The Preschool programme focuses on the so-called FIELDS OF EXPERIENCE, according to the basic rule of bilingualism: 1 language = 1 person.
As of September 2014, three sections of Mimosa Preschool have been included in the Bilingual Project and have been set up as homogeneous classrooms, with activities both in English and in Italian. The 50/50 percentage changes for 5 year olds attending Preschool, so that children who then enrol to the Bilingual Project at Mimosa School will reach a higher level in English and attend Primary School more easily.
As for Primary School, our method is mainly focused on vocabulary, most of all during Grade One. At this age, in fact, linguistic structures are easily grabbed and absorbed by children by simply repeating words, mostly urged by their needs to communicate and express themselves. Special attention will be given to phonics, digraphs, spelling, and other literacy features which don’t belong to the Italian language and may otherwise cause troubles in reading and writing in English. During the first year of Primary School, children will therefore learn to write short sentences and read ‘Readers’ books’.
As for Geography, History, and culture in general, by beginning from basic facts (such as time, the comprehension of the relationship of cause/effect, different space/time situations, the training in the appropriate vocabulary), children will study the English speaking countries, their position, their land features and main traditions, and along with the Italian programme they will dig deep in to some other topics.
Teaching hours are divided as follows:
- 50% in Italian, related to the most important subjects (humanities and logic);
- 50% in English, related to the most important subjects (humanities and logic);
- 4 hours of dedicated disciplines: art, music, physical education, and computer science.
