International Preschool / Child Care in Azabu-juban, Tokyo

Ohana International School in Tokyo:
Ohana International School in Tokyo is an inclusive preschool with a difference, located in Azabu-juban, and catering for children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. We run a wide range of programs, both full- and half-day; and before- and after-school care is also available. After-school tutoring is available for children enrolled in our regular program or enrolled in other schools.

Early Childhood Education Programs:

Regular School Program:
The Ohana International School in Tokyo program is based on current research that tells us that play is the best medium for learning and development in the early years. We have developed a program that reflects and provides for different learning styles and different learning levels through the provision of open-ended experiences. We provide a rich stimulating environment that has the potential to stimulate imagination, promote creativity, and enable holistic development. Our program has been developed with the following in mind:

Emerging Skills:
One of the main priorities for the staff is to ensure that plans allow for the children’s different interests and skill level within all the emerging skills. These include; the child’s sense of self, the communicating child, the thinking child, the healthy, physical and active child, the social child, the feeling child, the creative child, and the spiritual and moral child. The level of skill that the children have within these areas depends very much upon the age of the children, their individual stage of development, and most importantly their motivation or interest to explore certain concepts. Because we believe that all children are individuals striving to discover the connections between their experiences and their environment and that their sense of self-worth/self-esteem are important, the program offers children an environment rich in opportunity for self discovery based upon their immediate interest areas.

Documentation:
Documentation of children’s experiences is integral to our program because it records children’s progress and tells the story of the children’s learning journey. These visual, written and/or symbolic representations of children’s thinking help to inform families about the processes involved in children’s learning and learning outcomes. It also highlights the quality of staff’s teaching. Documentation then provides a strong record for children, staff and families to reflect upon, to discuss, to refer back to, and to build on from.

Observations:
Staff use a range of methods to observe and record children’s learning. These can include anecdotal and running records, but with a focus on recording interactions, relationships, conversations and thinking processes of children in small groups. Observations can also be voice or visual recordings. Samples of children’s drawings or a photo of a sand construction or diagrams of a problem to be solved are also used. In all methods, the children are a part of the process and contribute their words and ideas and give feedback on what has been recorded.

Collating Information:
Each child has an individual portfolio, journal or project folder that contains concrete examples of children’s learning. Work samples, observations, scripts from recorded discussions, photos of children engaging in projects and stories written about and with children, which provide a rich collection of information. In addition, the reflective commentary of staff goes beyond describing the event but to interpreting and explaining the thinking and learning processes that children have been involved in. Staff and children contribute to the portfolios and so can families. Including information about events in their child’s life and their reactions to reflecting on events within the portfolio all contribute to further understanding of the child.

Displaying Documentation:
Displaying some of the children’s work within Ohana International School in Tokyo comes with the children’s support/approval and assistance. Much thought on the part of both staff and children goes into these displays, which themselves become part of the learning process, as opposed to being merely a task undertaken by staff to cover wall spaces. Displays are arranged aesthetically and respectfully and in places accessible to children and families.

Using Documentation:
Staff use documentation to reflect on their practices, on how they approach decision-making and how professional judgments are made across a range of situations. Staff analyze the purpose and meanings and learning outcomes for children. Children describe what is happening and reflect on some of their initial thoughts and ideas. Collaborative decisions are then made about what are the next steps to take, and how and where the documentation will be used.

Group Sizes:
Our entire day consists of individual, small and large group activities, which vary according to the activities and needs of the children and the class as a whole. The basis of our programming system incorporates staff interacting with individual children, small groups of children or large groups in areas of interest to these children. This work is supported by planned experiences as well as the creation of a consistent environment within which children can interact. The whole group may gather to discuss or exchange information and plans, however a small group may do this as well. Grouping is often interest-based and when the classes are small enough, the interest of all the children can more readily be sustained, maintained, and developed.

Team planning:
We utilize team planning as we recognize that the staff have a wide range of skills that we want all the children to benefit from. We recognize the need for knowledge of child development and appropriate activities to stimulate specific development.

Focus System:
Class teachers are responsible for the overall review and planning for each team and group of children, individual children may be focused on by way of rotation in order to develop a clearer picture of each child. Each child will have a developmental portfolio, which, as a work in progress, documents the child’s interests and progress while at Ohana International School in Tokyo.

