Approaches to learning are essential for young children's school readiness and early school success. At Northbridge International School Cambodia, we know that positive learning approaches, such as self-management, communication, social, thinking and research skills, are associated with higher levels of early school achievement.
Our EL teachers are always attentive to creating a learning environment that values children for who they are and who they will become. We support their agency through social interaction, learning spaces, symbolic exploration and expression, and play.
But we also intentionally create learning experiences through our Units of Inquiry that develop the ability to manage emotions, set goals, respect and support others, resolve conflict, communicate ideas, make informed choices and use creativity to solve everyday problems.
At this developmental stage, tolerance to frustration is critical to adaptation and school success. EL teachers in our school understand the value of helping students manage setbacks and work through disappointment and change. We give them strategies based on resilience and techniques like mindfulness and awareness of body-mind connections to manage negative emotions, support concentration, and overcome distractions.
We use the "zone of emotional regulation" to identify feelings and discuss strategies to overcome negative and stressful emotions. We teach them how to manage anger and resolve conflict through role-playing, story books and reflection. We practice positive thinking and language that reinforces self-motivation in our everyday routines.
We also practice "visible thinking" strategies and techniques to make connections between the conceptual understandings of the Units of Inquiry, and we put thinking ahead of knowing.
EL teachers at Northbridge constantly plan uninterrupted time for play and offer opportunities for symbolic exploration and expression. We also create literacy and numeracy experiences that develop a range of playful, inquiry-based explorations into symbolic and representational learning.
Our Units of Inquiry are flexible and based on conceptual and enduring understandings connected to the students' lives. We understand the importance of developing self-regulation through play, modelling behaviours, language group games and music and movement.
At Northbridge International School Cambodia, EL students thrive and grow in a welcoming, nurturing, happy and safe environment!
When people think about leadership, what often comes to mind are the concepts of power, decision making, delegating and innovation. Seldom does one think about care, empathy, kindness, and generosity – however these traits that highlight the emotional skills for successful and effective leadership, including by students at Northbridge International School Cambodia, are just as important.
What are the Primary Arts all about? Is it just a load of fun and messing around? It is fun, which is why we love it but there is so much more to the programme than some people might think.
Take a visit to our early learning spaces at Northbridge International School Cambodia, both inside and out, and you will observe a wealth of play activities happening. Students are interacting in playing on their own (solo play), playing with the same thing or in the same space (mirrored play) or sharing together (collaborative play).
