LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE, GROWING THROUGH CONNECTION

A lesson becomes more meaningful when knowledge goes beyond the pages of a textbook and is brought to life through what students can see, experience, and apply in real-world situations.
At Nguyen Sieu Primary School, the curriculum is designed to strengthen connections across subjects, between knowledge and experience, and between the classroom and the world beyond it. Through projects, learning events, and hands-on activities, students have more opportunities to apply what they have learned, ask questions, experiment, and discover answers for themselves.

When Every Event Becomes an Interdisciplinary Learning Experience

At Nguyen Sieu Primary School, many events are designed not simply as extracurricular activities, but as an integral part of the learning journey.
During STEAM Day, knowledge from different subjects comes together within the same challenge. Maths supports students in calculating and analysing; Science encourages them to observe, form hypotheses, and experiment; while design thinking helps them explore solutions, refine ideas, and improve their final products.
At TEDx Talk events, students not only develop their English speaking and presentation skills, but also learn how to research a topic, select relevant information, build arguments, and express their own viewpoints to an audience. Behind each presentation is a combination of language proficiency, critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
Through these experiences, students gradually understand that knowledge does not exist in isolation. Real-world problems often require multiple perspectives and a combination of different skills to solve effectively.

From “Knowing” to “Understanding” and “Knowing How to Apply”

When students are given opportunities to observe, practise, discuss, and experiment directly, they can connect new knowledge more meaningfully with their own experiences.
Rather than simply memorising a formula, a language structure, or a scientific concept to complete an exercise, students are placed in situations where they need to use that knowledge to solve a problem, present an idea, or create a product.
This process makes learning more concrete and meaningful. Knowledge is reinforced through experience, while students gradually develop the ability to ask questions, think independently, collaborate, and apply what they have learned in different contexts.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

At Nguyen Sieu Primary School, learning goes beyond the pages of textbooks. Students are given opportunities to observe, experience, and explore knowledge in a variety of engaging and meaningful ways.
Through activities such as Tasting the Fruits and Fun with Fruits, students do more than learn about different types of fruit. They observe, taste, compare flavours, and explore where fruits come from, how they are transported, and how they are preserved. In Make the Music Band, students choose songs, create their own instruments, prepare costumes, and work together to produce a performance of their own. Through music, they develop confidence, creativity, and teamwork.

In another learning experience based on the story The Tiger Hunt, students role-play and retell the story in their own way while exploring different types of landforms around the school grounds. The English lesson therefore goes beyond reading and understanding a text, giving students opportunities to develop their language skills, imagination, confidence, and ability to collaborate through hands-on experiences.
Activities like these make knowledge more tangible and relevant. Rather than simply listening and memorising, students learn by doing, asking questions, exchanging ideas, and drawing their own conclusions. In this way, each experience becomes a natural part of the learning process, helping students connect what they learn with real life and develop a deeper, more lasting understanding.

Learning to Explore, Connect, and Grow

At Nguyen Sieu Primary School, a meaningful curriculum goes beyond answering the question, “What do students need to know?” It also encourages students to think further: “What can I do with what I know?”, “How does this knowledge connect with real life?”, and “What can I learn about myself and the world through this experience?”
That is why every lesson, project, and event can become an opportunity for students to connect knowledge with real-life contexts, link different subjects together, and relate learning to their own experiences.
Through this approach, the school aims to create a learning journey in which students do not simply acquire knowledge, but learn to explore, ask questions, apply what they have learned, and gradually become active, independent learners.