The centre operates on a Universal Access and Emergent Curriculum program based around the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
Mollys House is an approved Kindy Program – www.qsa.qld.edu.au www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/families/kindy-programs providing a kindergarten program 5 days per week for children in a long day care setting from 3 1/2 – 5 years – getting them ready for Prep.
Universal Access
Traditionally termed “indoor/ outdoor” program. Universal access encourages children to take on ownership and responsibility for the whole learning environment, allowing the children to have access to all spaces at Mollys House –just as they do in the family home.
Children are able to move freely in and outdoors throughout the course of the day. Children are able to go into the kitchen to help with cooking, into the office to choose a book from the library, out to the mail box to collect the mail or out to the garden to feed the birds or collect some vegetables.
Universal access also incorporates child self selection of toys and equipment to choose and add to their play. Equipment is not “put out”, but rather available throughout the course of any day. This encourages children to direct their own play and take ownership for the course in which their play takes, thus making it more meaningful.
Kindy Program
Mollys House has received State Funding and recognition as a Kindergarten program since 2010 and continues to do so. It has been operating with a teacher leading the program since 2007 on a full time basis. The centre combines both its philosophical approach, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF 2010) (www.dweer.gov.au/earlychildhood www.acecqa.gov.au ) and the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines (QKLG 2011) (www.qsa.qld.edu.au www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/families/kindy-programs) to provide a responsive, child oriented and developmental program that ready’s the child for Prep.
Emergent Curriculum
Vision
OUR IMAGE OF A CHILD IS THAT A COMPETENT, CURIOUS AND CAPABLE BEING THAT IS ABLE TO CONSTRUCT KNOWLEDGE IN A WORLD THAT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM
Strategies
The Centre uses the EYLF and QKG as well as the philosophical and pedagogical approaches from Vygotsky and Reggio as the overarching guidelines for the program and its approach (EYLF 2009). Within this essentially the program is about promoting a sense of BELONGING, BECOMING AND BEING. Within this, the overarching promotion of a positive sense of self the program operates under principles of;
- Equity
- Respect for diversity
- Holistic Learning
- Respectful relationships
- Continuity in Learning
- Shared Decision Making and construction
- Relevance and real meaning to the child
- Intentional Teaching
- Reflective Practice (EYLF Learning Guidelines 2010)
“The complexity and quality of experiences is characterised by what we do with children guiding us. Children should find their own distance and their own subjects”
Educators provide a program and learning environment that is designed to stimulate and develop each child’s whole self to a level that is appropriate to the individual needs and ability of each child. The program is about what the child “can” do not what they “can’t” and providing experiences that build upon this. These experiences will be provided across both the indoor and outdoor environment, in small/large group and individual situations. The activities will be able to be freely chosen by and easily accessible to each child.
We believe that child is the constructor of the theory and ideas and it is our role to LISTEN and recognize the value of that the child offers to the learning. Our program and the pedagogy by which we operate is to LISTEN to the child. Our program and how we engage with the children depends on listening to the child/adult and child/child interactions. Therefore the importance is not placed in the program on the teaching from the teacher but rather on the self-learning the children achieve amongst themselves and the self-learning and discovery that occurs as an individual and group.
Experiences and materials provided and teaching strategies used as part of the program each day will help enable children to develop holistically. Planning takes into account the role of discovery learning and exploring and acting on their environment.
When planning to meet the needs of the individual, parents/guardians knowledge of their child will be considered a valuable resource to help gather relevant information about a child’s development. Ongoing and periodic information is sought from families to include in the child’s program as well as day to day conversations.
Documentation
This is not only a journaling of events in the child’s lives and the enquiry’s and discovery’s they make, but also a record of their thoughts and communication as they see fit to share. We hold the idea that the young child is the constructor or theory’s and ideas and we aim to document this. If we believe the child is the protagonist we must document it. It is important to remember that through documentation we show who the child is – but only through the eyes of another. This documentation is a way of talking and sharing childhood – ideally reflected thought the voice of the child…. the child is the most authorised to speak about childhood.
When Working With The Child
We must ask ourselves questions of
- How does the child acquire the knowledge?
- How does the child process and organise the knowledge?
- How can we research with the child?
- How can we increase our knowledge with the child and of the child?
In essence “how does the child make sense of the things before them?”
Documentation
Documentation of the child’s journey is a central pivotal point to the program. A partnership in “journaling” the child’s journey at Mollys House and throughout their early years is paramount in reflecting their interests, development and person. The conversations held with the child and between children are a core foundation for development of learning, gaining an insight to the child and what is meaningful to them and how they perceive the world. Staff will document and scribe children’s words as a tool to know the child more.
The centre uses a balance of tools to document the children’s journey whilst they stay at Mollys House. Primarily the centre uses digital documentation to record the children’s progress through learning, as well as providing a daily slide show to families documenting traces of our busy days. Work samples, dialogue collections, transition statements, artwork, journey books and learning stories are used to provide a full picture of the child’s learning. Children at the conclusion on of each year receive a wonderful keep sake DVD and journal of their year at Mollys House.