Days at Kïdo

Our international team of experts has created a comprehensive pedagogy, known as the Kïdo Early Years Program. This innovative system incorporates the best practices from teaching philosophies from around the world, such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia and the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The result is a play-based learning experience that combines child and teacher-led activities with free and structured play in inspirational settings. The program is customised to the developmental ability of each child. We modify our curriculum for each country we operate in, to adhere to their existing national curriculum frameworks. In the UK, the Kïdo curriculum is modified to adhere to the EYFS framework.

Who we teach

Our program is split into six levels. While each level roughly corresponds to an age group, in practice we usually move children to the next level when we feel they are ready. In the UK, the Kïdo curriculum is modified to adhere to the EYFS framework and does not offer all of the elements listed here.

Discoverers

Age range

6 - 15 months

At Kïdo, your child’s journey begins at six weeks old. We develop their core cognitive, emotional and social skills through a combination of free and guided play, art and music, and messy play. Our physical development program helps improve their motor skills, while their confidence and social skills are enhanced with interactive learning, songs and circle time. Children discover the basic concepts of numbers, phonics, shapes, sounds and colors at a rate that suits them as an individual. Our highly trained staff coordinate with each family when deciding meal and nap times, to ensure a smooth transition from school to home and vice versa.

Adventurers

Age range

12 - 27 months

Our Adventurers program starts as soon as your child can walk and usually finishes by the time they’re two years old – though children can move to the next stage as soon as they’re ready. Adventurers build their confidence and skills across all of the development areas in our curriculum, with their week split into three Skills Days and two Explorer Days. On their Skills Days, Adventurers will cover math, literacy, science, art and much else as part of their development. On Explorer Days, Adventurers work through a multidisciplinary project (each lasting six weeks) that enables them to gain new skills, knowledge and understanding. We also start toilet training at Adventurers, consulting with each individual family to create a process that helps their child while making them feel safe and at home.

Experimenters

Age range

24 - 39 months

We build a complete understanding of every child’s ideal learning environment, and use this knowledge to create customized lesson plans for them. These personalized experiences help them become more creative, and inspire a love of learning from an early age. At four years old, our students should understand math and English at preschool (or higher) level, reaching Grade 1 (US Common Core) or Year 1 (UK national curriculum) level by the time they are five. Along the way, we also introduce coding through apps, photography, video editing, writing stories and much more. Weeks are broken into three Skills Days and two Explorer Days. Every day incorporates indoor and outdoor play, dance, music and yoga. Children typically begin preschool at two years old (though some may start earlier) and continue until the age of six through our four levels: Experimenters, Pathfinders, Seekers and Pioneers.

Pathfinders

Age range

24 - 39 months

Seekers

Age range

48 - 63 months

Pioneers

Age range

60 - 75 months

How we teach

We divide our school year into six cycles, each lasting six weeks. At the end of each cycle, parents are given a portfolio of their child’s work. In the UK, the Kïdo curriculum is modified to adhere to the EYFS framework and does not offer all of the elements listed here. Discoverers enjoy their own dedicated learning system. For the other levels, weeks are divided into two different types of day:

Skills Days

These days are dedicated to our proprietary programs in math, literacy, STEM, art and much else. We use different learning stations for each activity, and combine sensory play, guided learning and workbook activities.

Explorer Days

Children tackle adult-led project, problem and inquiry-based learning programs, which integrate the knowledge they learn during the Skills Days. Over the course of six weeks, children will develop a project through arts and crafts, math, science, literacy or music-related activities.

What we teach

Find out what your little ones will be learning at our schools. The majority of our learning centers utilise KEYS, our proprietary curriculum. In locations where KEYS is unavailable, we teach an equivalent curriculum that follows the relevant national framework.

Studio K

Art is a core part of our curriculum

Art is a core part of our curriculum. Our artistic activities promote self-expression and help develop confidence, motor skills and imagination

Every school features an atelier – a creative space where children can experiment and express themselves

Children enjoy activities created by our teachers or a special guest contributor

We take children on fun trips to art museums and age-appropriate exhibitions

K-STEM

How we integrate science, technology and coding

We develop our students’ hand-eye coordination through fun activities like stacking blocks or sticking things together.

We help our students understand the functionality of specific tools and materials through simple and fun challenges.

We use computer technology to improve literacy and vocabulary.

We give our students problem-solving tasks that require teamwork to overcome, to teach them how to evaluate situations.

K-Schol

Our exclusive English and literacy program

We use children’s literature to awaken a love of learning within our students at an early age.

We encourage inquisitiveness which helps develop learning tools both inside and outside the classroom.

Children give small presentations to the class to improve their self-confidence.

We give the children small writing activities so they can begin writing the sounds they know – the first step towards them writing complete words and phrases.

K-Math

A fun and engaging way to learn about maths

We introduce children to mathematical concepts at an early age and revisit them repeatedly through their levels.

Children enjoy math challenges and games designed to keep them engaged and motivated.

The challenges gradually become more and more complex as the children progress.

Our activities make children apply math to everyday life.

K-Gym

We encourage healthy, happy students through K-Gym

We provide a range of fun, structured activities, coordinated by our staff or a guest specialist.

Children develop their motor skills through dance sessions.

Children engage in team sports and gymnastics to help develop coordination and balance.

Days are split into three parts: Warm-up (e.g. role-play or dance games), Main Activity (e.g. obstacle course or gymnastic class) and Cool-down (e.g. yoga or meditation).

Languages

Many of our schools implement a bilingual curriculum.

We encourage our children to develop a strong relationship with both English and Spanish.

To begin with, 80% of our curriculum is taught in Spanish, with 20% taught in English.

From the age of two onwards, this transitions into a 50/50 bilingual program.

We use hands-on, play-based and exploratory activities to strengthen their communication skills.

Arabic

Our Arabic program forms an integral part of the Kido Early Years program for all ages in Dubai.

The Arabic language time during the day (30-45 minutes each day in the Half-Day Program, and a further 90 minutes in the Extended Day Program) mirrors the English program in structure.

Stories used during the English program are then used during Arabic time, so children can contextualise the language and learn it faster.

Stress is placed on developing **social communication skills in Arabic** as well, by conducting social activities such as snack time, lunch time or part of the free play time in Arabic.

Children progress from one level to the next in Arabic, as they do in our main program.

These sessions include further practice in reading, writing and speaking; public speaking and confidence building modules in Arabic; math instructions in Arabic and games and activities to enhance social and emotional development, conducted in Arabic.

All Kido Dubai centres integrate Arabic in the program. Age Group: 3 years and older

Bilingual Mandarin

We offer a fully bilingual program with one english teacher and one manadarin teacher present at all times.

Mandarin is taught at native level, with even non native speakers able to increase their level of Mandarin to fluency by the time they reach primary school.

Children learn through a variety of activities such as: story time imaginative play, arts and crafts, science, collaborative games as well as teacher led focus time which builds vocabulary and language.

we offer extended hours of Mandarin immersion that provide diverse opportunities to further develop children’s Mandarin skills through social interaction, free play, snack time and more focussed lessons.

Center : All our Kido Hong Kong centres are fully bilingual. Age Group: 3 years and older

Bilingual Spanish

A bilingual experience in our Texas schools.

Across our Texas schools, our English curriculum is mirrored in Spanish. Not only do children speak,read and write in the language, they also use it during maths, art and STEM activities

Most importantly, social time is also conducted in Spanish, encouraging verbal fluency in social situations.

Centres: Rice Village - Houston, River Place - Austin Age group: 6 weeks to 5 years