Helm Street Kindergarten

Relationships are critical for brain development and emotional development.

Relationships motivate, inspire and build trust and care and commitment.

Relationships are the fundamental element of what it means to be human.

At our preschool we use the Kathy Walker approach as an integral part of our Philosophy.

This means we provide a sense of wonder, exploration, investigation and interest in a rich range of materials, resources and opportunities in which each child can engage.

We do this by:

• By being with the children and engaging in authentic conversation with them; being in the moment with them; children share their exploration and wonder.
• We use intentional teaching through play ensuring that we acknowledge where your child is developmentally and in the learning.  We engage children in a learning experience that is open ended and focused on skill acquisition and process through our intentional and engaging environment.

Relationships before:
Routines, portfolios, learning stories and documentation.

• Personalising learning for every child – honouring and respecting each individual and understanding their stage of development – personalise the learning so that each child is able to develop social, emotional, academic and executive functioning skills through a pedagogy that embeds open –ended play experiences.

• Intentional teaching through play
  • Where is your child developmentally and in their learning?
  • What is next for your child?
    And
  • How do I engage your child in a learning experience that is open-ended and focused on skill acquisition and process (not outcome)?

We create a intentional and engaging environment – this requires expertise, knowledge and skill of how the learning environment is the third teacher and is a critical component of early childhood education.

Areas are provided in the learning space both in and outdoors –

An invitation to engage

Reflects interests, strengths and needs

Promotes belonging

This gives the children opportunities to

Self regulate

Become independent

Work with others

Development intentions – learning intentions – children’s interests – community interests = learning environment

Contained and defined spaces

Dramatic play

Sensory

collage

Literacy – reading and writing

Construction

Science and nature

Tinkering

Painting and drawing

Numeracy

Provocations

Interests and culture part of play areas but not starting point or focus

Free to choose where they work/explore

Play is a process

It promotes

oral language – through engagement,conversation

Social skills- through role play, problem solving, negotiating, listening

Thinking processes – decision making, self regulation, lateral thinking, reflecting , resilience…