Curriculum
Maple Bear schools offer full Canadian programs utilizing Canadian methodology and curriculum developed by our own experts from the ground up for Early Years and Elementary.
All instruction in Maple Bear follows educational principles which have made Canadian practice so successful. Learning is targeted to achieve very specific learning outcomes. It is clear what the children need to learn. Canadian performance standards determine the learning outcomes. Maple Bear students are expected to achieve performance levels similar to Canadians. Canadian teaching strategies encourage student independence, strong literacy skills, higher level thinking and problem solving. In all cases, Canadian programming exceeds the requirements of local education authorities in each country.
We take our responsibility to our students and their parents very seriously. Strict quality controls ensure we deliver the very best Canadian practices in education.
Why Maple Bear?
At Maple Bear students become:
CURIOUS: Passionate about knowledge and learning.
CONFIDENT: Deeply aware of their talents and potential.
INDEPENDENT: Prepared to lead their own lives, and decide their own paths and destiny.
ANALYTICAL: Able to think freely and shape their own beliefs.
FLEXIBLE: Adaptable in a world where change is the only constant.
CREATIVE: Always motivated and enthusiastic about asking “what if?”
PREPARED: In possession of the knowledge and tools necessary for an outstanding performance at college, at work and in life, in their home country or abroad.
GLOBAL: Bilingual and culturally literate for a global future.
Canada’s education system consistently ranks among the best in the world.
In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked Canada #1 in the English-speaking world in science, math and reading. As in 2012, 2015, and again in 2018, Canada maintained strong performance and outperformed other English-speaking countries in all three evaluations.
According to the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Canada consistently out ranks the United States and the United Kingdom, often by significant margins.
In fact, Canada ranks ahead of the systems in the US and the UK because the OECD measures an entire country’s system, not just hot spots of excellence which are not accessible to all due to geography or cost. In the vast Canadian public system, every child has access to quality schools.
Canada excels not only in studies in the English language, but is also a world leader in bilingual education.
Students don’t just memorize vocabulary in a Maple Bear classroom. This is a key difference between the programs offered at Maple Bear and the ESL training offered at other schools claiming to offer a bilingual education.
Furthermore, at Maple Bear, students begin learning English during their early years using a student-focussed English immersion learning system based on Canadian educational pedagogy and best practises.
There have been concerns that teaching children two languages at once only confuses them. Fortunately, there has been much research—much of it conducted by Canadians—which shows that far from handicapping children, bilingual education can offer benefits from infancy to old age.
So what are the benefits of bilingual education for young learners?
For a start, it’s very good for English-language development, a goal of many of our parents who chose Maple Bear for their children. Young learners have also been shown to have:
- better concentration, analytical skills and multi-tasking capabilities;
- they learn to read sooner than monolingual students;
- they have an increased sense of self-worth and identity;
- they have the ability to live abroad and learn other foreign languages later in life;
- enjoy exposure to more than one culture which leads to a global perspective.
Numerous studies have confirmed that being bilingual actually makes a person smarter as it has a profound effect on the brain, improving cognitive skills and sharpening memory.
Maple Bear campuses benefit from our distinguished academic faculty of Canadian trainers, curriculum writers and quality assurance personnel.
The Maple Bear program is a living, breathing curriculum that is constantly being updated. We have a large faculty of experienced teachers and education administrators that we draw upon to develop new curriculum, new training materials and methodologies and operation policies. We undertake periodic student assessment at campuses to benchmark student performance.
Maple Bear provides continual professional training and support for our teachers. Trainers from the Maple Bear Faculty mentor teachers and introduce them to the latest pedagogies and instructional strategies.
Every Maple Bear campus undergoes an annual inspection that covers everything from safety equipment to classroom performance. On a regular basis and drawing on the experience of training staff in schools, we review and update our curriculum to reflect the latest developments in the field of education and changes in local regulations and requirements. All Maple Bear campuses have clean, secure facilities and low student to teacher ratios.
Our goal is to establish quality campuses that will provide an excellent education experience to students for generations to come.
Maple Bear Methodology
All instruction in the Maple Bear Elementary School follows educational principles which have made Canadian practice so successful. Learning is targeted to achieve very specific learning outcomes. It is clear what the children need to learn. Canadian performance standards determine the learning outcomes. Maple Bear students are expected to achieve performance levels similar to Canadians. Canadian teaching strategies encourage student independence, strong literacy skills, higher level thinking and problem solving. In all cases, Canadian programming exceeds the requirements of local education authorities in each country.
Early Year Programs
English Language
By the end of the Early Years Program, children will communicate effectively in English by listening and speaking, will have a good understanding of alphabetical symbols, will be able to read text in English, will be able to use phonic strategies to approach new words, will be capable of using writing strategies appropriate for beginners, and finally, will be able to use and respond to media.
Personal and Social Development
Children will learn to share, to respect others, to listen, and to understand that people have different talents and functions in our society.
Science and Technology
Children will demonstrate curiosity about the natural world, demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of common materials, identify cycles in nature using techniques of observation, and work with others in using the computer in all aspects of their studies.
Creative Activity
Children will understand colour, shape and use of media to express ideas. They will be able to describe responses to music, art, drama and dance.
Physical skills and well-being
Children will develop physical skills (such as balance and flexibility), an awareness of health and safety rules, an understanding of sharing, taking turns, cooperation and socially acceptable behaviour.
Problem Solving
Children will become problem solvers. They will learn about patterns in the environment, number concepts, comparisons, sets, basic formal operations, 2-D and 3-D objects, simple graphs, basic measurements, estimation and basic probability.
Language development and acquisition
Immersion methodology is used in Maple Bear schools to develop competence in English. This means that children learn to listen, speak, read, and write in English by surrounding them with conversation and instruction in English. Children learn in English right from the first day. Literacy, which includes listening, speaking, reading and writing, is one of the most important goals of the Maple Bear program.
Elementary Programs
The Maple Bear program meets the needs of elementary students by:
- Teaching students to access information and active prior knowledge
- Developing skills that are important in different subject areas
- Assisting students in making personal connections and making meaning of new material and integrating these learning with what they already know
- Facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills to real-life situations
- Challenging students and encouraging them to ask questions when they do not understand
- Developing personal goals and assisting in the achievement of those goals
- Teaching and installing the value of routine and schedules and the importance of following them
The Maple Bear program enables each student to understand and appreciate language. Language proficiency generates confidence and competence in communicating in a variety of situations as well as facilitating personal satisfaction and learning. The knowledge, attitudes and skills that are acquire in the areas of academic, career and personal/social development during these years serve as the foundation for future success and prepare them to be effective global citizens.