FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN KINDERGARTEN

It is a fact that the earlier the foreign language learning is started, the easier, more natural and permanent the learning will be, if the right methods are used. In our school, we teach foreign language to our students in a fun and interactive way in their natural environment, and we make learning a foreign language enjoyable with different methods. In English lessons, our students acquire the skills necessary to comprehend the system of a language other than their mother tongue during early childhood. The main purpose of the English Program in Kindergarten is to take the first steps in the acquisition of English in an enjoyable and fun way. It is to teach the words necessary for communication at the beginning level, to provide the basic formations that will form the English listening and speaking skills, and to prepare a solid ground for foreign language learning in the following years. Our practices in all age groups are organized in this direction and our teaching program is supported by foreign teachers whose mother tongue is English. In language teaching, games and activities based on visual, auditory and learning by doing are also used as a means of communication in English. The foreign language is presented as a meaningful whole based on the children's own experiences instead of abstract concepts. Thus, children learn English by experiencing and having fun with the help of stories, songs, flash cards and games played with various objects, visual aids, drama and hands-on activities.

In Kindergarten, it is aimed that

• students recognize the existence of different languages,
• students are willing to learn and communicate in a foreign language,
• students are able to use a foreign language when needed,
• students are able to respond to instructions in spoken English,
• students participate in drama activities, songs and games,
• students understand what they hear and improve their speaking skills.

GEMS in Atacan Kindergarten

Researches on the GEMS Education approach show that science and mathematics education given at an early age is of great importance for children to learn basic concepts and acquire skills related to school readiness. In line with these considerations, “GEMS Education Approach” has an important place in our education program. GEMS is the abbreviation of “Great Exploration in Math and Science”. This program was created at the University of California, Lawrence Science Centre. Thanks to the GEMS, which is open to continuous improvement, effective, flexible and high quality, exciting science and mathematics activities have been brought to the classrooms. Through the fun activities in the GEMS Program, children are encouraged to be interested in science and mathematics, which paves the way for scientific thinking. Children learn to discover information, understand the development of information from concrete to abstract, and the connections of information at an early age by experiencing it. The GEMS Program provides a student-centred classroom environment in which children participate directly, think critically, express themselves freely, and understand the concepts and ideas underlying the subject with the “supervised exploration" method.

What are the objectives of GEMS?

• To raise individuals who can learn independently and think critically,
• To enable children to understand leading concepts in science and mathematics,
• To demonstrate the importance of basic science and math skills,
• To encourage students to have a positive attitude towards science and mathematics.

MATHEMATICS IN ENGLISH

Math Activities

• Putting numbers from 1 to 10 in order,
• Getting to know the materials we will use in the activity,
• Passing the thread through the coloured rolls,

Acquisitions

• Recognizes numbers from 1 to -10.
• Recognizes colours.
• Counts numbers sequentially.

SCIENCE IN ENGLISH

Science Activities

• Getting to know the materials we will use in the activity,
• Making preparations for the activity with the materials we know,
• Completing the activity using the materials prepared.

Acquisitions

• Focuses on the situation that needs attention.
• Knows that the candle does not burn in an airless environment.
• Knows the importance of air and oxygen.
• Understands the existence and importance of pressure with air.

eTwinning

eTwinning basically aims to create an online environment where teachers from different countries of Europe can share their experiences and exchange ideas. Teachers can carry out projects together with the teachers from different countries in accordance with their own educational processes. eTwinning provides students with new learning opportunities as well as providing an idea about the educational practices taking place in European countries. Based on the opinions of many teachers who have carried out eTwinning projects, the benefits of eTwinning to students can be summarized as follows;
– They can communicate with the students in Europe.
– They improve communication skills through several learning activities via internet,
– They can create online projects and/or join in other projects.
– Joining in the projects, they can get to know different cultures and use web tools effectively.
– They can exchange ideas with students from different countries.
– It provides an opportunity for mobile school learning projects

About our eTwinning Project

Our eTwinning project in Kindergarten provides an environment where students can both have fun and learn. We regularly prepare educational activities for our children every month. We share these activities with our other partner countries on the online portal of eTwinning. In our project, we aimed to increase our children's English vocabulary and creativity with spring, summer, autumn and winter themed songs, games and activities. During the project, our students recognized leaves, made pumpkins from dough, painted them, made and sent New Year's wishes cards to our partner schools, and made winter-themed cookies. In this process, our students learnt a lot by enjoying the activities they did.