Raising curious, confident and involved learners with our Relationships-Based Curriculum
The first three years of a child’s life is a critical period of opportunity to lay optimal foundations for health, growth, and neuro-development for life (Cusick & Georgieff 2010).
Helping children reach their full potential within the “golden window” of development
At NTUC First Campus, our Relationships-Based Curriculum for birth to three fosters a sense of trust and security between the child and their educators, enabling effective learning experiences for these young children to maximise their holistic potential within this “golden window” of child development.
Research has also shown that quality experiences in the early years promote a child’s long-term development socially and emotionally, and strengthen core life skills essential in a child’s formative years.
Learning happens when we build positive and trusting relationships between teachers and children
Our curriculum is guided by the Attachment Theory (Bowlby. J., 1988) which believes that positive and trusting relationships between educators and children enable the children to develop a sense of security and well-being that promotes learning and development.
We practice a primary caregiving model where one educator is primarily responsible for a small group of children in partnership with other secondary caregivers such as other supporting educators and the parents. As the bond forms and strengthens over time, the child feels secure and comfortable in their environment, pathing the way for learning to happen.
Our research (Ebbeck & Yim, 2009; Ebbeck et al, 2014) has shown that Relationships-based curriculum, which adopts the primary caregiving model, improved children’s well-being, involvement and learning outcomes.
Next, we focus on the development milestones of children by creating learning experiences
Our curriculum also focuses on creating learning moments through meaningful routines, experiences and interactions to support the development of children across 3 key development areas: physical, psycho-social, cognitive and language. There is also a focus on establishing a consistent daily routine. All these help to develop a happy, curious and emotionally secure child.
3 Key Domains of Development
Psychosocial Self
A child’s sense of self and his interrelationships, social and emotional intelligence
Physical Self
The child’s sensory and motor skills, improving their ability to balance, coordinate and control their bodies and physical well-being
Thinking and Communication Self
The ability to comprehend and communicate in English and Mother Tongue, as well as setting the academic foundation by developing attention, memory, problem solving, and language skills