The Principal Purpose of Purple Turtle Pre-school Books
Purple Turtle Pre-school books are designed to be learner-centred, which means that the lessons and activities are designed to maximise participation and enjoyment by each and every child. (Keeping in view the National Curriculum Framework 2005, pg 13). The books are designed to be fun, interesting and also pedagogically sound, making kids school-ready & more positive about learning.
Pedagogy
Based on the theory of multiple intelligences (Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard) and combining the elements of childhood pioneers like Montessori, Piaget, Gesell and Vygotsky, Purple Turtle Pre-school books utilise a Blended Curriculum which is full of proven activities which meet the unique and distinct intellectual needs of kids.
1. Visual-Spatial: Plenty of maze, puzzles, drawing, join-the-dots have been used in an enjoyable format. lots of brilliantly illustrated pictures have been used to capture kids’ attention, interactivity is used in every chapter to enhance their visual, fine motor and problem-solving skills.
2. Linguistic: Age-appropriate text, letters, letter sounds with picture cues, rhymes, high-quality stories for appropriate literacy level, vocabulary, word games are included.
3. Mathematical-Logical: Simple logic puzzles, dominoes, dice, lots of pictures, brain teasers are used to reinforce maths concepts
3. Musical: Animated rhymes and songs references (topic-based) in the Course Books for kids to sing along and act out
4. Intrapersonal: Beyond numbers and letters, Purple Turtle stories used in these books instil moral values helping kids learn how to socialise, make friends, be caring, helpful and build relationships.
5. Interpersonal: The exercises are designed to stimulate kids’ brain, help them think, increase their competency and be more self-assured. The small children are sure to become independent learners by exploring, discovering and enriching their knowledge with these books and a little nurturing guide from the teacher/parents.
6. Naturalist: The EVS section (World Around Us) enables kids to understand and explore and appreciate nature, creating environmental awareness and consciousness.
Also, each pair of the Course Books & Practice Books has been precisely aimed at a particular age group—to meet every child’s unique level of learning and developmental needs, helping them reach their true potential.
International Curriculum
The learning methods used in Purple Turtle Pre-school books seek to combine the best practices from around the world to help kids be more globally minded, to be successful and to prosper in a multicultural economy—at home or abroad. Inspired by EYFS British Curriculum, we have included literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, creative arts etc to promote a holistic development for all children.
Here are a few of the major components of our curriculum that are grounded on academic research and aligned with top-ranked international early childhood programs.
Phonics
Phonics is taught in most schools in UK, USA & Australia as a vital part of their literacy curriculum. In fact, the UK has been using PSC (Phonics Screening Check) since 2012, and now, in order to improve the literacy standards in Australian schools, a phonics check has been introduced.
Kids have problem reading when they cannot recognise the sounds of the letters in a word or spell a word correctly. Purple Turtle Preschool books use a phonics-based English learning method.
First, kids learn to decode the sounds of the letters in a word.
This pre-reading skill will help them read unfamiliar words by themselves.
Next, kids are able to spell and pronounce words correctly with a greater fluency of reading. They can read short sentences and paragraphs without sounding choppy or broken.
..Children then move on to new combinations of words to enrich vocabulary.
Like the phonics lessons, all other topics are sequenced carefully and scientifically.
Grammar is made more fun and easy to remember.
At the same time, a connection is made between vocabulary and comprehension.
Pre-writing skills
New York City Department of Education has acknowledged the importance of mastering pre-writing skills before handwriting for kids to have better pencil grip. In our books as well, before writing the focus is on grasping. Lots of tracing practice have been given to develop pre-writing skills—the child’s ability to properly hold a pencil/crayon. Draw, colour, write, copy shapes/lines activities are plenty in Purple Turtle Practice Books.
For example, even before kids learn to write uppercase letters like T, I, F, L or E, their fine motor skills are enhanced by giving them ample opportunity to draw lots of vertical lines and horizontal lines.
…after which they begin to form legible letters.
…and finally, in the next levels, spell correctly.
Pre-maths Concepts Before Numeracy
Like major international preschool curricula, Pre-maths concepts have been introduced before numbers. “Small” “Big” “Same” “Different” “More” “Less” are some concepts which build foundation for more advanced maths skills to deal with numbers.
In the advanced levels, maths is made more enjoyable.
We have linked Maths to kids’ real-world experiences.
Unmatched Creative Opportunities
The lessons are made fun and playful to ingrain concepts and skills in a more effective way.
Whether it is to improve kids’ English comprehension skills.
…or reinforcing the concepts of size—bigger, smaller comparison (Pre-maths)
…learning about the seasons of the year (World Around Us)
Learning with a Character
Learning with a cartoon character has huge potential. Children can immediately bond with Purple Turtle and his lovable friends. It motivates their will to learn.
Children love their adventures and absorb their positive message pretty easily. Purple Turtle—the gender-neutral character, free from bias and discrimination, instils moral values in kids.
Along with the academic concepts, Purple Turtle teaches kids the importance of being kind, caring and honest while also being calm, confident and resourceful.
(Note: The stories are written by renowned international authors to match the child’s English learning level. Some sight words have been highlighted for the purpose of revision & improving reading fluency while moving beyond word recognition.)
Purple Turtle gives practical examples that kids can relate to, which is more effective than theoretical understanding of the concepts.
Purple and his friends’ adventures stimulate kids’ curiosity and also instils 21st century skills like collaboration, problem solving, analytical skills by setting some good examples.
Purple Turtle Pre-school books provide kids with a solid academic foundation, make them smart, confident and sharp, and ensure healthy development for each and every child.