School-Based Curriculum
Learning Habitat embraces the philosophy of "Discover ‧ Learn ‧ Excel" to create a unique school-based curriculum. We adopt a child-centred approach, tailoring comprehensive and diverse learning experiences to meet the developmental needs and interests of young children. This enables them to construct knowledge through independent exploration while enjoying a joyful and fulfilling learning journey.
Unique and Diverse Learning Experiences
Learning Habitat recognises the preschool years as a golden period for children's language development, placing special emphasis on a bilingual learning environment. We offer Cantonese-English and Putonghua-English classes, each co-taught by a native English-speaking teacher and a native Cantonese/Putonghua-speaking teacher.
The Cantonese-English class is taught in Cantonese and English, with a focus on English phonics and the use of school-based materials to help students learn everyday Putonghua expressions. The Putonghua-English class, meanwhile, is delivered in Putonghua and English, also emphasising English phonics and supported by a school-developed Putonghua pinyin learning kit to enhance language acquisition. Through high-quality teaching and systematic phonics programs, children are naturally immersed in a bilingual environment. This approach helps them develop confident expression and reading skills during kindergarten, laying a solid foundation for future bilingual learning.
Our curriculum focuses on children's life experiences and adopts a child-led learning model. Through thematic teaching, we design various exploratory activities, including role-playing games and hands-on experiences, allowing children to learn through practice. For older children, we implement the "Project Approach," guiding them to research topics of interest. This method encourages questioning, creative thinking, and expression, fostering proactive learning and independent exploration.
Additionally, we integrate STEAM into the curriculum, using fun science experiments and engineering activities to enhance children's observation, problem-solving, and creativity skills.
Moreover, we incorporate "Nature Education" into our school-based curriculum, taking children outside the classroom to explore the Farming Habitat established by our kindergarten. Here, children can connect with nature, engage in hands-on farming, and create art using natural materials. This experience sparks their curiosity and exploratory spirit toward nature while nurturing values such as environmental care and respect for life.
Music, physical education, and art are essential pillars of children's holistic development. Our school-based curriculum is well-balanced, incorporating diverse activities in music, physical education, and artistic creation at appropriate times. Through engaging games, we stimulate children's creativity, coordination, and aesthetic abilities. We believe that rich experiences in these areas not only help children develop a range of skills but also foster a confident and joyful learning attitude.
We provide children with opportunities to showcase their talents through programs like "My Time On Stage" and "A Story A Day," allowing every child to express and present themselves. Encouragement in these activities enhances their communication skills and boosts their confidence. Each participation experience becomes a valuable part of their growth, teaching them to express themselves while learning to appreciate others.
Focus on Social and Emotional Development
In addition to emphasising language, cognitive, and artistic development, we also prioritise children's social and emotional growth. As early as 2000, we integrated Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into our school-based curriculum and regular classroom activities.
SEL is essential for children's social and holistic development. It involves learning to understand and manage emotions, build positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. SEL encompasses the following five core competencies:
Responsible Decision-Making
Social Awareness
Self-Management
Self-Awareness
Relationship Skills
To reinforce SEL at home, we have developed a series of books aligned with the social-emotional education curriculum in recent years. These books include suggested activities and parent guides to support children's learning at home.
Development of School-Based Learning Materials
Thoughtfully designed school-based learning materials play a vital role in sparking children’s learning interest. We created a series of school-based teaching materials for PN to K3 students. These include thematic textbooks in Chinese and English, Putonghua textbooks, moral education stories, word cards, Phonics Readers, and various workbooks. Additionally, we have developed game-based teaching aids to help teachers deliver more engaging and effective lessons.
We also design diverse and inspiring learning kits to extend learning to the home, enabling parents and children to participate in educational activities together. Furthermore, we provide multimedia videos to enrich learning content and enhance students' experiences. Since 2022, we have incorporated Cantonese, Putonghua, and English audio features into most teaching materials to support bilingual education and boost students' motivation and interest in learning.