Special Additional Needs:
All children have special needs; however some require more support than others and we endeavor to provide for these children and where possible find additional support as necessary. If staff evaluate a child’s development and feel that encouraging them to broaden their play is appropriate, then we may actively encourage, but not force, involvement in particular activities.

Routines:
Routines form an important part of the program, providing opportunity for small group participation or one-to-one opportunities. Children are given verbal notice prior to the need to move from one activity to another, though flexibility of the program can allow children to complete tasks of interest to them. Each child’s day will include an opportunity for quiet times and more energetic times, for group and individual play, for teacher directed and for self-initiated activities. We recognize the need to provide opportunities for repetition, observation and exploration by the children. Children need the opportunity to control part of their environment and choose to be active or quiet. Children have the freedom to choose what toys they want to play with during free play. During certain structured times of the day they are required to participate and “work” on an individual project or in the group.

Flexibility:
There are many different theories about how children learn and what we as adults and teachers should be doing to best enhance this learning and development. At Ohana International School in Tokyo we believe that children learn when their physical needs are met and they feel psychologically safe and secure. All children’s needs are different and we need a flexible program to allow us to cater for individuals.

We do have a weekly program and daily routines that we follow but we also recognize that flexibility is a very important part of our day. If children are not interested in what has been set up or if they ask to have something else to play with, then we respect their opinion and choices. We want to empower the children to be able to make decisions for themselves, as we believe this is an important part of their future development. Learning to work as part of a team is a very important skill children learn in preschool. This goes hand in hand with making compromises and sometimes doing things that are not our first preference.

Family involvement:
At Ohana International School in Tokyo, we welcome parents/family involvement. We realize that all families have different commitments and that the extent of involvement varies; but all involvement is much appreciated and valued. Effective parent involvement enables us to work productively together to enhance the quality of care provided for the children.

Parent involvement promotes positive staff/parent relationships. From the child’s perspective it promotes a smoother transition between home and school as well as providing increased opportunities for parents to have a say in their child’s life outside of the home environment.

Parents can become involved in our program by indicating their interest at either a committee or personal level; every day is open day and families are welcome to come when it suits them to visit or show grandparents/ friends what a day is like at the preschool. This needs to be preplanned in order to respect the teachers and the programme in the class for that day.

Programming for Diversity:
Children come from a multitude of backgrounds and different family circumstances. We want to take all this into consideration when we plan for the children’s day and the environment. We believe it is very important to include children’s and their family’s cultural backgrounds in our program. We like to reflect the different cultures and beliefs in the play areas we set up for the children and the concepts we teach them. Families are invited to bring along items from their home environment to share with all our children.

Communication:
It is very important that all of our community — children, staff, and parents — communicate in an effective and successful manner. Staff are taught about conflict resolution and effective communication, which we then try to apply to all aspects of our day, with other staff, parents, and the children. The children are constantly learning about communication, and they experience it in all the different facets of their lives. In our program we are aiming to refine these skills and to make them effective and workable for the children themselves. Communication is a very important aspect of their personal and social development. Our ultimate goal is for the children to gradually build up an understanding and usage of effective communication strategies in their everyday lives. We do this by providing social play situations, by encouraging them to express their feelings, both positive and negative and by modeling effective communication, staff specifically help children to use “I” statements.

Documentation of Programs:
Each team is responsible for the documentation of their program. We enjoy experimenting with different strategies to collect and make available to families some of the wonderfully exciting experiences and discoveries the children are making. Developmental Portfolios provide a record to review child growth, it is important to note that these records are a work in progress and should not drive the program rather they reflect what has occurred.

Generally each room has a wall where families can read about the program. We encourage parents to walk into and around the rooms to see the evidence of learning that is taking place at the preschool. Families are also invited to meet with a staff member to review their child’s development. The children’s progress is measured according to international standards in early childhood development (milestones). Twice annually teachers arrange a formal time for a one-to-one meeting to discuss each child’s progress.

Me & My Mom Program:
We have started a Me & My Mom program at Ohana International School in Tokyo because we know how easy it can be for new mothers to feel isolated, especially in a foreign country, and especially if they have decided to take a career break in order to raise a family.

Our Me & My Mom program is an opportunity for moms to meet other moms, to share thoughts on child-raising issues, and to give children the chance to interact in a warm learning environment.

