Our Programmes
The Cat’s Pyjamas’ programmes are based on the principles of Te Whāriki - the Early Childhood Curriculum, which provides guidance for early child educators.
At The Cat’s Pyjamas, we believe that when children are ‘learning to learn’ they are gathering the skills, knowledge and dispositions to be able to cope with the diverse challenges of life, including the challenge of starting school. Children learn to concentrate by being allowed to work on things that interest them for very long periods of time with little or no interruption. They learn persistence and patience when they are able to return to chosen pursuits day after day. They develop deep understandings when they are able to explore concepts over weeks, months and years. For these reasons we do not feel the need to introduce special set times for learning to take place as children are setting these challenges for themselves.
Old teaching styles that direct children and seek to fill them up with knowledge, do not suffice in a world where knowledge is changing at an exponential pace. Children who are resilient, resourceful, creative problem solvers, who can work alone and in teams to achieve their goals, develop the drive and motivation to tackle problems in positive ways. These children enjoy tricky, edgy learning and are continually stretching their brains, their skills and their dispositions.
John Holt (1965) will tell you this: Since we cannot know what knowledge will be needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, our job must be to turn out young people who love learning so much, and who learn so well, that they will be able to learn what whatever needs to be learned.
Utilising intentional teaching strategies, our teachers:
At The Cat’s Pyjamas, we believe that when children are ‘learning to learn’ they are gathering the skills, knowledge and dispositions to be able to cope with the diverse challenges of life, including the challenge of starting school. Children learn to concentrate by being allowed to work on things that interest them for very long periods of time with little or no interruption. They learn persistence and patience when they are able to return to chosen pursuits day after day. They develop deep understandings when they are able to explore concepts over weeks, months and years. For these reasons we do not feel the need to introduce special set times for learning to take place as children are setting these challenges for themselves.
Old teaching styles that direct children and seek to fill them up with knowledge, do not suffice in a world where knowledge is changing at an exponential pace. Children who are resilient, resourceful, creative problem solvers, who can work alone and in teams to achieve their goals, develop the drive and motivation to tackle problems in positive ways. These children enjoy tricky, edgy learning and are continually stretching their brains, their skills and their dispositions.
John Holt (1965) will tell you this: Since we cannot know what knowledge will be needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, our job must be to turn out young people who love learning so much, and who learn so well, that they will be able to learn what whatever needs to be learned.
Utilising intentional teaching strategies, our teachers:
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create a learning environment that is rich in materials and interactions-with opportunities for children to practice choosing, thinking, negotiating, problem solving and taking risks
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encourage children to explore materials, experiences, relationships, and ideas through a variety of open-ended materials
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create opportunities for inquiry-where children can ask questions, investigate, gather information, consider possibilities, form tentative conclusions and test and justify them
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actively ‘join in’ children’s play, ‘tune in’ and respond to children’s views and ideas
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model thinking and problem solving and challenge children’s existing ideas about how things work-I’m wondering why the water keeps disappearing into the sand?