The Junior Special Needs curriculum has been designed to develop a life-long passion for learning and self-discovery that will provide a sound foundation for life in school, and beyond. The focus is again on the holistic development of the child in several spheres - academic, social, emotional and physical. Core subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Science, Humanities are high priority learning areas. These are supplemented by other focus areas like Art, Music, Health and Physical Education.

Learning Objectives

 To provide opportunities for the pupils to build fundamental skills in reading, writing arithmetic and social interaction and acquire new information, knowledge and understanding of the world we live in.
 To provide opportunities to enable the pupils to be expressive and creative through the use of language, physical activity, play materials, art and music.
 To develop in each pupil an active curiosity about the world and an enthusiasm for independent learning.
 To give pupils an understanding of social, ethical and moral standards in the areas of honesty / integrity, respect, trust and responsibility.
 To promote inclusion through the multi-denominational principles of the school and to engender in pupils the awareness and acceptance of diversity in our multi-racial and multi-cultural society.
 To enhance the pupils' self-awareness and self-esteem through the child-centered development of their personal skills, understanding of themselves and the situations they encounter through their lives.
 To enhance the pupils' understanding and awareness of others and develop their ability to form relationships, resolve conflicts and manage group situations.
 To help pupils appreciate and value the natural beauty of the world, care for the environment and encourage aesthetic awareness.


Curriculum Areas

English Language
Mathematics
Science
Humanities
Performing and Visual Arts: Art, Music, Speech and Drama
Information Technology
Health and Physical Education

 English

The study of English is an integral part of the curriculum and serves and the main language of instruction in the school. The English Language program is divided into four focus areas: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. The program is designed to develop children in the effective use of the English language, As children develop the use of the language, they grow in confidence when communicating. The program also encourages pupils to be avid readers.

 Mathematics

All pupils attending St Gerard's International School will receive a solid foundation in maths and numeracy skills. Maths is taught first and foremost through hands-on activities so that the practical application of concepts is thoroughly understood. In addition, a strong problem-solving approach is adopted throughout the maths curriculum so that the pupils pick up critical and creative thinking processes from a young age. This domain includes patterns and relationships, number concepts and operations, geometry and spatial relations, algebra, measurement, probability and statistics and graphical representations. We aim to enable the pupil to acquire a sound understanding of mathematical concepts to use that understanding in practical ways.

 Science

Scientific thinking at all levels encourage students to observe, investigate, question, predict, explain, and form conclusions. Nature and awareness of the environment encourages the children to better appreciate the physical world that we live in. The aim of the Science program is encourage the pupils to use their senses to acquire accurate data from the world in which he or she finds himself or herself. The program also helps develop the use of scientific skills like observation, investigation, interpretation, invention and hypothesis. The role of Science in the design, development and evaluation of practical solutions to real life problems is not ignored. Children are taught to source for the vast amount of scientific knowledge and equip themselves with scientific knowledge and skills to help address everyday problems.

 Humanities

The Humanities program is designed to help the pupil to understand the human context of the world in which he or she lives. Social and moral studies are incorporated into the curriculum. The program also helps to develop pupils into conscious stewards of the environment.

 Performing and Visual Arts

The Performing and Visual Arts program offers a diverse range of creative disciplines. The focus of the programs is to develop originality, self expression and creativity in the child. The Performing Arts include Dance, Speech and Drama and Music. The performing arts will be integrated into productions, such as musicals, concerts and plays. The Visual Arts include Visual Art, such as design, collage, digital imagery, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculptures and textiles to express ideas and feelings about characters, events and situations. More progressive Visual Arts such as Media has also been incorporated with areas of focus in sound, color, movement and light, to communicate ideas and feelings about characters, events and situations.

 Information Technology

The school takes a practical approach to the teaching and learning of Information Technology. The Information Technology program caters for a range of interests and abilities. At Junior level, the program starts with a focus on Information and Materials. Students use the process of investigation, design, production and evaluation to provide solutions to real problems. As students progress, we introduce application software and incorporate multimedia elements such as sound, video and graphics into their work.

 Health and Physical Education

The PE program is designed to help create a positive attitude towards physical activities amongst the pupils. Pupils are exposed to a diverse range of sports and encouraged to lead healthy lifestyles. The Health program teaches basic health concepts, body awareness, fine and gross motor skills, safety and the importance of physical activity. The PE program provides opportunities for group participation, co-operation and leadership.

 Therapy Services

Therapy services are not part of the curriculum but are important components of special needs education. Both Speech and Occupational Therapy services will be made available by the school. Parents have the option of using services provided by the school or to opt for their own service providers.

 Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) helps the child realize his or her maximum communicative ability. The Speech Language Therapist assesses the child's communicative ability and then prioritizes the intervention goals that best meets the child's needs. Intervention can begin with the child in an individual session, in a group setting or in consultation with the staff or parents. Speech and Language therapeutic intervention for the child may cover developing basic communication (pre-linguistic) skills, verbal comprehension, spoken vocabulary, sentence expansion, articulation, voice and a more efficient respiratory system. For some children, an alternative and/or augmentative communication(AAC) system may be introduced such as signing, object/picture communication system or specific AAC devices to enhance overall communication.

 Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is designed to evaluate, specify and treat problems interfering with functional performance in one or more areas outlined below:

Fine Motor Manipulation - Children are taught how to use their hands together, hold small items correctly and use a pencil and scissors in preparation for school readiness and dressing skills. Handwriting programme is also conducted.

Perceptual Skills - Uses puzzles and copying designs to help children develop eye-hand coordination and other perceptual skills that affect functional mobility and home safety.

Sensory Processing - Assists children in developing the perception & use of touch, movement, sight, sound, smell, the force of gravity and body position to function in their environment.

Sensory Motor - Teaches children how to use their senses to move their bodies through the environment e.g. postural control, motor planning etc.

Activities of Daily Living - Emphasis on achieving independence in daily living activities such as dressing, grooming, brushing, bathing, feeding & toileting

Oral Motor Control - Assists children in learning how to use the muscles of the mouth to suck, swallow and chew. Learning to use a spoon and drinking from a cup is also emphasized.

Behaviour - Works on children who need some sort of sensory input to focus on tasks in classroom and at home. Also helps children who are hypoactive and hyperactive to achieve optimal arousal state using sensory activities to perform better in different settings.

Equipment/Seating - Provides children with the necessary equipment to facilitate development (seats, splints, adaptive spoons, straps for chairs and other specialized equipment). When needed, the environment is also modified to suit the children's needs, and to enhance their independence where possible.