Curriculum

HOW WE WORK TOGETHER ON YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING...

Programming and curriculum is a very important aspect of caring for your child. The curriculum we follow is the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) the theme for Birth to 5 years "Belonging, Being, Becoming”. It is stated in the Regulations and National Framework that we need to follow this curriculum. Information can be found of the DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) website about EYLF: http://deewr.gov.au/early-years-learning-framework. Information is also displayed in the rooms about the EYLF.

““Children’s learning is dynamic, complex and holistic. 
Physical, social, emotional, personal, spiritual, creative,
cognitive and linguistic aspects of learning are
all intricately interwoven and interrelated.”
EYLF p.9

Programming is done on a daily and weekly basis. In our rooms it is clearly displayed. Please feel free to add input in the general comments and family input sections. It is a living document; we LOVE having your input. Please ask staff if you have any questions about how the programming works. Family partnerships and relationship is one of the seven key areas in the National Quality Framework, is in our governing documents and also embedded within our curriculum. It is an integral part of our service and we strive to involve families, make lasting relationships with our families. Your participation is key to the services' success.

“Observations” are taken of your child on a regular basis depending on how many days they attend. These observations are noted by their focus educators and then placed into their electronic play journals. They document your child’s learning and progression during their time at MELC.

Goals are then set in collaboration with families to measure how your child is developing. We link each observation to the EYLF and monitor how they are achieving their goals. Staff also scaffold or build upon your child’s learning by adding resources, adding provocation and assisting them with developing their ideas.

One other concept that is important is ‘play based learning’. Play based learning is described in the EYLF as 'a context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they actively engage with people, objects and representations'. It is essential we allow children to explore their environment through play.

““Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will progress 
towards the outcomes in different and equally meaningful ways. 
Learning is not always predictable and linear.”
EYLF p.19

School Readiness

What is “School Readiness”? 

Firstly, what is school readiness…? In the past, school readiness was determined by just being just an age and being admitted into school. This changed then to include a set of predetermined specific skills and competencies that a child “must” have to be “ready” for schooling. Now there has been a more recent shift towards not just the individual child being ‘ready’ but as a shared responsibility between the early childhood centres, families, children and the Primary Schools.

This “individual child maturation” view of school readiness has been shown to be too limited. Readiness does not reside solely in the child, but reflects the environments in which children find themselves – their families, early childhood settings, schools, neighborhoods, and communities (Kagan & Rigby, 2003). School readiness is now seen as having four interrelated components: children’s readiness for school, school’s readiness for children, and the capacity of families and communities to provide developmental opportunities for their young children (Emig et al, 2001).

This rethinking of school readiness has come about as people gain increasing knowledge and understanding of how important the Early Years of childhood and development are. We now know the neural (brain wiring) connections and pathways are laid down very early in life and that these are curtail to effective learning.

What factors can contribute to being ready for school?

As a parent there are things you can do to be “school ready” and prepare your child better for the transition to school.
Parents and care givers can find the transition to school daunting. Many parents begin pressuring their children to recite the alphabet, count, read and spell in fear of their child being “left behind” however this is not best practice. Success in a school environment is depended not just on cognitive ability alone, in fact some children who participate in programs like “jolly phonics” or attend school tutoring are quite advanced for their year level and tend to be bored in the first year at school as they are ahead of their classmates and can get bored in classrooms if teachers aren’t able to stimulate them or cannot due to classroom demands.

Additionally, academic learning cannot happen in isolation, children need to be secure, confident, and comfortable to be able to absorb the learning. This is where the other domains of development and readiness come into play. Children need to have adequate physical health and wellbeing, be socially competent, have strong emotional development/maturity, and have general communication skills as well as basic cognitive development.

There are a few factors that contribute to a child’s readiness for school some of these include:

•  Disposition for learning (Vic University, 2009). Does your child show curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity? These dispositions for learning make children thrive. They can be encouraged by process praise (i.e. “I can see your trying really hard to finish that puzzle” rather than trait praise “good job” or “your so clever”).

• Experience of the process  (Vic University, 2009). Allowing children to enjoy and take part in the process, and focus learning on the process rather the end product.

• Social and emotional characteristics (Vic University, 2009). Having a child with good resilience, and the ability to socialise with peers in an appropriate way.

• Program continuity (Putting children first, 2005). This is something we focus on with our Project work, seeing ideas through from their conception, throughout the process and down different learning paths.

• Ongoing communication between families, Early childhood providers and Primary Schools (Putting children first, 2005). This means open, consistent, and early communication before schooling commences.

• Involvement of parents in transition process (Putting children first, 2005). Ensuring parents encourage things like dispositions for learning, process praise, school orientation visits, communication with their children, communication with the early childhood provider and being available for their children during the transition time.

Many families and parents think supporting your child’s transition into school is about writing their name, knowing the alphabet and counting. However, these are all things children learn at school.

Access to programs like MELC’s educational program can provide children with the social, emotional, cognitive and other skills required to promote successful, capable and confident children. Quality Early Childhood programs greatly facilitate positive transitions to school and underpin later academic success.  

Things that are more beneficial to supporting you child into transition include more social emotional aspects of their development and adaptive “life” skills.

We don’t support a checklist of things children MUST achieve before they start school; however, some things they should be confident doing or working towards achieving in the near future include:

• Ability to pay attention for period of time, for instance group times or lesson times

• Ability to feel confident to seek out and ask questions to adults

• Work independently and as part of a group

• Being able to toilet and dress themselves

• Follow more complicated instructions (i.e. 3 “to-do “ items in a row- please get your hat, find your shoes and meet me at the front door)

• Having responsibilities at home

• Being able to dress themselves (for changes in uniform for some schools i.e. sports day)

• Being able to hold a pencil and do “mark marking”

• Making friends and meeting new people

• Be able to take turns and share

Ready Parents

As a parent there are several things you can do to help prepare you and your child for “big” school.

• Talk about school in advance, where they will be going and why

• Talk openly about school and tell them stories about your most enjoyable school memories

• Visit the school, show your child their classroom, the playground and important thinks like the bathroom

• Attend orientation sessions, buddy and transition systems are important for smooth transitions

• Talk about saying goodbye to their old school friends and making new school friends

• Explain the rules that will need following, i.e., getting to school on time, lunch time, putting their hand up to ask questions

• If you know other children starting at the same school arrange play dates before hand so they can se a familiar face

• Practicing waking up in time for school, especially if your child is prone to sleep in’s or late starts

• Practicing a morning routine (breakfast, brush teeth, get dresses, pack bag etc.)

• Practicing going to bed earlier if need to wake up early

Get the right information, have a think about the following:

• Think about what time school starts and finishes, does this work with your work hours?

• Does the school have Out of School ours care or Vacation Care? What are the costs and fees associated with this?

• What are the teacher’s names?

• What do you need to pack for the first day?

• Make sure the uniform is correct and fits. Wear in school shoes BEFORE the first day to avoid blisters/sire feet.

• What happens if my child is sick at school?

• How can parents contact staff at the school?

• What do I do if my child is being bullied?

• Can my child open their lunchbox easily?

It can be an overwhelming process but we are here to help!

If you would like more information about school readiness we have a booklet titled “Ready or not- Preparing children for school”. Just contact one of our office staff and we can email or print this for you.