Learning Through Play – What Do Children Learn At Kindergarten?

AKA or Auckland Kindergarten is New Zealand’s largest kindergarten association and largest education provider outside the tertiary sector. Kindergartens provide a safe and enriching atmosphere where children can develop as confident and competent learners, learning through play.

Kindergarten is a special place where teachers, children and parents come together to build amazing communities and life-long friends and a place where children are encouraged, inspired and nurtured to discover, experience and learn about the world around them. The indoor and outdoor areas of a kindergarten are designed for young children and the furniture and resources are appropriate for pre-schoolers.

During a child's early childhood education at kindergarten, they will develop important life skills to assist with their transition to school and at AKA they believe that children’s play is essential in developing meaningful learning experiences. Their kindergarten teachers work alongside the children to enhance teachable moments and the teachers at all their kindergartens model language for the children, and introduce the children to various mathematical concepts, science, literacy and sustainable practices.  AKA kindergartens have outdoor play spaces and gardens where children can create, explore, be imaginative and expressive. 

During a child’s time at kindergarten they will be given the opportunity to feel confident about who they are and develop responsibility and a sense of independence to work and play alongside other children and adults and persevere, problem-solve and take risks. They will also develop effective communication skills, learn about limits, boundaries, routines and tools for conflict resolution and develop fine motor skills where children use their small muscles e.g. threading, writing, cutting and grasping pencils. They will learn to be creative and expressive through activities such as painting, music, collage, movement, dance, finger painting, drawing, cutting, pasting and story sharing and to participate in gross motor play where children use their large muscles e.g. climbing, throwing, kicking, balancing and lifting. As child nears five years old they will be assisted with their transition to school and the new challenges this brings. The aim is to make this process simple and seamless.

AKA is part of the government scheme, which allows all children over three years of age, to receive 20 hours early childhood education a week.  At AKA, they have extended this scheme, offering 20 hours free ECE for children from two years of age, and because AKA are a Charitable Trust, all money received is channelled back into children’s learning.

For more information on AKA please go to https://www.aka.org.nz .