Bilbies, Kangaroos & Wombats

Here at Macleod Preschool, the dedicated team of educators work closely with one another and other professionals to provide an inclusive, holistic Early Childhood Education program, focusing on supporting children’s learning and development through an Emergent curriculum and play based approach.

Four year old kindergarten is so important for children as it allows for exploration of the world around them, as they learn new skills, attributes and ideas, creating meaning through investigation and inquiry based learning. Children develop these fundamental skills when they are given the opportunity and time to engage in a range of different experiences through un-interrupted periods of play.

All of the four year old groups follow an emergent curriculum, integrating exploration and play as vehicles for teaching and learning. Our families and in particular the children, have embraced this style of teaching and have contributed to our program in many ways. The children are delighted by the opportunity to share their ideas and to have a voice within the program. It gives them a wonderful sense of belonging, independence and empowerment. This style of planning requires constant observation, listening, documentation, creative thinking, flexibility, patience, respect and much humour in order to support and enhance their social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language development.

The kindergarten program reflects the children’s interests, strengths and needs, whilst incorporating teacher initiated experiences and input from families and the wider community. The program is planned in conjunction with co-educators to support, enhance and encourage learning of particular interest avenues. As a four year old educator, it is highly important that children are encouraged to become independent learners, self-determining and responsive to the play choices they make. Setting children up for success by modelling, scaffolding and giving them the opportunity to make thoughtful decisions, allows children to become confident and autonomous learners who are active participants of their own learning journey.

Throughout the year the children explore many different issues, stemming from group interests to individual ideas, which educators can enhance and support learning through more explicit teaching opportunities and the use of educational incursions and excursions. As each group has different learning interests and learning ideals the incursions vary in order to support the individual group interests. Each term each group has between 2 and 3 different incursions to support learning, growth and development.

As we prepare the environment and activities we focus on the following learning areas:

• Visual arts and craft
• Natural Environment, Science and Math
• Language and Literature
• Dramatic and Imaginative
• Manipulative and Construction
• Music and Movement
• Sensory Play
• Physical Play and Fitness