Strands of Learning

Social and Emotional Development

Children’s social and emotional development affects their overall well-being and learning. The Play With Purpose Curriculum emphasizes the importance of mental health in young children and acknowledges the important link between social and emotional development and children’s motivation to learn and positive attitude towards school and life in general. 

The Play With Purpose Curriculum promotes children’s mental health by encouraging social interactions among children, building trusting relationships and conducting intentional and purposeful teaching. This strand of learning focuses on: social skills, self-regulation, empathy, self-awareness, self-confidence, and motivation. 

Math and Cognition

Math and Cognition are crucial during the first five years of a child’s life as they provide opportunities for developing important intellectual skills in problem-solving, reasoning, creative thinking and communication. The Play With Purpose Curriculum introduces math concepts such as understanding number and quantities, their relationships, and operations, shapes, and their structures, measurement, classification, and patterns. As children develop their mathematical awareness in the early years, they begin to use math strategies to solve problems, connect ideas, develop logical and abstract thinking, analyze, question, and understand the world around them. 

This strand of learning focuses on: counting, addition and subtraction, measurement and data, geometry and spatial relationships, classification, observation and problem-solving.

Language and Literacy

Language and literacy in the early years can be broken down into two area of development: language and emerging literacy. Language development refers to children’s emerging abilities to understand and use language by listening and communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings. Emerging literacy is the knowledge and skills acquired during the early years that build the foundation for reading and writing. The Play With Purpose Curriculum emphasizes the importance of language and literacy development during the early years. A child’s ability in language and literacy greatly affects learning in all areas of development. This strand of learning focuses on: oral language, print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, narrative skills, and letter awareness. 

Creative Development

During the early years, creativity and imagination are two of the most important skills that should be developed to ensure future success academically and in life. Through creative development, children learn the process of self-expression which encourages them to understand and cope with their feelings. Creative development also fosters mental growth in children by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas, new ways of thinking, and problem-solving. The Play With Purpose Curriculum believes cultivating creativity in each learner is essential for raising confident, independent, and strong individuals. This strand of learning focuses on: visual art, music and dance.

Physical Development

Physical development in early childhood includes both fine and gross motor skills. Overall, encouraging physical activity in young children is essential to promote healthy growth and development. It helps build a healthier body composition, stronger bones, and muscles. The Play With Purpose Curriculum is a strong advocate of active learning and believes this is important for the general health and well-being of children in school. This strand of learning focuses on: fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

Cultural Awareness

Developing cultural awareness and competence in the early childhood setting is an important expectation. Through cultural awareness, children are able to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures, as well as, develop a better understanding of their own identity. Research indicates that children who are engaged in culturally responsive experiences, develop strong self-confidence, as well as, an awareness, appreciation, and inclusion of diverse beliefs, and cultures. These traits are essential for education and life success. The Play With Purpose Curriculum strives to be an inclusive framework that celebrates differences amongst cultures, beliefs, and individuals. This strand of learning focuses on: community, family, diversity, respect, global awareness, and cultural music and art.