Our objective is to cultivate a vibrant and stimulating learning atmosphere that ignites curiosity and a true enthusiasm for learning the Greek language. By implementing thoughtfully designed activities and strategies, we strive to establish a solid foundation for your child's future academic achievements, while nurturing a love for language and education.
Our Curriculum: What to expect!
Early Years & Reception
GSAT's Early Years Groups represent one of the newest and most cherished department in our school. Established in 2011, the nursery began its journey on the ground floor of our school, occupying one of our smaller classrooms and welcoming just five children. Since then, our EYF department has grown with a mission to provide top-notch care and education for children aged 3,5 to 6 years in a nurturing and inclusive environment, while introducing them to the Greek language.
At the heart of our philosophy lies the belief that children learn best through play and discovery. With a dedicated team of educators, we strive to encourage a love for learning, while fostering a deep connection to their cultural heritage and mother language.
Key Areas of the Curriculum
During this stage, your child will predominantly engage in learning through play, singing, and games, fostering a positive and enjoyable educational experience. Our curriculum focuses on the six key areas of learning which are detailed below:
- Basic Communication and Language Skills: Emphasizing the development of a shared code of communication in Greek, enabling your child to effectively express themselves and interact within the classroom setting.
- Physical, Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: Nurturing the holistic growth of your child by fostering their physical abilities, supporting their personal and social skills, and promoting emotional well-being.
- Expressive Arts, Music, Drama and Story time: Encouraging creative expression while enhancing Greek vocabulary and comprehension of the language, allowing your child to explore their artistic talents.
- Expanding Understanding and Language through Thematic Units: Through a thematic approach (detailed in table 1 on the next page), we enhance your child's understanding and language skills by exploring interconnected topics in a comprehensive manner.
- Stories: Encouraging a love for reading and storytelling, which not only enhances language skills but also stimulates imagination and critical thinking.
- Letter Sound Recognition and Word/Picture/Sound Play: We employ an interactive and engaging approach to introduce your child to the phonetic system, facilitating the recognition of letter sounds and their association with corresponding words, pictures, and sounds. Our method revolves around the principles of play and discovery, creating a joyful and exploratory environment that fosters your child's natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
Our approach
Play, discovery and fun learning
At Ayia Triada we are introducing the Greek language to young minds by engaging, exciting, and inspiring them. Greek, with its rich history and vibrant culture, offers a unique opportunity for preschoolers to embark on a linguistic journey that’s both educational and enjoyable. We are using fun ways to introduce Greek to preschoolers, ensuring they fall in love with the language from their very first “Γεια σου!”
We sing and dance with Greek alphabet! Music, known as a universal language, is a particularly effective and enjoyable way to introduce Greek to preschoolers. The rhythm and melody inherent in songs naturally attract young children, making singing an ideal tool for language learning. When children are exposed to Greek songs, especially those designed for their age group, they not only learn new words and sounds, but they also begin to develop an ear for the language’s unique rhythms and intonations.
We are using creative colouring with a Greek Twist.Incorporating creative coloring with a Greek twist into preschool education is an excellent way to blend artistic expression and language learning. Coloring books that feature Greek alphabets and cultural symbols offer an engaging and tactile approach to learning. As children color, they not only practice their fine motor skills, but they also gain an introduction to the visual aspects of the Greek language and culture.
We are also using interactive letter puzzles and cutting exercises. These hands-on activities are incredibly beneficial in early childhood education, especially for language learning. They are pivotal in developing a child’s fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of language structure. For learning Greek, puzzles that involve matching Greek letters with pictures or words beginning with those letters offer an interactive way for children to familiarize themselves with the alphabet.
Cutting skills activities, on the other hand, involve children in physically shaping the letters of the Greek alphabet. Using safety scissors, children can cut out Greek letters from paper, an activity that significantly enhances fine motor skills.
"As a nursery teacher at GSAT, I find immense joy and fulfillment in nurturing young minds. Our innovative approach, incorporating interactive letter puzzles and cutting exercises, allows me to engage children in a fun and educational way. Watching them develop fine motor skills, solve problems, and grasp the fundamentals of language, especially Greek, is incredibly rewarding. At GSAT, we create a vibrant, supportive environment where every child can thrive and grow." Mrs E. Topalidou (Early Years Lead)"
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