Learning Abounds in the Early Learning Centre

Young children are naturally curious to learn. They have an innate desire to be active participants in their learning.

The Early Learning Centre programs in Campbell House provide children a myriad of learning opportunities within the indoor learning program, outdoor learning program and weekly specialist classes to develop dispositions for learning.

Children are provided with a range of experiences that are carefully planned and designed to develop and enhance their learning. The sounds and sights of children exploring, wondering and making new discoveries is evident to see throughout the centre on a daily basis.

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia details specific outcomes in relation to learning, which educators work towards with children during their time in the Early Learning Centre.

Learning Outcome 4 – Children are confident and involved learners:

4.1       Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

4.2       Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.

4.3       Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.

4.4       Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural and processed materials.

Children use processes such as exploration, investigation, collaboration and problem solving through all aspects of the early learning program. Developing dispositions such as curiosity, persistence and creativity enables children to participate in and gain from learning. Effective learners are also able to transfer what they have learned from one context to another. They also begin to learn where and how to resource their own learning.

Children develop understandings of themselves and their world through active, hands-on investigations. They need many opportunities to play, explore and discover using all of their senses.  This is how they begin to make sense of their world. It also builds the children’s understanding of concepts and their creative thinking and inquiry processes. These are the foundations for lifelong learning.

Our aim is for children to become confident and involved learners over time. This enables the children to become increasingly able to take responsibility for their own learning, personal regulation and contribution to the social environment.

As educators, we look forward to the children’s individual and group learning developing over the course of the year. It is always wonderful to observe children making new discoveries and connecting with the world around them.

Perceptual Motor Programme (PMP)

We look forward to the commencement of the Perceptual Motor Programme next term. All ELC classes will participate in PMP classes on a Monday each week with Mrs Jenny De Nardis, our Junior School Physical Education teacher. We do require parent assistance to implement the PMP program.  If you are able to help out, please write your name on the PMP roster in your child’s classroom.

School Holiday Break

I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Early Learning Centre families a happy Easter. I hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday break and we look forward to the children returning in Term 2.

Ms Sarah Bethune
Acting Head of ELC
ICT in the Waratah Room

The Waratah children have been exploring different forms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the classroom.

They have been using ICT to record observations, research into inquiry topics and engage in story telling experiences. The children have been encouraged to use the classroom computer, iPad and camera. Grace, Arlo and Matea have all enjoyed documenting the day-to-day using the camera, Audrey and Heston have collected seeds, insects and flowers to study under digital microscope and Bradley and Clinton have started listening to stories on the Storybox website. In small groups, the children have used the iPad to answer questions as part of their inquiry into insects.

The children are encouraged to use ICT in practical, purposeful ways.  Teachers and co-educators established the use of ICT so it becomes a social experience, where children share their skills with others or learn from their peers.

Ms Katie Grieve
Waratah Room Teacher
Ms Sarah Bethune, Acting Head of ELC