Aichi International School：Curriculum

The AIS kindergarten program primarily focuses on immersing the children in English and surrounding them with a large variety of stimulating activities. The kindergarteners’ days are filled with music, movement, stories, show-and-tell, art, math, observation, experimentation, and some introduction to reading and writing. The kindergarten is an English-only environment and by 4-years-old, the students no longer mix their languages and can converse freely in English with their peers and the teachers. In addition to offering a well-balanced daily routine, the school also draws on Montessori techniques to help foster independence and self-confidence in the kindergarten students.

The AIS elementary program follows a hybrid Japanese-North American curriculum, and is currently seeking accreditation from Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Subjects include English language, Japanese language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Music, Physical Education, Life Skills, and Moral Education. All subjects, with the exception of Japanese language and Social Studies, are taught in English.

Focused on gaining accreditation from the Ministry of Education, AIS uses government-approved textbooks that have been translated into English. In addition, these textbooks are supplemented with textbooks from overseas.

Report Cards are issued three times a year (at the end of every school term) and formal parent conferences are held once for kindergarten (in the middle of the second term) and twice for elementary (at the end of the first term and in the middle of the second term). In addition to these formal reports, one day a month has been set aside for parents to visit the school and talk with the teachers in an informal setting.

Elementary school students are evaluated using both standardized tests from the U.S. (SAT) and tests developed by the AIS staff.