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CEFA proprietary curriculum is sophisticated and world‑class.

Through the CEFA proprietary curriculum, we offer an incredible opportunity for children to explore, learn and contribute to the world. CEFA students develop and play well with other children who are the same age, and they are always learning and playing—not just learning, and not just playing. Academics matter. At CEFA, core fundamental skills are at the heart of our proprietary curriculum, which is constantly advancing based on the latest studies and neuroscience.

The Curriculum Pillars

Click on the back of a Curriculum card below to learn more about the courses offered within each pillar.

CEFA Innovators STEM Curriculum
Preparing Your Child for the
Challenges of Tomorrow

S.T.E.M.

Science
Technology
Engineering
Math
Coding
CEFA Masterminds Curriculum Pillar
Giving Your Child
A Foundation for Success

Literacy

Reading
Writing
Math Language
Second Language
CEFA Creators Curriculum Pillar
Developing Your Child’s Creativity and Skill of Creative Thinking

Fine Arts

Dance
Music
Creative Play
Drama
Visual Arts
CEFA Innovators STEM Curriculum
CEFA Innovators STEM Curriculum

Preparing Your Child for the Challenges of Tomorrow

Sensitive period of brain development: Numbers

Critical thinking and problem-solving are among the most important and essential skills students can learn today. As adults, critical thinking and problem-solving are cardinal tools that help us navigate relationships, employment, media, politics, and more. When children engage in STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in the early years, critical thinking and problem-solving are encouraged and fostered at a time when the foundations for this part of the brain are being developed. A solid foundation in critical thinking and problem-solving between the ages of 1–5 allows for more creative problem-solving and sophisticated critical thinking in the future.

Science
The CEFA Science Program introduces students to the scientific method where they are presented with questions, probabilities, hypothesis testing, and how to draw conclusions. This program introduces the children to various subjects depending on interest and the season. Our science curriculum is strongly guided by students and follows a project-based approach, nurturing creative thinking, leadership skills, and reasoning abilities.
Technology
CEFA Early Learning Schools are very careful not to use technology to replace tangible experiences in the classrooms. Instead of teaching math or writing through apps, we provide games children can use with all of their senses, and manipulate at will. Technology can also serve as a valuable tool for documentation – children can make short videos or take photos of their learning experiences to help to re-live and re-explore, thus continuing the learning process.
Engineering
The CEFA Engineering Program plays a fundamental role in setting the foundations for future learning. Children engineer by solving problems. Our program offers engaging and stimulating problem solving experiences for children. We incorporate activities with materials and situations that require solving, and are interesting and meaningful for students. Engineering activities provide opportunities for children to grow and mature, and engineering through design challenges promote social and emotional learning. As children engineer, they build empathy by working alongside their peers to solve a problem.
Math
Introducing mathematics in early childhood education is proven to promote language and literacy skills. We place a great emphasis on helping students gain reasoning skills, and apply mathematical concepts introduced in a practical way. CEFA's Math Program teaches children to quantify numbers and understand the fundamentals of addition, division, and multiplication in upper level classes. These strong concepts taught in the Junior Kindergarten programs leave students well-equipped for entrance into elementary school.
Coding
Coding helps equip children with the ability to stick with a problem and work on finding a solution. It also helps them learn to quickly fix and try again in different ways when something doesn't work out. It encourages problem-solving, persistence, creativity, and digital literacy. It also helps boost confidence. Coding has been proven to help children learn, understand, and communicate basic logic.
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CEFA Masterminds Curriculum Pillar
CEFA Masterminds Curriculum Pillar

Giving Your Child A Foundation for Success

Sensitive period of brain development: Language

Children crave knowledge. Literacy is a gateway to advanced learning. Every academic discipline (including math) has a foundation in literacy. Research shows that a good grasp of literacy at an early age is excellent for brain development and lifelong academic success.

Children who are routinely read to and immersed in reading and writing activities thrive. If a child has limited access to language and literacy experiences in the home, quality early learning in childcare, preschool, or cross-age literacy programs can have a significant and positive impact.

In 2008, the National Institute of Literacy issued a report, “Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel.” Among its many findings, the report stated that “the foundational reading and writing skills that develop from birth to age five have a clear and consistently strong relationship with later conventional literacy skills.”

Source: Early Literacy | Family and Community Engagement Research Compendium

Reading
Literacy is strongly encouraged at CEFA, as it is one of the most important skills a child requires to be successful at school, and in life. Research shows that learning to read at a young age is excellent for brain development and lifelong academic success. The CEFA Early Education Reading program was designed to teach children to read, not only phonetically, but also by developing the seven essential components of reading.

