learning are
begun at birth. A child's brain at this age is making
connections that will last the rest of their life. The environment of the young child influences the
development of cognitive and emotional skills due to the
rapid brain growth that occurs in the early years.
Studies have shown that high quality preschools have a
short and long term effect in improving the outcomes of
a child, especially a disadvantaged child.
Are Pre-School Skills Important?
Parents are sometimes concerned about
whether their child will be ready for Grade R
following a preschool education. In fact, early
child care experts are noting an increased pressure
by parents to teach preschool children how to count,
name letters, make letter sounds, and even learn to
read.
The Johannesburg Polytech Grade R programme
emphasizes on skills which makes sure that your kid
is ready for learning under the foundation phase
So, what is so important to learn in Grade R
Programme?
We emphasize that during the Grade R years, children
should learn important items that will help them
develop a strong knowledge basis needed for academic
success. We cite these Essential
Cognitive Foundations, adapted from the Essential
Cognitive Skills for School Readiness:
-
A strong knowledge base
sufficient to support comprehension, drawing
inferences, and making predictions. These are
Problem-solving skills.
-
An ability to "inter-translate"
between language and mental images so that
knowledge and thoughts can be expressed through
language (productive language) and knowledge can
be formed from incoming information (receptive
language).
-
A set of attitudinal and
self-management skills that include: attention
management, comprehension monitoring and
persistence.
With these cognitive foundations in preschool
education, children will be more prepared to conquer
the demands placed on them by school. Children will
also think of themselves as capable and and
independent learners. Teachers find it easier to
teach a child who possesses a strong preschool
education background in language skills, listening
comprehension, attention management skills, and a
positive attitude toward learning.
So what are you waiting for?
Book for an appointment with a Grade
R educator for more information on this important
programme and we will help you to open the potential
within your loved child!
Graduating to Grade 1
For admission into Grade 1, learners should
be at least 51/2 or 6 years old on 1 January
of the year of enrolment. Grade R admission
requires that learners must be between 4 and
5 years old.