Join us for two fun-filled hours of art, music, dance, signing, and stories — especially for you and your baby, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30 until 11:30am. For babies up to children aged 18 months. Spaces are limited and prior enrolment is essential……..first come, first served.

After-School Classes:
After-school classes are available from 2:30–5:25pm, covering phonics and literacy; and art, design, and technology.

PHONICS & LITERACY — TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS

Our phonics and literacy class helps children develop reading and writing skills in order to support their preschool and kindergarten classes. Through this after-school class, children learn the essential skills necessary to identify sounds, letters, and numbers, in a fun, exciting, and interactive way. These classes are based on the Jolly Phonics and Handwriting Without Tears programs. Two British primary school teachers developed Jolly Phonics, in order to help children develop the necessary skills to begin simple reading and writing in an enjoyable, multisensory way. The program teaches 42 different sounds along with fun actions to aid memorization, and classes involve lots of games, conversations, songs, and physical and vocal activities to enhance the children’s confidence and abilities in expressive and receptive English. Independent studies have found that after one year of daily use, kindergarten-aged children taught with Jolly Phonics have an average reading age around 12 months ahead of their actual age.

The children spend time practicing the skills necessary to write letters and words effectively as well as improve fine motor skills through art activities. We have library time each week, and homework can be set if parents desire. We provide guidance to parents on how to support learning activities in our after-school phonics and literacy classes. Ohana International School in Tokyo has access to many language specialists such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and recreational specialists to further support the children’s language needs if required.

We have a class from 2:30–3:25pm for children aged 2–4 years, and a choice of two classes from 3:30–4:25pm or 4:30–5:25pm for children from aged 5 years. Class times may change depending on numbers.

* Group classes (limited to 8 children) — ¥2,500 per class.
* Small group classes (limited to 3 children) — ¥4,000 per class
* Individual one-to-one classes (1 child) — ¥5,000 class

ART, DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY — WEDNESDAYS

This class is a great opportunity for children to experience and enjoy the world of art, design, and technology as it exists in the world around them. The class takes a “project” approach so the children follow a process that involves brainstorming ideas, research, designing, model-making, construction, finishing, and refining, in order to make simple but creative and individual objects. They learn simple construction skills as they are supported in the safe use of real tools such as screwdrivers, drills, saws etc., which are used on a range of materials such as wood, plastic, and metal. Through these projects the students develop math, measuring, and design skills as well as develop 3D spatial awareness. Simple computer aided design is introduced to allow children to complete and alter their designs quickly. Children also have access to everyday household objects such as stereo systems, printers, and computers to take apart and investigate how they work.

We have a class from 2:30–3:25pm for children aged 2–4 years, and a choice of two classes from 3:30–4:25pm or 4:30–5:25pm for children from aged 5 years. Class times may change depending on numbers. Group classes, limited to 8 children, are available at ¥2,500 per class.

Trial lessons are available for these classes. Check out our budding engineers!

Private Tutoring Services:
Ohana International School in Tokyo Director Shelley Sacks runs tutoring sessions for children aged 3 to 11 years, Monday to Friday 2:30–6pm. Classes can be private with just one student, or in groups containing a maximum of four children.

As in the regular school program, Shelley focuses on phonemic awareness in all her classes. Children are taught through songs, games, and stories, as well as more structured work through the Jolly Phonics material. Children play rhyming and vocabulary games appropriate to the age and interest of each child.

Shelley believes that children learn more when they find a concept interesting and relevant to themselves; it is with this belief in mind that she runs her tutoring classes each day. Young children tend to be most interested in the letters in their names, so she uses these as a starting point. Similarly, they might be interested in the numeral representing their age, so that would be another starting point. Shelley works in this “scaffolding” style with her students, as she builds on skills that she has taught, then reviewing, and building further, etc.

The older children get involved with a lot of creative compositions through pictures and drawings. She heaps praise on the children and their writing, and especially encourages them to write from within, and with the intention of evoking an emotional response from the reader.

Shelley herself loves crossword puzzles and other word games, and introduces these to all ages in her classes.

Shelley is an emotive and intuitive tutor. She has a deep understanding of her pupils, which is how she has worked so successfully with them for the past 30 years.

Summer School:
Our Summer School runs from the middle of June to the beginning of July. This year our summer school will be based around three exciting programs — Wonderful Water, Kids in the Kitchen, and Cool Construction.

For further information on our early childhood programs in Tokyo, please contact us quickly via our Contact Page.