The program is structured to include pre-writing and pre-reading games and introduce basic mathematical concepts , properly preparing the child in his or her smooth transition to Primary School when the time comes.
The introduction of mathematical concepts begins early, in the preschool years.. The philosophy currently prevailing in the teaching of math is to inform children about the world that surrounds them and the environment, about space and the relationship models developing inside it, to help them distinguish and associate the variousmathematical structuresand apply their knowledge in the various activities of their life.
Kindergarten teachers, by choosing a child-centred method of teaching, discreetly guide the child and intervene only when asked.
They encourage children to observe, act on their own, experiment, express themselves.
The child, with the help of appropriately chosen teaching aids and special educational procedures, observes, discovers, enhances its mathematical thinking and is gradually guided in the application of rules.
Daily life at school provides many opportunities for learningmathematical concepts..
Group games, clay, plasticine, the sandbox, the grocery corner, building materials, and other free activities, are excellent educational means for the child to learn about concepts such as small-large, light-heavy, before-after, etc.
Supervision,, a basic pedagogical principle, together with the self-motivation, contribute towards better and more permanent learning.
The child must practice his or her senses, gain experience through play situations, explore space, take initiatives, think and act.
The kindergarten teacher's main concern is not to provide formal knowledge, but to awaken the children.
PREMATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS:
They include: time-space relations and concepts, comparison and assessment of sizes, arrays, sorting, grouping and matching of objects.
NUMBERS:
The concept of cardinality and numbers 1 through 20, and familiarisation with their symbols.
- Learning to count objects from 1 through 20.
- Introduction to basic logicomathematical reasoning and in particular that related to the four basic arithmetic operations.
Pre-reading activities,include exercises that aim to develop those cognitive functions required for introduction to the reading process (memory, thought, imagination, observation).
The purpose is to help children understand that there is a correspondence between oral and written speech and that oral speech turns into writing, through a system of symbols (coding) and vice-versa (decoding).
- To gradually introduce them to the correct structure of oral speech (words-sentences).
- To approach, even intuitively, the semantic, grammatical, structural and morpho-phonetic aspect of our language.
They also read children's books, stories, myths, poems and fairytales, helping them internalise a correct linguistic structure and expression, cultivate their oral speech, enrich their vocabulary, develop an affinity for books and reading, overcome their personal problems and anxiety, and receive messages related to the moral and social values of life. Through the stories, children acquire in an indirect and fun way information and knowledge related to the world that surrounds them. They also acquire the necessary cognitive functions (memory, thought, imagination, observation and development of expression), the cultural, social, religious, moral values and experience, to be entertained.
In the context of reading books, the children also present children's books of literature to the class.
A lending library turns the young student into an active reader, helps him acquire good habits, responsibility, respect and care for books.
It provides the opportunity to the children to share their reading experiences with their fellow students or with people of their immediate family.
It also influences and shapes the child's relationship with books from a preschool age.
PRE-WRITING AND WRITING:
It includes:
- The development of fine motor skills, by practising eye and hand coordination.
- The preparation of the movements that lead to writing.
- The visual recognition of the letters of the Greek alphabet and their association with the corresponding sound.
- The writing of letters and syllables.