The curriculum of VRTEC ŠENTVID is based on the Curriculum for Pre-school Institutions, which was approved in March 1999 by the Council of Experts of the Republic of Slovenia for General Education.

Our program aspires to a multitude of goals, but none are more important than our
goals for the children.
We strive to create an environment where children can acquire the knowledge and skills to become fully-functioning human beings.
At VRTEC ŠENTVID we aim to meet each child’s abilities and needs by:

• respecting the individual capabilities of children
• encouraging the children to take the initiative in selecting activities
• offering them choices of activities and materials
• letting the children be creative thinkers, being aware of choices and responsibilities
• allowing them to be independent and experiment for themselves
• fostering respect, tolerance and cooperation throughout the pre-school
• trusting in each child’s own nature and stimulating their understanding at each level of development
• working together professionally as a team.

The curriculum covers the following areas: movement, language, art, nature, society
and mathematics.
Pre-school teachers plan, organise and structure the curriculum which is based upon practical activities and interests of each individual child. Our curriculum is based on the premise that children will learn through play. It is also designed to help children develop independence, play well with other children, and enjoy sustained relationships with adults outside the family. We encourage children’s creativity and curiosity, help them learn to follow certain routines while remaining spontaneous, and develop their ability to think for themselves.
Throughout the year we aim to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding of the children in all the curricular areas by first drawing on their interests and then extending them by providing a variety of structured and stimulating learning experiences. Themes are chosen by pre-school teachers and assistants, in association with the children and their families. We also build on foundations previously laid down by the parents and continue to work in partnership with them.

In educational practice we put the emphasis on:

• a child-centred approach
• choosing adequate activities dependant on the stage of the child’s development
• planning and providing stimulating and balanced activities
• the value of play as the medium through which children can learn
• encouraging the enjoyment of learning along with a desire to investigate and question
• having a regular evaluation of educational practices.

Parents are informed about activities in the nursery through meetings with the
staff, written communications on the notice-board and through parents’ meetings. Individual children’s development is discussed in private meetings with parents.