Learning Overview

In the early years, children’s relationships with peers and adults play a vital role in shaping their social and emotional growth. In the ELC, learners are supported as they learn to understand themselves, build relationships, and participate as members of a caring learning community.

In PreK, learners begin to interact confidently with others while still navigating their own interests and needs. They start to see themselves as capable students, taking pride in what they can do and developing a growing sense of belonging. Once learners move into K1, they strengthen their relationships, engage more actively in peer groups, and begin to understand their place within the classroom community. With encouragement from trusted adults, they experiment with independence, take initiative, and build the confidence to try new things.

As they enter K2, learners are increasingly able to express their thoughts and ideas, participate in conversations, and ask questions to deepen their understanding. They develop stronger friendships, make choices about their social interactions, and demonstrate greater independence by following class agreements, routines, and expectations. Throughout these years, children learn about the world through meaningful social exchanges, reinforcing the importance of social and emotional development as a foundation for all learning.
 

Language and communication are essential to how young children express themselves, build relationships, and make sense of their experiences. The ELC provides learners with a language-rich environment that supports listening, speaking, early reading, and early writing.

Through conversations, songs, rhymes, and playful exploration of sounds and words, they develop vocabulary and early phonological awareness. Interactions with letters and symbols help them understand that print has meaning and can be used to share ideas.

In K1 and K2, learners use longer, more complex language to express their thinking, participate in storytelling, and engage with others across a variety of settings. Phonological awareness and phonics skills continue to strengthen, creating a solid foundation for early reading. As writers, learners grow in confidence as they record their ideas and explore a range of writing forms and genres.
 

Mathematical thinking begins with curiosity. The ELC encourages learners to discover that math is a natural and essential part of their daily lives. Early learning centers on foundational concepts such as counting, one-to-one correspondence, and understanding how numbers grow. Learners explore shapes, spatial relationships, patterns, measurement, and comparison while developing the language to explain their thinking. 

In K2, they can represent and compare whole numbers, begin applying addition and subtraction, and further refine their understanding of shapes and space. With growing independence, they engage in deeper reasoning and thoughtful problem-solving. Together, these experiences foster persistence, competence, and a positive mathematical identity, laying a strong foundation for future learning.

Children are natural explorers, eager to understand the world around them. As they grow older, they begin to recognize that people have different abilities, perspectives, and characteristics, developing an early appreciation for culture, community, and diversity. Through play and hands-on exploration, learners investigate their environment using all of their senses. These experiences encourage curiosity, spark questions, and help them begin to understand how their world works. In nurturing this sense of wonder, the ELC supports learners become thoughtful observers, engaged students, and joyful discoverers.

Children are eager to figure out how things function and are motivated by questions that lead them to test ideas, notice patterns, and explore possibilities. Through guided discovery, thoughtful observation, and simple investigative tools, learners in the ELC expand their understanding of how their environment works.

During this stage, learners are also becoming more reflective and socially aware. They begin to recognize similarities and differences among people, show empathy toward friends, and take pride in contributing to their classroom community. Creative thinking and emerging problem-solving skills develop alongside a growing sense of responsibility and independence.

A natural curiosity about how things work drives young learners each day. Within the classroom, they pose questions, investigate ideas, and exchange perspectives with peers. Through careful observation, meaningful conversations, and active exploration, they deepen their understanding while navigating challenges together.

Experiences connected to home, school, and the wider community help learners see how their worlds intersect. Gradually, they begin to recognize where they fit and how their actions matter. This growing awareness nurtures a sense of belonging and responsibility, encouraging learners to contribute thoughtfully and show care for others.

Learners are introduced to Arabic in ways that feel relatable to their daily experiences. Stories, songs, movement, play, and integrated learning experiences immerse students in the sounds and rhythms of Arabic, building both familiarity and confidence in their understanding.

In the early years, learners begin making connections between spoken words, objects, and their meanings, while also discovering that print carries purpose and communicates ideas. Their natural ability to imitate and repeat supports rapid language growth, helping them absorb vocabulary and sentence patterns with ease.

By K2, many children are comfortable using simple memorized sentences and familiar expressions to communicate. These early experiences nurture both linguistic confidence and cultural awareness, laying a strong foundation for continued language learning.

Music in the ELC  invites learners to develop musical awareness in ways that are developmentally appropriate and engaging. Rather than focusing on performance, the emphasis is on discovery and building confidence through shared musical experiences. As children progress through the ELC, they deepen their understanding of musical concepts while strengthening listening skills, coordination, and creative expression. Music becomes a space where children connect, collaborate, and experience the joy of making sound together.

In the ELC, learners are invited to perceive themselves as artists working within a studio environment, where a wide range of media and thoughtfully designed art invitations encourage exploration and self-expression. Strengthening fine motor development and hand-eye coordination, learners can deepen their ability to observe and interpret the visual world and draw inspiration from their classmates and the ASD community. They begin to articulate how artwork makes them feel and to notice design qualities and artistic choices. Throughout all stages, the emphasis remains on the creative process rather than the final product, honoring children’s thinking, curiosity, and imagination as the true heart of artistic growth.

Health and Physical Education nurtures the whole child by fostering confidence, coordination, and healthy habits from an early age. Across the ELC, students build foundational motor skills while developing body awareness, balance, and control in a safe and encouraging environment. With age, their experiences expand to include cooperative activities, creative movement, and age-appropriate challenges that promote strength, agility, and teamwork. These opportunities encourage exploration, perseverance, and a sense of accomplishment through active play. Alongside physical development, students deepen their understanding of personal well-being, building independence and learning how daily choices support a healthy lifestyle. Together, these experiences lay the groundwork for lifelong wellness and a positive relationship with movement.

Islamic Education at ASD nurtures students’ moral, spiritual, and personal development in a joyful and developmentally appropriate manner. Rooted in the UAE’s national framework, the program emphasizes the cultivation of character through compassion, gratitude, honesty, and respect.
Instruction in the ELC focuses on Islamic values through storytelling, role-play, songs, daily routines, and reflective conversations. Stories from the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are shared in age-appropriate ways, helping children connect values such as kindness, cooperation, and responsibility to their everyday lives. ASD partners closely with families to ensure that values introduced at school are meaningfully supported at home, fostering consistent character development and a strong sense of identity and belonging.

Islamic Education is mandatory for all Muslim children and will be introduced in the 2026-27 school year.

UAE Social Studies in the Early Years supports the development of knowledgeable, responsible, and compassionate young learners who understand their place within their family, community, and country. Grounded in the UAE national framework, the program lays the foundation for civic awareness, national identity, cultural appreciation, and social responsibility.

In K1 and K2, Social Studies is taught through an integrated, experiential approach. Rather than existing as a stand-alone subject block, concepts are embedded across the school day through inquiry, play, storytelling, discussion, celebrations, and daily routines. Instruction is developmentally appropriate and identity-building. Children explore themes such as family stories, traditions, national symbols, geography, community helpers, leadership, and shared responsibilities. Through these experiences, they begin to understand concepts related to history, heritage, civics, geography, economy, and culture in ways that are concrete and meaningful.

The program supports both Emirati and non-Emirati learners:

• Emirati children deepen their understanding of national identity, cultural heritage, UAE history, geography, and leadership. Instruction fosters pride, loyalty, and meaningful participation in community life.
• Children of other nationalities develop appreciation for the UAE as their host country while also honoring their own identities. The curriculum promotes intercultural understanding, respect for diversity, and active participation in shared civic life.

This integrated approach will be fully implemented beginning in the school year 2026-27.