Our program provides students with the tools to build upon their vocabulary and literacy skills. Teachers follow the progress of each child, and each year, parents are invited to learn the CEFA letter-by-letter method: A simple, playful and effective way to teach your child to read at home.
Writing
Our exclusive writing program at CEFA was created to promote child development in the early years.

It introduces students to essential pre-writing and fine motor exercises that train hand muscles to write, develops hand-eye coordination, and familiarizes children with lines, curves, letters and words. Writing is introduced every day with a combination of fine motor, games and activities, sensory experiences, drawing, and one-to-one writing.
Math Language
Math helps children problem solve, measure and develop their own spatial awareness, and teaches them how to use and understand shapes.

Children are often introduced to abstract mathematical language prematurely. As a result, many children struggle to grasp their meaning. Early math is as important as early reading. Children must learn the concepts behind math symbols, and we need to be very deliberate in the language we use to teach math concepts in the early years. In essence, children must understand how to read and speak math before they can engage in math.

Children have super curious brains. They want to learn more, and our Math Language program provides children with an essential foundation and bridge for continued learning.
Second Language
The CEFA Second Language Program is carefully designed to be mindful and meaningful, created to instill the habit of curiosity and lifelong learning. The early learning of languages is known to stimulate children's cognitive capability and improve their ability to process information, including memory, speech, and sensory perception for life. Research shows that children who learn more than one language have advanced reading skills, are more socially aware, and have better vocabulary in their native language.
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CEFA Creators Curriculum Pillar
CEFA Creators Curriculum Pillar

Developing Your Child’s Creativity and Skill of Creative Thinking

Sensitive period of brain development: Emotional Control, Emotional Intelligence & Peer Social Skills

Children develop self-regulation through their relationships. Emotional control and self-regulation start at birth, and key brain development in this area peaks between ages 0-3. Children are always watching and learning from adults, peers, and the community around them.

A child’s emotional state and ability to regulate and control their emotions is a key factor in the health of their relationships, home life, mental health, academic performance, and ability to thrive. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety negatively affect child brain development and endanger children’s ability to learn.

Communication is often a source of frustration and stress in the early years as children are still developing language and listening skills. Creative activities like dance, music, creative play, drama, and visual arts, are not only stimulating and fun but therapeutic platforms of communication and expression. Children who engage in creative arts learn to utilize multiple platforms, aside from language, to communicate their feelings, intentions, hopes, joys, and frustrations to their peers and adults. Children also learn to interpret the emotions of their peers and develop emotional intelligence through these same platforms.

Dance
Dance is the physical expression through movement and rhythm of relationships, feelings, and ideas. Dance fosters opportunities for discussion and practice. In a safe and secure environment, students can explore how to express feelings, interpret the emotions of others and practice being empathetic people. Research shows that when children dance together, their abilities to collaborate and cooperate improve.

At CEFA, Dance is an important part of our curriculum because we teach the whole child, and this is a great opportunity for children to express themselves from the inside out.
Music
Learning and playing music at a young age significantly influences early childhood development including verbal communication, problem solving, and sensory awareness. CEFA’s Music Program is taught with a wide variety of musical instruments that assist children in learning how to creatively interpret the fundamentals of music such as notes, tempos and musical appreciation.

The CEFA music curriculum proudly incorporates the award-winning program Fun with Composers Series. Through the integration of children’s literature, storytelling, drama, creative movement, song and instrumental play, classical music is taken from its sophisticated, mysterious realm to one that is completely child-centred.
Creative Play
Creative Play celebrates self-discovery. Nurturing self-expression is an essential part of CEFA’s proprietary curriculum. Our schools present every component of our academic curriculum in the form of games, fun projects, and engaging activities. In addition, CEFA Early Learning ensures that children have time to explore the classroom at their own pace while interacting with others and the classroom environment in their own creative way.

By choosing how to play, who to play with, and what to play, children further develop their creativity. At the same time, unstructured play gives children the opportunity to engage with others, and learn how to socialize in the process.
Drama
Children are introduced to a variety of real and imaginary situations, allowing them to express emotions and to be empathetic. By acting out pretend roles and scenarios, kids are encouraged to think critically and creatively.

An important part of CEFA Creators, Drama helps build confidence, drives creativity, helps children develop empathy, and increases a child’s ability to concentrate. By taking on different roles, children are taught different behaviours and even perspectives.
Visual Arts
Visual arts enables our students to explore colours, textures, materials, and other interesting, tactical items. Children are exposed to art history, learning about famous artists and artistic styles. They explore three dimensional art, natural life art, light table work, and many other exciting techniques.

