Our daily program is embedded in the National Early Years Learning Framework, where the concepts of Belonging, Being and Becoming are key elements.
In partnership with families we develop learning experiences responsive to each child's interests, strengths and abilities, recognising that children learn through play.
The Framework has five significant learning goals that will assist your child to develop:
a strong sense of identity
connections with their world
a strong sense of wellbeing
a confidence and involvement in their learning
effective communications
As educators we will guide your child's play by listening, watching and designing learning experiences in relaxed, natural learning spaces.
Guiding Principles.
The Guiding Principles underpin practice that is focused on assisting all children to make progress in relation to the EYLF Outcomes while attending Brayside Community Preschool. They will guide and support families, educators, committee and community members as they participate in all aspects of the program and management of the preschool.
Principles:
To compliment the care, guidence and education of children by their families encompassing their cultural backgrounds.
Families are respected and encouraged to work in partnership with educators to achieve learning outcomes.
To create a climate of respect and acceptance that builds trusting, secure relationships for all stakeholders.
Empower children and families to become capable, confident valued individuals.
Foster partnerships to maximise learning potential that comes from our daily routines, current events, home contexts and community.
All children should have the right to inclusive education and opportunity for equity, expectation and effective ways to achieve learning outcomes in an environment that reinforces their sense of themselves as competent learners.
The professional educators support and implement a holistic approach by employing a variety of pedagogical and assessment methods and engage in ongoing reflective practices which creates a culture of inquiry.
Effective leadership will provide a positive context for organisation and will build a professional learning community.
Management and administrative systems will be adopted to enable effective provision of a quality service at Brayside Community Preschool.
We will establish a preschool culture that will nuture a social consciousness and responsibility for our environment and a sustainable future.
Emergent Curriculum
A play-based and developmentally appropriate program promotes the greatest success in learning within the early childhood years. At Brayside we draw on children’s current interests and strengths for the content of our program. Our staff ensure children achieve the skills, attitudes and values as set out in our group program objectives by engaging them in the learning process through play. This promotes success, and in turn a love of learning. The success of this approach is achieved through collaboration with parents, careful observation by our trained and experienced staff and consideration of our community context.
Parents participate in partnership with staff through the contribution of information about their child as you would have recorded in the Enrolment form. Your family background, culture and values are identified so that they may be respected and affirmed in the centre. Over the year you will also be provided with a feedback sheet titled Observing your child. This is an opportunity to provide updated information about your child’s knowledge, skills, behaviours and topics of interest as demonstrated in the home and other contexts. You are also asked to record current areas of focus you have for your child’s individual program.
Literacy and Numeracy
Literacy and numeracy are integrated throughout the program. Children are provided with both modelling and prompting from staff using foundation font script (NSW English curriculum). Children are encouraged to explore the concepts of number and print through access to resources and support from staff. The literacy and mathematics learning centres offer a range of materials that can be used by children at a time and pace of their own choosing. The resources cater to a range of developmental levels and so offer the opportunity for consolidation of skills and challenge. Staff interact with children as they explore the resources and offer scaffolding to their learning experience.
Examples of experiences include making pretend money in shop play, counting games in group time experiences, writing letters to family and friends in the literacy centre and prompting by staff to write names on their art and craft work. Daily story reading experiences occur and children participate in mind mapping and recording information gathered in their project explorations. Through this integrated approach children identify with the many purposes for literacy and numeracy and are motivated to continue in their efforts to become members of the reading and writing community.
Our reading tree is also a great opportunity to promote an interest in reading with your child. As you read a story to your child or they tell you the story from the pictures you can add the name of the book and your child’s name to a leaf from the foyer and add it with blue tac to the tree that is displayed on the wall near the kitchen area.
