You – Me – World

Using symbols and visual models, children learn about themselves as physical, emotional and social beings, and about the natural and material world – about living things and inanimate objects.

Overview 

This module offers young children the opportunity to learn about themselves as physical, emotional and social beings. They learn about the natural and material world, about living things and inanimate objects, and about relationships between people. They are encouraged to explore, to empathise and help others learn.

Why are these skills important?

Babies and young children are programmed from birth to respond to the varied and astonishing sensory stimulation provided by their natural environment. By the time they reach preschool, what they have already discovered about the world prompts a phase of intense questioning. Why? Why do birds fly away or leaves fall down? Why do we have to wear coats in winter?  Where do animals sleep? What are things made of? What happens to our food when we eat?

How does this module work ?

By taking advantage of this natural curiosity about their social and physical surroundings, this module provides a rich set of resources for helping young children to structure and extend the understanding of their immediate environment and of salient relationships in the natural world. It helps to foster curiosity and keep it alive. It also helps to foster respect for the natural world, laying an early foundation upon which children will later be able to build a more sophisticated (and increasingly essential) understanding of environmental and ecological issues.

A sense of security, of familiarity and of being known and valued is the necessary foundation for a happy and successful introduction to learning. However, to be able to benefit from opportunities to learn in partnership with a parent or carer, young children also need opportunities to develop the skills required for that type of work. At the most basic level, they need self awareness and awareness of others. They need to know what they are feeling and they need the ability to recognise what others feel. Hence, the module opens with work aimed at developing self-awareness, and the ability to name and recognise emotional expressions.

The topics gradually widen their focus with work to develop understanding of the local environment and road safety. Other topics focus on information and concepts about families and family relationships; about animals, plants and the materials used to make everyday objects; about the body and its workings; about time, the weather and the seasons.

The additional benefits of this module

Like all the other Key to Learning modules, You-Me-World aims to help children develop their knowledge and understanding. At the same time, it deliberately and systematically employs the key cognitive processes of symbolisation, modelling, logical analysis and creative self-expression which are required for the development of cognitive abilities.

You-Me-World provides structured opportunities to achieve and extend many of the goals and objectives that are typical in the guidelines that most countries have in place for the preschool years. For example, goals within the areas of personal, social and emotional well-being, and knowledge and understanding of the world.

There are also ample opportunities for young children to develop skills in communication and mathematical language (time).

Overview 

This module offers young children the opportunity to learn about themselves as physical, emotional and social beings. They learn about the natural and material world, about living things and inanimate objects, and about relationships between people. They are encouraged to explore, to empathise and help others learn.

Why are these skills important?

Babies and young children are programmed from birth to respond to the varied and astonishing sensory stimulation provided by their natural environment. By the time they reach preschool, what they have already discovered about the world prompts a phase of intense questioning. Why? Why do birds fly away or leaves fall down? Why do we have to wear coats in winter?  Where do animals sleep? What are things made of? What happens to our food when we eat?

How does this module work ?

By taking advantage of this natural curiosity about their social and physical surroundings, this module provides a rich set of resources for helping young children to structure and extend the understanding of their immediate environment and of salient relationships in the natural world. It helps to foster curiosity and keep it alive. It also helps to foster respect for the natural world, laying an early foundation upon which children will later be able to build a more sophisticated (and increasingly essential) understanding of environmental and ecological issues.

A sense of security, of familiarity and of being known and valued is the necessary foundation for a happy and successful introduction to learning. However, to be able to benefit from opportunities to learn in partnership with a parent or carer, young children also need opportunities to develop the skills required for that type of work. At the most basic level, they need self awareness and awareness of others. They need to know what they are feeling and they need the ability to recognise what others feel. Hence, the module opens with work aimed at developing self-awareness, and the ability to name and recognise emotional expressions.

The topics gradually widen their focus with work to develop understanding of the local environment and road safety. Other topics focus on information and concepts about families and family relationships; about animals, plants and the materials used to make everyday objects; about the body and its workings; about time, the weather and the seasons.

The additional benefits of this module

Like all the other Key to Learning modules, You-Me-World aims to help children develop their knowledge and understanding. At the same time, it deliberately and systematically employs the key cognitive processes of symbolisation, modelling, logical analysis and creative self-expression which are required for the development of cognitive abilities.

You-Me-World provides structured opportunities to achieve and extend many of the goals and objectives that are typical in the guidelines that most countries have in place for the preschool years. For example, goals within the areas of personal, social and emotional well-being, and knowledge and understanding of the world.

There are also ample opportunities for young children to develop skills in communication and mathematical language (time).