KEY's Philosophies Approach:
Montessori-inspired:
Our Montessori-Inspired approach develops our young students’ character and leadership skills, along with their critical thinking, strategic thinking and problem-solving. The basic foundations of life skills balanced with the academics of this approach views children as eager for knowledge. In a typical lesson, a child is able to freely choose learning activities that are specifically prepared within their environment. Children are expected to explore a wider world and develop rational problem-solving, cooperative collaboration, imagination and aesthetics, and complex cultural knowledge. All learning streams connect to the overarching theme of “Around the World” with our Inspired Montessori program’s designation being geography, language, history and math. The Montessori curriculum is highly individualized, with scope, sequence, and clearcut learning outcomes. The individualization results in many children being able to read and write.
Reggio-Emilia-inspired:
Our Reggio-Emilia-Inspired approach develops our young students’ character, confidence and collaboration skills vital to making students classroom ready. Our educators support children in exploring and investigating as they grow in competence to symbolically represent ideas and feelings through any of their "hundreds of languages" through words, movement, drawing, painting, building, sculpture, shadow play, collage making, dramatic play, music, etc. All streams connect to the overarching theme of “Around the World” with the inspired Reggio-Emilia program’s designation being culture. Our educators follow the children's interests and do not provide focused instruction in reading and writing. However, they foster emergent literacy as children record and manipulate their ideas and communicate with others. Teaching and learning are negotiated processes between adults and children, involving generous time, in-depth revisiting, and reviewing. Long-term, open-ended projects are important aspects of collaborative work.
Waldorf-inspired:
Our Waldorf-Inspired approach develops our young students’ creativity, critical thinking and curiosity skills that lead to new and innovative ideas. A vital factor of this approach is imaginary play. It is their most important "work" and the activity through which the grow physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Children learn through music and movement, constructive and creative play, listening, memory, storytelling, and songs. All streams connect to the overarching theme of “Around the World” with Waldorf’s designation being on folklore and fairy tales from different cultures. Our educator’s present materials to children through modeling. Children take what they learn and apply it to their own production of booklets that become self-made textbooks. They study literature, folktales, and mythology; rhythmic musical movement; practical crafts; natural sciences; foreign languages; art; and music. This approach fosters integrated, multi-sensorial learning and self-expression.
KEY Little Scholars Classes
Key’s Little Scholars curriculum is developed to be an immersive year-round project that will be implemented in three classrooms, and inspired by three educational methods; Montessori, Waldorf and Reggio-Emilia. As the children globe-trot from Vancouver, North America to South America, Oceania, East-Asia and back, we will learn about the culture, lifestyle, and art. Man-made monuments, landmarks, animals and colours, flags and language, traditions and games, history and folklore. The children will work closely with friends and teachers and fully immerse themselves in this multicultural expedition, all within the classroom!
KEY Private Classes
KEY offers early childhood private classes with our exceptional Early Childhood Educators. We offer instruction in a wide variety of teaching styles that encompass immersive and focused lessons. Virtually any class can be delivered at times and locations that are convenient for the student and parents. These classes were created to put your child on a fast-track to success in a classroom setting and are customized to your child’s social, emotional and academic needs.
KEY Private School Prep:
The Private School Preparation program is an assessment preparation program which simulates actual school assessments. Children will be placed through three, 4-week streams of learning environments with activities that simulate the actual assessment. The twelve weeks in total will be focusing on three of the Early Childhood Education Methodologies proven to teach children through hands-on experiences inspired by Reggio-Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori approaches. We chose these three approaches due to the similarities in helping children to fully understand their full potential as intelligent, creative, whole persons. In each approach, children are viewed as beings capable of their own development, strongly influenced by natural, dynamic, self-righting forces within themselves, opening the way toward growth and learning.