The process of exploring and nurturing creativity helps to provide a new language and another avenue for children to express themselves. Art experiences are presented daily in the classroom, with CEFA trained art teachers working with children on a weekly basis.
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CEFA Change-Makers Curriculum Pillar
CEFA Change-Makers Curriculum Pillar

Teaching Your Child to Make a Difference

Sensitive period of brain development: Peer Social Skills

Children are capable and competent. Children can make a difference. It is sometimes easy as adults to discount a child’s abilities. It is also important to understand that children are constantly developing their own identities based on the environment around them.

Children are always listening and always watching and always learning. When children are shown respect, they learn that they are deserving of respect.

When children are shown that they are capable and competent, they internalize these understandings and afford this recognition to other children. When children learn how connected our communities are, it also helps them to understand the dynamics of their own role in their communities.

The Change-Makers component of the CEFA curriculum is about learning how to contribute with an astute understanding of community and a deep foundation of respect. Activities are rooted in empowering exercises and activities in collaboration, recognition, community, and the environment around them.

Citizenship
Citizenship is more than the affiliation we have with our country. For children, their first citizenship is with their family. Then, they are citizens of their communities, including their peer group at school, their neighbourhood, their city, and onwards. At CEFA, children learn the dynamics of these layers, and how ultimately, we are all citizens of this earth. Understanding this clarifies a sense of belonging on many levels, and helps them examine how to become better citizens. An example of this is how we incorporate being mindful of things like waste. We use this as a key tool in our curriculum to educate in context. Our students learn not to waste water. They are taught to put it in a class plant or use it to wash the paint brushes. This helps them learn that they can make a difference as citizens of this world and their communities. Children also learn that they can make a bigger difference when they work together

We all work together to give children a sense of belonging and the power to make things different.
Contribution
At CEFA, children learn that they have a voice and it is important. Children also learn to have courage in expressing themselves, and to have respect for others when they do the same. Not only are children taught the importance of contribution, they are also taught the importance of listening to and observing other children's contributions. Children learn how they can contribute to their families, their friend groups, their class, and support their communities to help change the world. Children will learn about how their actions impact others. Enrolment in our CEFA Early Learning Private School means your child will have four years to learn what it’s like to care about something or someone.

Children who are taught to find their voice, ultimately learn that they can make a difference.
Culture Immersion
The CEFA Cultural Immersion program immerses children in a variety of cultural and linguistic co-curriculums which help children understand and appreciate different perspectives from around the world. Children are exposed to greater insights, diverse sources of creativity, and enhanced social and learning skills that they benefit from throughout life. Culture immersion is very important in the early years. Diversity has a direct impact on student performance. Students learn and perform better in diverse environments. Children who experience cultural immersion are more likely to have heightened problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity skills.

Children are also inspired to be empathetic, responsible, and highly collaborative.
Yoga
The CEFA Yoga Program teaches students breathing techniques and yoga poses that enhance concentration, increase flexibility and balance, boosts confidence and relaxes the mind.

These crucial skills have been shown to effectively increase self-control, self-confidence, self-respect, positive communication and listening skills. Children learn to appreciate themselves and their peers, and show increased empathy and compassion for others. Children also learn to self sooth, relax on demand, and to have an outlet in times of physical and psychological stress.

Yoga is also excellent exercise for young children.
Outdoor & Nature Program
These days, children are spending more time than ever indoors, playing on iPhones, or streaming TV. However, there is so much available research on the benefits of outdoor play. Playing outdoors promotes well-being and wholesome physical development. At CEFA, children get outdoors twice daily and engage in games and materials designed to further their physical development. Our students learn about the natural elements and their surroundings when they are outside. For example, they learn about the weather and the change in seasons. Outdoor play experiences can help develop gross motor skills and muscles at the same time.

Hands-on learning and natural environments stimulate children's senses through what they hear, touch, see and feel. Outdoor play with other children helps them gain social skills by interacting, collaborating, and negotiating with others.
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Discover more tools for Early Learning Education!

At CEFA, your child will be provided with the freedom to learn and grow through play with our proprietary curriculum, which also serves to prepare them for kindergarten, and for life.

CEFA Founder & Early Learning Expert, Natacha Beim, designed CEFA for children to explore and learn and discover how they can contribute to the world.

The CEFA approach to learning is informed by science-based studies on Early Learning principles and is constantly advancing. We diligently stay on top of the latest news and research in the field of Early Childhood Education and Early Learning.  We also endeavour to share quality articles written by our experts and featured in our Blog and CEFA Magazine.

CEFA Magazine
in the news
CEFA BLOG