Literacy and Language are an important component of the Play Based Education offered in the YCIS Chongqing ECE program. Utilizing the co-teacher model, the children are constantly exposed to Mandarin and English in meaningful and purposeful ways to build their oral language skills, thus preparing them for reading and writing in the later years.

Recently, the children have been listening to a variety of picture story books to foster a love of reading and in preparation for ‘Book Week’. Book choices are often inspired by the unique interests of the children, along with an awareness of the vital skills they need to develop in the early years. The K3’s and K4’s have participated in interesting conversations, where the children have been learning key words and simple phrases linked directly to the story and the topics they cover. For example after reading ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, the children discussed the events in the story and what they know about different topics such as planting seeds, fruits and vegetables and insects.

This has led onto a variety of play based activities where the children have been able to explore and build new knowledge in a meaningful way. They have searched for creepy crawlies in the garden, talking about the features of the different insects and their environment. They have planted seedlings and followed procedures to make sure that they thrive; then checked regularly on their seedlings to see if they are growing. The students also participated in creating a door display for book week based on some of their favourite books.

These activities, although often instigated by the children, have clear links to the Early Years Curriculum, covering key learning criteria and are lots of fun.