Program

“We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”

Maria Montessori

Educators’ practices and the relationships they form with children and families have a signiﬁcant effect on children’s involvement in and success at learning Children thrive when families and educators work together in partnership to support young children’s learning. Children’s early learning inﬂuences their life chances. Wellbeing and a strong sense of connection, optimism and engagement enable children to develop a positive attitude to learning.

(Early Years Learning Framework, p. 9)

We strongly encourage communication between families and educators to ensure continuity in what we are delivering to your child. We acknowledge that the role of the Educator is to work in partnership with families; they are children’s first and most influential educators.

We will create a range of short and long term goals for your child that we will program towards and monitor, which will be based on the outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework and include:

Mutual respect and empathy
Concern and responsibility for self and others
A sense of self-worth
Social awareness
Importance of sustainability
Self-regulation
Habits of initiative and persistence
Creative intelligence and imagination
Self-confidence as an independent learner
A love of learning

Educational Program

We follow the Early Years Learning Framework as per our programming policy. This is Australia’s ﬁrst national Early Years Learning Framework for early childhood educators. The aim of this Framework is to extend and enrich children’s learning from birth to Five years and through the transition to school. We are committed to providing a developmental and educational program which caters for each child’s individual needs, abilities and interests. Our program will continue to develop as we use the relationships children have with their families and communities, working in partnership with parents, to ensure each child’s knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of our programs.

We encourage children to be responsible for their own learning through choices in experiences, interests and routine. We use conversations, actions and play as the basis for teaching which involves the children being partners in teaching by seeking out ideas, opinions, thoughts and questions. We encourage children in promoting their independence and self-help skills by assisting within the routine and involving the children in interest-based projects to further enhance their learning and knowledge. We value children and family input and encourage family involvement in order to gather a comprehensive and holistic view of each child.

We know that children learn effectively through play and this is supported by our Educators who are diligent in their responsiveness to each child. Applying strong intentional teaching practices will provide the children with an authentic and meaningful learning environment which challenges, supports and nurtures their development. If we as Educators have any areas of concern, we will inform you and advise where help may be pursued, e.g. speech therapist. We understand this is a sensitive topic and it is always your decision to follow up. Educators are always willing to discuss any aspect of learning and development with parents.

Learning Journals

Every child will have a personal, confidential learning journal comprising:

Child’s Profile
Goals set/negotiated by families, Educators and the child
Observations
Objectives for further development
Work samples
Learning stories

The individual child’s learning journal is maintained and used as a direct tool for evaluation and future planning within the Service’s program. This makes the program reflect the value of individuality. You will be given your child’s journal at the end of the school year or as they finish at the Service. The journals are also available for families to view at any time and will be used in parent/Educator meetings throughout the year.