The 2015 – 2016 academic year was filled with countless classes, activities, and events. During the summer break, we’re featuring a new series titled YCIS Beijing Rewind. The series looks back at this past year and gives attention to various events and accomplishments that we didn’t get the chance to appreciate when they occurred. In this edition of YCIS Beijing Rewind, we take an in-depth look at one of our dynamic lessons in the Early Childhood Education section.

During an open learning session, teachers observed a number of the children in K3 exploring a play doctor’s kit containing plastic medical instruments such as a stethoscope, a reflex hammer, an eye/ear/nose torch, and a needle to administer injections. To build on this interest, teachers introduced the class’s doctor’s kit to the children, showing them how to use each of the instruments, creating numerous little doctors, nurses, and patients in the class! Students also visited the school nurse where they heard about how to treat a small injury and had their weight measured on the large scales. Some children also had the opportunity to listen to their heartbeat using a real stethoscope.

The most valuable learning occurs through a medium that students are actually interested in. Through these few lessons on first aid and medicine, students grew in a wide variety of ways, including:

Personal, Social, and Emotional Development:

Students applied their social skills, such as sharing the medical equipment and taking turns to be the doctor, nurse, or patient.

Physical Development:

Students honed their fine motor skills when using some of the medical equipment while giving play injections.

Communication and Language:

Students acquired English and Chinese bilingual word proficiency through songs sung and general conversation during play.

Literacy:

Students were read new stories about doctors and nurses.

Mathematics:

Students reinforced their numeral recognition by reading the patients’ temperatures using the thermometer.

Understanding the World:

Students learned the purpose of different medical equipment.

This lesson is a perfect example of the play-based, dynamic, and adaptive learning environments that we offer to our children at all levels of learning. In earlier age groups, teachers consistently track student interest and seize opportunities to embrace new channels of learning. This guarantees that students are able to more fully engage with their learning while also embracing a creative and inquisitive attitude.

Learn more about our ECE programme here, or visit the Yew Chung International School of Beijing news page here.