Readiness for reading and writing at Little Genius International
All our students will be assessed by teachers in respects to their readiness to start reading and writing, with a decision to initiate the teaching of these skills being made in consideration of the ease with which a child may progress and the overall gains for him/ her at any given stage. For the majority of students our reading and writing programmes will initiate at 4 years of age and will complement one another, emphasizing the pleasure of these skills, whilst distancing them from any competition between children in mastering them. It is also for this reason that at Little Genius International skipping an academic year is not advised, as the program is sufficiently stimulating.
Creative development
At Little Genius all children are allowed to be spontaneous, inquisitive and creative without the adjustment of their works by adult hands for all subjects that involve the child creativity (art, music, theater, science in problem solving ect.). At times children will be presented techniques and options with care and guidance, exemplifying but not insisting upon possible ways to approach things, without removing from children their spontaneity and own ideas, thereby allowing them to challenge their energies and the strength of their feelings that form a central part of creative development.
Furthermore children at Little Genius International will have regular lessons in:
Science (children of 4+ years old): In order to encourage experimentation gain empirical validation, further curiosity ,control and manipulate variables and be innovative in finding alternatives and creating inventions.
Ethics (children of 4+ years old): Ethics is not moral teaching, is not Religious dogma and is not preaching. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that will help our students in the formation of their character. The term comes from the Greek word “ethos”, which means “character”. Ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action, seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality. At Little Genius International the subject of Ethics is an important part of the curriculum. We believe that delivering philosophical Ethics education is extremely important for children’s psychological development.
History (children of 4 + years old); in order to provoke thought in children drawing upon an array of known and forgotten historical events in order to better teach the importance of morality, love, tolerance and generosity, whilst examining the power and consequences of our actions.
Geography (children of 4 + years old); The study of geography is crucial in today’s globalized and multicultural society. At Little Genius International School we teach our students to understand the geographical and social differences and similarities between countries, with their traditions, cultures, landscapes, faces, languages and dialects. The understanding of space and distances between the various countries of the world, with the help of world maps and geographic maps, helps our students to understand the reason for many questions about peoples of the world and to appreciate cultural and ethnic diversities. We starts with the study of Italian regions then continue with the countries of Europe, and finally look at the continents, because only by appreciating the place we come from we can understand and appreciate what surrounds us.