Programs
We aim to provide an environment in which children can be nurtured and challenged in a variety of ways. We plan for children to play as we believe that play is children’s work and is an important, valuable and natural way for them to explore their world. We provide spaces and materials for this to occur in a variety of ways. Staff observe the children throughout the week, collecting photographs, dialogue and examples of their work to compile a picture of the whole child. These observations either form part of our daily journal or are included in each child’s portfolio. When doing our observations we are not looking for their faults and weaknesses: we look at their strengths, focusing on what they know and can do and what interests them. Our knowledge of the children helps us to plan for future learning experiences by providing resources and questions for the children to explore. We believe this is a respectful way of viewing children and involving them in the planning process.
The daily journal is composed in a program called ClassMon, which creates slide presentations of the children’s experiences. These are displayed at the end of each day on a laptop in the room. You are welcome to use the arrow keys to go through the presentations as you read about the discoveries and journeys that have happened during the day. Our programs are shared with parents through visual displays, newsletters and meetings. Not all aspects of the program are documented as there is simply too much learning going on each day. However, significant events and experiences are written up each day and presented in the journal for families to see. Your child will also have their own individual portfolio which we/they will add to throughout the year. The staff add journal pages to the portfolio as well as other learning stories and journeys significant to your child. The children enjoy looking through the slide shows as they review and discuss their previous experiences. The children also create an art portfolio that they can add to at any time. Staff assist with collecting and adding masterpieces to their portfolio.
We plan for the children to play. We recognise that play is a child’s work and the way in which they explore and make sense of themselves and the world around them. We value giving children choices and the opportunity to make decisions about what the curriculum should look like. Therefore, the program reflects the interests of the children at the cottage and they learn that this is their space and they can have control over what and how they learn.
