GEMS
GEMS Program
Science and Mathematics Through Play
One of the most important points for us is this: Play is guaranteed at our school. Through play, every child learns at their own pace; follows their own curiosity; tries new paths without fear of making mistakes.
How can we gamify mathematics and science?
The most effective way to make children love science and mathematics at an early age is to introduce them not through abstract concepts, but through experience, touch, feeling, and play. The GEMS Program (Great Explorations in Math and Science) that we implement at Forest Kids International Preschool is a strong educational model shaped exactly on this idea.
The GEMS program, which has been implemented since 1984, teaches children to solve problems using "natural thinking methods." Children experiment, form hypotheses, compare, measure, predict, and try again. In this process, mathematics and science do not appear as lessons but as a natural part of life.
In our forest pedagogy approach, when the GEMS program combines with nature, a unique learning experience emerges. Children discover mathematics while classifying leaves outdoors, and they notice science while examining the flow of water by a stream. While measuring the weight of a stone, the circumference of a tree trunk, or the length of a shadow, every step connects with science and mathematics. This makes learning permanent and enjoyable.
At Forest Kids, teachers are not information transmitters; they are guides who support children's thinking processes. This structure, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, combines with GEMS's culture of scientific curiosity to grow the innate sense of discovery in children.
In short, at our school, science and mathematics are not activities; they are a journey of discovery born from natural life. Thanks to the GEMS Program, children do not just learn information; they learn to think, question, make connections, and produce solutions. This forms the foundation of scientific awareness developed at an early age.
