Wonder Years Theory – Wonder Years

Our Structure

At Wonder Years, we follow the Reggio Emilia inspired, emergent curriculum founded on a child’s curiosity.

It is an experiential approach to learning and discovery of ideas. A rounded development is envisioned with an emphasis on social, cognitive, personal, physical and emotional well-being. The collaborators work together to create a stimulating environment where an idea is explored via discussions and hands-on experiences. We follow a three step process to integrate knowledge meaningfully, (a) digging deeper into the idea, (b) interactions within the environment, and (c) implementation of the idea.

What is the learning environment?

The individually designed areas offer a stimulating environment for holistic growth. A system of fluid traffic through the day is followed – the unrestricted and varied environment keeps the child excited to learn.

Yogi Beans

Enhanced development of gross motor skills with equipment, and understanding one’s physical self, is encouraged through a combination of Eastern and Western methods.

Shakespeare’s Studio

A music and movement room, where theatrical storytelling, puppetry, music and drama are the focus. These activities develop the child’s cultural, social and personal skills.

Creative Cove

A den for the little artists and readers! The varied artistic mediums give opportunity for creative freedom in this space. Cozy seating and a selection of books take the child into a world of imagination/knowledge.

Building Blocks

A space where logical, scientific and numeracy development is nurtured. The focus lies on inculcating an interest in logical thinking by pattern making, problem solving, and reasoning.

Outdoor Space

An area were the child engages in unguided and imaginative play by exploring the natural world. Children develop their muscle strength and coordination, and learn to take risks through this unstructured play.

What tools do we use?

Documenting works and ideas of the children are essential to their evolution. Educators use transcripts, photographs, videos and art representations to create records. A bidirectional sharing of information amongst the educator and parents is maintained to have an understanding of the child in different contexts. Documentation is reviewed regularly to encourage and develop the child’s learning.
A Provocation Table is moderated by the educator where a theme is picked and explored interactively through a collection of displayed objects. The climate is set by encouraging questions, creating a web of interrelated ideas and starting a dialogue. This provokes the children to think about the theme in an innovative way.
Free Play is spontaneous interactions of the children with their environment. Space and time is devoted everyday to this unstructured activity to nurture the capacity of children to learn by themselves.
Exercises of Practical Life (EPL) are structured activities of daily life. Integrating these into the curriculum facilitates the child’s everyday functioning.
Projects are undertaken in groups or independently. A meaningful task is assigned to each child to inculcate being responsible towards oneself and others. The materials used are open ended and natural like shells, seeds, nuts, and leaves.