The Pre-K curriculum at RIS follows a learning and development continuum based on Early Childhood standards and also incorporates the Reggio Emilia approach where teachers follow the children’s interests to shape the units of investigation. The RIS Minburi campus offers Pre-K 3 and 4 classes, and the newly opened RIS Early Years Campus, located nearby on Praya Suren Road (Ramintra-Kanchanapisek), includes classes for Pre-K 2 up to Kindergarten.
Early Childhood is a very specialized area within education, requiring very special teachers. All Pre-Kindergarten teachers at RIS are certified and trained in Early Childhood education, including the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Our teachers continue to study with ongoing professional development.
Additionally, each class has a certified Early Childhood Special Educator on its team as well as Instructional Aides, all of whom assist in meeting the children’s developmental needs. RIS has several newly renovated classrooms designed specifically for Pre-K children.
The Pre-K curriculum is based on Core Early Learning Standards that define what pre-school children should know and be able to do before they enter kindergarten. These standards direct teachers’ planning to meet the students’ current developmental stage. The curriculum also incorporates the Reggio Emilia approach in its belief that all children have an interest in constructing their own knowledge and that they interact with everything the environment brings to them. Our teachers follow the children’s interests to shape the units of investigation. Each group of students is unique, with unique interests, so while the content of what the students learn may vary from year to year, our curriculum follows a learning and development continuum based on Early Childhood standards.
A typical day in Pre-Kindergarten starts with a warm welcome from teachers as children say goodbye to their families and begin their transition from home to school. Each classroom has a series of morning routines that children have been learning since their first day of school. These may include exploring a variety of teacher-guided learning encounters. Once settled into the classroom, the children gather to have a morning meeting, an important part of the day that brings the classroom community together.
Lessons include literacy, math, and social and emotional topics that might come up in children’s everyday lives. Lessons are presented through hands-on demonstrations, engaging visuals, and lots of singing. Students then choose and rotate through interest centers such as role-play, writing, science exploration, light and shadows, and construction.
Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 children also attend specialist classes throughout the week, including music, art, technology, library, physical education, and Thai. Students enjoy healthy snacks in the morning and eat lunch in a separate purpose-built canteen. The day ends after nap time in the classroom and afternoon snacks.
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Arrival |
7:10 am |
|
|
Morning Routines |
7:20 am - 7:30 am |
10 minutes |
|
Circle Time |
7:30 am - 7:55 am |
25 minutes |
|
Child-Initiated Exploration |
7:55 am – 8:25 am |
30 minutes |
|
Specialist Subjects |
8:25 am – 8:55 am |
30 minutes |
|
Specialist Subjects |
8:55 am – 9:25 am |
30 minutes |
|
Morning Snack |
9:30 am – 10:00 am |
30 minutes |
|
Outdoor Exploration |
10:00 am – 10:30 am |
30 minutes |
|
Interest Areas |
10:30 am – 11:30 am |
60 minutes |
|
Lunch |
11:30 am – 12:00 pm |
30 minutes |
|
Outdoor Exploration |
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm |
30 minutes |
|
Read Aloud |
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm |
15 minutes |
|
Nap & Rest Time |
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm |
90 minutes |
|
Afternoon Circle Time |
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm |
15 minutes |
|
Afternoon Snack/Dismissal |
2:30 pm – 2:40 pm |
10 minutes |
RIS Early Years Campus (RISE) launched in August 2020 on a lush 2.4-acre (6 rai) campus on Phraya Suren Road in the Ramintra-Kanchanapisek area. Ranging from Pre-K 2 to Kindergarten, RIS Early Years Campus follows an American curriculum, mirroring RIS Minburi. The program is designed to lay a strong foundation for children ages two to six in their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. The school’s facilities support learning in all these areas by allowing children to move freely between indoor and outdoor learning environments. Upon completion of Kindergarten, RIS Early Year Campus students are automatically enrolled at the RIS Minburi campus to continue on to grade 1.
RIS Early Years Campus features a Reggio-inspired playground designed to be a center point, ideal for both sensory play and restful coziness. Combining innovative structures and nature-inspired elements, this unique playground becomes an ideal place for children to be able to learn in their own independent and imaginative way. RIS Early Years Campus also features a seed-to-table program—a natural living classroom with a greenhouse and pesticide-free planting beds. The program fosters a lifelong appreciation of fresh, healthy foods by encouraging children to take part in and observe culinary practices in the kitchen.
RIS Early Years Campus features a Reggio-inspired playground designed to be a center point, ideal for both sensory play and restful coziness. Combining innovative structures and nature-inspired elements, this unique playground becomes an ideal place for children to be able to learn in their own independent and imaginative way. RIS Early Years Campus also features a seed-to-table program—a natural living classroom with a greenhouse and pesticide-free planting beds. The program fosters a lifelong appreciation of fresh, healthy foods by encouraging children to take part in and observe culinary practices in the kitchen.
“There are excellent opportunities for our children to freely explore their worlds, in and outside of the classrooms. Most importantly, with collaboration and support from the nearby Ruamrudee International School Minburi campus, RIS Early Years Campus mirrors its long-standing values and philosophy, building the foundation for our students to thrive and succeed throughout the rest of their school life.”
Bird Jetana Kitcharoen
RISE School Manager
