Explore & Develop - Macquarie Park

We envision a pre-school where all children feel welcomed, accepted, loved and happy! This will be a place where children want to go, and look forward to attending. We will work in genuine collaborative partnerships with children, families and our local community to ensure the provision of an invaluable resource to all who are involved with us.

Our emergent curriculum is constantly changing, building upon the interests of the children. Teachers are constantly on the lookout for themes which pop up in children’s conversation that may then be taken and built upon in a project. Possible themes are limitless. So far this year we have ‘studied’ 'The Gingerbread Man', spring time, neighbourhoods, pirates, bugs, rainbows and magnets. Teachers observe children’s interests and decide upon the ways to best incorporate kindergarten key learning areas (English, Maths, Science, Physical Development and creative arts) into these themes.

Our most recent sustained interest project (which is now in its third month) stemmed from a parent’s observation that one child’s shoes were “very Dorothy”. The children were immediately immersed in a spontaneous verbal brainstorm. Who is Dorothy? Who has seen the Wizard of Oz? Why did her shoes need to be sparkly? Was the wicked witch green because she fell in a bucket of paint? Why do people come in different colours? Where is Oz? Is Oz the same as “Aus”? Did the wizard make the hot air balloon himself, or did he buy it from Coles?

The room teacher found a copy of the children’s novel (Baum, 1900) and showed it to the children. The whole group was very eager to hear the story. Some parts were familiar, some seemed entirely new. We continued interactive story sessions daily for the next few weeks. Each day, we would read for as long as the children requested – some days this meant we were a bit late going to lunch! Children would move away from these interactions with the literature to act out the story in socio-dramatic play, draw scenes from the story and roll play with puppets. The initial interest in the book began to evolve into a strong interest in characters – particularly the scarecrow, tin man, lion and witch. We had recently explored the human body and were still very interested in the circulatory system; one child asked, “If he (tin-man) doesn’t have a heart, does he still need veins?”

At the end of each day, a child who had not been familiar with the story before hearing it in class would approach his parents and gasp, “Guess what happened to Dorothy today!”

Our weekly program evolved to include offerings of a number of “Wizard of Oz” related guided activities. The children were given the opportunity to recount the story in a group by dictating and illustrating passages from memory (English, Creative arts and Mathematical sequencing).

At the moment, we are preparing to perform “The Wizard of Oz” as a play at the end of the year (Physical and social development, Creative arts, English)! The children are excitedly planning sets and costumes and are sure that “My mum will know I’m a star when she sees this play!”.

By following a written recipe, we made gingerbread munchkins (English, Creative Arts, Maths, Science, Technology) and built the characters out of play dough (creative arts, technology). A number of important issues related to social awareness were discusses through our exploration of the story.

Children, teachers and parents perpetually offer suggestions to extend on and continue with the program until this interest wanes. Project work is documented through photos, diary entries, displayed work samples and classroom installations and is available for revisitation whenever the children request it.

The social focus system encourages the effective development and enhancement of life skills with a focus on conflict resolution. Children are taught to understand the value and power of words. By placing heightened emphasis on the importance of using “I” statements and clarifying needs with verbal communication (and never using our hands), children are given opportunities to practice their social skills and further develop their capacity for effective emotional regulation. Current research suggests that the benefits of effective, early, socio-emotional regulatory skills include a tendency towards successful peer relationships and positive academic outcomes!

While all key learning areas (as outlined by the Board of Studies) are covered in our emergent curriculum approach, we believe that children have a right to be prepared for the changes that will occur with their transition to school. Individualised programs are developed with input from the child, parents, our pre-school teacher, and (circumstances permitting) with the child’s future teacher. This way, children and parents may approach the transition to school with confidence in the fact that their child may be familiar with the expectations of their school, thus minimising the stresses that come with adjusting to the new environment.

· School specific skills such as opening a lunch box, packing a bag, identifying belongings with a number of systems (labelled with a full name, initials, symbol etc) will be incorporated into the program towards the end of the pre-school year.

· Opportunities will be sought to encourage literacy skills including letter and word recognition and formation. All children will be presented with multiple opportunities to write and recognise their names, interact with written texts (particularly with our enviable range of picture books!) and develop familiarity with a range of text types (reading and writing letters and emails, rosters, diaries, poster presentations…)

· The amount of time spent in a class group will increase gradually throughout the year. Nap times will be replaced by quiet activities such as group story time, music or art appreciation. The value and importance of turn taking in group situations will be emphasised.

· Children will be encouraged to take an active role in class management. The group will be responsible for packing away toys, setting and justifying class ‘agreements’ (rules) and deciding on the décor of the room. Research has shown that when children are aware of their own efficacy in regards to classroom management, they are more interested in maintaining and developing it. Imagine how happy the kindergarten teacher will be when your child not only takes an interest in the aesthetics of their classroom but encourages the other children to appreciate and respect their environment as well!

Every day, parents are invited to read our class diary – a comprehensive recount of the way in which our weekly program was integrated into the days learning. Child specific mention is made of particularly notable ‘learning moments’ and any poignant emerging interests.

Posters and classroom installations inclusive of photos of experiences and quotes from children as they participated will appear on the walls frequently. The kids love seeing themselves up on the walls as it allows for ‘authentic revisitation’ – picture cues which may support the children as they recall the event and extend upon their learning through reflection and discussion with peers, parents and carers.

Through the year, individual child portfolios will be developed. These documents will be constructed in collaboration with the kids who will help to select work samples which they feel best demonstrate their skills in particular areas. Teachers keep track of children through frequent written observations of their play. The portfolio, when viewed in its entirety, will show how your child has grown or changed over their time in the pre-school room.

Twice a year, ‘analytical summaries’ will be sent home for parents to read and comment on. These summaries are written to make it easier for parents to understand why we are programming specific activities or processes for their child. Sometimes it can be really remarkable to see the differences between learning seen at home and at school. In pre-school, the analytical summary is holistic and takes a wide range of developmental and sociological aspects into consideration. This is done to ensure that we look at the ‘big picture’ and don’t make any unfounded assumptions. Sometimes, school kindergartens ask for a look at these summaries so that they have an idea of how to move forward following your child’s transition to school.

At the end of the year, your child’s pre-school teacher will provide you with a transitional report. This document is designed to give parents an idea of where their child is ‘at’ in terms of skills which are desirable for school entry. These skills are based on kindergarten (Early Stage 1) curriculum outcomes.

We believe that every child has the right to feel safe, esteemed and loved. Each child and their family will be valued regardless of any personal characteristic, circumstance, feature of lifestyle, social group or culture.

To provide an exemplary pre-school programme that is driven by up to date research