Why Choose Our Program – Reason 1:
Discover the Joy of Movement
- Earnable Qualification:
- Kids Sports Instructor
This qualification trains students to become professional instructors that can support yound children's physical and mental development. Students explore the physical, mental and emotional development of young children, and gain the skills needed to design age-appropriate activities. They also gain the skills needed to guide children's activities as well as parent-child support programs.
How to Obtain Qualification: Participate in a official training seminar hosted at the college.
Engage in physical activities to experience the joy of movement, while learning to create childcare programs that encourage self-expression, creativity, and social skills.
Key Learning Points
-
Guiding Physical Play
Students can guide physical play that helps children develop a range of important movements, and apply these skills in nursery schools or kindergartens.
-
Physical Activity Therapy Instructor
When working at facilities such as child development support centers, students can use physical play as an approach to support child growth and development.
-
Physical Education Teacher
Students can work as teachers in kindergartens or community sports centers, designing curriculum that are adapted to children's physical, mental and developmental needs.
-
Early Childhood Education Practice (Seminar)
Students learn professional knowledge and skills that can be applied in childcare. As a decline in children's fitness becomes a serious concern, students engage children in physical play to help them
Why Choose Our Program– Reason 2:
Connect With Nature
Part of the “Shinshu Yamahoiku” initiative promoted in Nagano Prefecture
- Earnable Qualification
- Nature Game Leader
This qualification trains students to lead a variety of nature-based activities, developing the mindset and skills needed to support a society that lives in harmony with nature.
How to Obtain Qualification: Participate in a 3-day training course during summer vacation
Cerification Rate: 94% (September 2021)
Those Who Obtained CONE Leader Certification: 48% of participants
Nature sends us countless messages.
Students explore a wide-range of nature-based activities and develop the skills to respect and coexist with nature.
Key Learning Points
-
Extensive Outdoor Activities
Students practice leading outdoor activities with children, incorporating seasonal elements into their lessons, such as campfires and pinecones during fall, snow and ice during winter, and other natural materials found on campus.
-
Shinshu Yamahoiku (Outdoor Early Childhood Education in Nagano)
In Nagano Prefecture, early childhood programs encourage children to learn and grow in mountains, rivers, and forests. By playing and exploring in nature, they develop the skills to thrive and persevere.
-
Forest Kindergarten
Originating in Scandenavia, programs that nurture children in forest settings are now becoming more common across Japan. Many of our graduates contribute to such programs acros the prefacture.
-
Folded Poem
Students take walks in nature in groups of three. Each person writes one line of a poem inspired by the natural surroundings, and three lines are combined to create a collaborative poem.
Why Choose Our Program– Reason 3:
Develop Creativity
Acquire the foundational skills needed to enjoy activities with children through Hounan's one-of-a-kind visual arts program,
Key Learning Points
-
Exploring Creations Through Play
Children enhance their senses through play and expand their personal world. Challenges encountered during play become a driving force for development. In class, students work on projects that incorporate a variety of playful elements.
-
Connecting With a Child's Creativity
Using the watercolor techniques in Steiner Education, students reconnect with the way young children perceive the world. Like children fully absorbed in play, they freely explore and express themselves through color.
-
Learning Practical Skills
Students create projects using everyday supplies such as newspapers, paper plates, and clay. Through enjoyable activities, students gain the skills and techniques required to assist children and set up effective learning environments.
-
Paper Puppet Theater
Students work in groups to create and perform puppet shows, commonly used in early childhood settings. Emphasis is placed on cheerful, clear expressions that can be easily understood by children.
Why Choose Our Program– Reason 4:
Learning Through Music
Through hands-on music experience, students build a repertoire of songs and activities that can be used in a classroom, developing the skills needed to lead fun and engaging music lessons for children.
Key Learning Points
-
Children's Songs
Music and songs experienced in early childhood play a vital role in children's development. In this course, students acquire essential vocal and instrumental skills, preparing them to become teachers who can communicate the joy of music to children.
-
Two Music-Filled Years
At Hounan, music education is a core component of the curriculum. Students receive small-group instruction in piano, children's songs, and rythm, learning practical skills that can be directly applied in early childhood education settings. During the second year, students apply wha they have learned to practice by peforming a full operetta. This collaborative production is staged in a large hall, giving students practical experience in planning, rehearsing, and performing.