The Folens Math & Science Programmes
By Denise Lai, BA, BSocSc (Hons), MEd

Wee Care has acquired these 6-year series of lessons (developed to ensure full coverage of the UK’s National Curriculum for Mathematics and Science) to bolster the already exciting and interesting `hands-on’ sessions that are taught on these subjects in our centre each week.

From the 3rd of January 2005, all children in the Bright Starts and Head Starts levels will begin on a step-wise, logical, basic-to-advanced progression of lessons that will extend their understanding of important Math & Science concepts in a comprehensive manner. Importantly, the lessons in these series are structured in such a way that many activities are revisited throughout the year, whilst more advanced topics are also presented. This method of 'scaffolding' is meant to first consolidate, and then stretch the children’s minds and abilities to think, problem-solve, hypothesize, evaluate and reflect on key ideas further.

Folens Maths
Within the Mathematics curriculum, accommodations within each lesson plan provide differentiated work at three levels that will allow us, as teachers, to adapt to the needs of children of differing abilities within each peer-group effectively.

A sample of the topics that the children in the new Head Starts level(s) will cover before they enter primary school is listed below to give you an idea of how thorough and systematic this programme really is. Where possible, I have also tried to include some details of the goals/activities encompassed by each point of focus:

  TOPIC Illustrative Goals/Activities
1. Counting & Number Properties
- placing missing numbers into a number sequence
- extending number sequences by counting on and back in steps of 1, 2, etc.
- using mental strategies to identify an odd or even number
2. Place Value & Ordering
- knowing what each digit in a two-digit number represents
- giving a number that is 1 more or 1 less, 10 more or 10 less, than a given number
3. Addition & Subtraction
- using the +, - and = signs to record calculations in a number sentence
- using addition of numbers to make a 'teens' number
- understanding subtraction as 'take away' and 'difference'
4. Money & "Real-Life" Problems
- recognizing coin names and values
- adding up numbers using coin values
5. Measures, including Capacity
- understanding the basic vocabulary of capacity
- using different equipment to compare and measure capacity
- estimating how many units it would take to fill a container
6. Shape & Space
- using everyday language to describe the position of an object
- classifying 2-D shapes according to their properties
7. Mental Calculation Strategies
- knowing number facts for adding and subtracting 10 from a 'teens' number
- counting on and back in tens confidently
8. Time, on an Analogue Clock
- reading time on an analogue clock
- understanding the term 'half-past'

Importantly, regular periods for Assessment & Review, interspersed between curricular weeks, are another inherent feature of this programme. Rather than aimed at 'testing' children in an ethos of demanding achievement, these sessions seek to check that children have understood what has been taught, and then reinforce concepts for those who have still not understood, and/or extend comprehension to those who have.

Folens Science
The overall aim of Folens Science is that children should come to understand, appreciate and respect the scientific approach to understanding the world, to recognize how science affects all of our lives, and to be enthusiastic to engage with scientific ideas themselves.

Teachers who use this resource seek to help the children (a) understand that scientific knowledge is built on reliable and agreed evidence (b) subject their own and others' ideas to critical evaluation, and (c) develop respect for their environment and the living things within it. As with Folens Maths, the programme also allows for different groups of children, or different children within groups, to address the same investigative task at different levels and with different amounts of support.

A beautiful feature of this programme is that it coheres so wonderfully with the overall approach and methodolog(ies) espoused at Wee Care. Folens Science lessons are designed to be creative and are centred on discovery. Teachers avoid telling children the answers to questions because the emphasis is not on learning specific scientific facts. Rather, it is on scientific processes and skills, where observation, experimentation and play motivate, stimulate and challenge the children to predict, acquire knowledge and explore further. In this sense, it is very much like (or rather, supports) the guiding principles behind The Project Approach that Wee Care children experience and learn from as soon as they reach level III.

To give you an even better idea of the 'completeness' of Folens Science, I have reproduced some of the "Scientific Stories" and Main Ideas that will recur throughout the Bright Starts and Head Starts years, here below:

  Scientific Stories Main Ideas
1. Scientists try to explain how our world works and gather evidence to test their ideas
- we can observe and measure to help us answer questions about how our world works
2. There are processes characteristic of all living things
- some things are living, some are not
- plants are living things
- humans are animals (and are like other living things)
- living things need certain things to stay alive and healthy
3. Materials have characteristic properties
- different materials have different properties
- how we use materials depends on their properties
4. Materials can be changed
- the properties of materials can be changed
5. Electricity produces effects
- electricity can make things work
- electrical components need a circuit for them to work
6. Forces change how things move
- pushes and pulls change how things move
- pushes and pulls are forces
7. Light and sound travel from their source
- light comes from many different sources
- sound comes from many different sources

It is very much hoped, in conclusion, that by supplementing Wee Care’s existing Mathematics and Science programmes with this excellent, coherent resource, all of the children whom we educate will be (more than) equipped with the important prerequisite and content skills that they will need for future studies at higher levels. After all, the early years are such precious ones. We should not neglect the continuous ways in which we can improve on our methods regularly, to refine and augment our children's lives, minds and hearts, even further.

If you have found the information in this article useful, please pass it on to your friends.

For more information on the Bright Starts Programme for ages 2-4yo, please visit our website at www.weecare.com.sg.