Our Philosophy

Parents and teachers recently got together to agree on the philosophy of our pre-school.

We believe that children learn best through creative play and a supportive environment which celebrates internationalism and encourages the development of children’s multiple intelligences as is appropriate to their age and ability.

In order to achieve this Gecko & Garden will:

  • Provide a stimulating, safe and caring learning environment;
  • Support children to be actively engaged with others;
  • Encourage children to exercise choice within a diverse program; and
  • Treat children with respect allowing them to feel happy and valued.

playing with children

Our aims are to:

  • Help children develop independence, confidence, self-respect and respect for others;
  • Provide a happy, safe and stimulating environment where children can make progress according to their interests and abilities in all areas of learning;
  • Generate a positive attitude towards learning and school;
  • Begin to instil the basic foundations of mathematics and literacy skills; and
  • Help children acquire competence in speaking and listening in English.

Participation of parents

Unlike other pre-schools, we are parent-run, meaning that parents can be directly involved in their children’s learning experiences. Parents are invited to share their skills and participate in lessons if they wish (for example, reading a story, leading an arts and craft project, a music or cooking lesson, sharing a special activity or a celebration from a native country). Parents are also free to talk to teachers about their child’s progress at any time. These features are what make Gecko & Garden special and unique amongst pre-schools in Phnom Penh.

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Our Curriculum

At Gecko & Garden we help the children learn in a holistic, balanced way. We plan learning experiences that will assist children with:

  • Personal and social development;
  • Cognitive development:
    • Language and literacy;
    • Mathematics; and
    • The world around them
  • Physical development (fine and gross motor skills); and
  • Creative and artistic development (visual arts, music, movement).
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Our Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Shaayan looks forward to school every morning and is very proud to show the work he has done in school. I thought he liked going to school because all he did there was play till I realised he is doing well in academics too. What fun to play and learn, too.

closing quote

Teaching and learning at Gecko & Garden is based on active learning through creative play and is a mixture of child-led and adult-led activities. Learning experiences are presented in practical activities as young children learn primarily through play rather than direct instruction. Teaching starts with what children already know. Gecko & Garden wants to provide a happy environment where children are given a lot of praise and support.

We believe that:

  • Children need fair rules and these rules need to be applied every day;
  • Children develop at their own pace; and
  • Children learn better when they feel good about themselves.

All activities at Gecko & Garden will be based on the following important principles:

The process is more important than the product. With young children, the ultimate value of an activity is the experience of doing it rather than the quality of the end product.

Children learn by doing. We avoid doing anything for the children that they might be able to do themselves. As much as possible we allow children to do their own drawing, cutting, experimenting, buttoning etc.

The creativity of each child must be encouraged. We invite children to experiment and explore through art. The end result of an activity should not be a group of products that look exactly the same.

All activities are also opportunities to help each child develop responsibility. Cleaning up is organized so that children can help or do it themselves.

Children best learn to exercise responsibility and self-control within a clear structure. Teachers emphasize the importance of doing things cooperatively with other children, of sharing and of respecting the feelings, opinions and points of view of others. Children are encouraged to deal with disagreements by talking to other children and teachers rather than by resorting to aggressive behaviour.

about us
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Our History

Two small, English language pre-schools, Garden and Gecko, began operating in the early 1990's. These two, home-based pre-schools merged in 1999 to form Gecko & Garden Pre-School. The new Gecko & Garden was parent-run with a part-time coordinator and teachers and two classes. In 2004 Gecko & Garden Pre-School moved from its original premises to a site on Street 282. In 2009, Gecko & Garden Pre-School moved to a bright new location on Street 21, near the Independence Monument.

Gecko & Garden Pre-School is still parent-run and is operated on a not-for-profit basis. Fees are set at a level which meets the running costs and enables the pre-school, when enrolments are high, to build up a reserve of funds.

Day-to-day management is in the hands of a School Manager while overall governance is exercised by a Parent Management Group consisting of four or more volunteers with the School Manager as an Executive Officer.

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