Our Mission

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child/children to Dunaire Kindergarten and we look forward to working with you over the coming year.

In Dunaire Kindergarten, the children will benefit from both the Pre-School and the Montessori ethos. This is in accordance with the implementation of Síolta and Aistear which has been introduced by the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), as the national Framework for Early Childhood Education. Síolta is the national quality framework and focuses on all aspects of quality in early childhood whilst Aistear is the curriculum framework for children and focuses on providing appropriately challenging, stimulating and enjoyable learning experiences for children. Please visit www.ncca.ie should you require further information.

The Pre-School environment is set out to help your child’s transition to “Big School” and its structured routine, at a gentle pace. It is a play-based curriculum to help your child through their developmental progress. This is done in a supervised environment encouraging free play to help with decision making, independence and problem solving. The routine consists of art and crafts, music – Ceol Ireland’s “Step into Music” programme, home corner, dress up, outdoor play, table top activities and much more.

Montessori is a method of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. Every child is valued as a completely unique individual. Montessori education realises that children learn in very different ways and so accommodates all learning styles. All children learn at their own pace while advancing through the curriculum, guided by the teacher with an individual learning plan. The classroom design, materials and daily routines support the child’s emerging self-regulation (ability to educate one’s self, and to think about what one is learning), children learn to develop order, coordination, concentration, and independence. The children enjoy freedom within limits, working within parameters set out by their teachers. The children are supported to become active seekers of knowledge and given the tools to pursue answers to their own questions. The Montessori Method focuses on 5 specific areas:

Practical life
Sensorial
Language (English and Irish)
Maths
Culture