Program and Curriculum
A. Emergent Curriculum
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At Horsley Kids our curriculum philosophy is inspired through an approach called "Emergent Curriculum." An emergent curriculum allows learning activities to arise out of each child's interests, actions or recurring events. In an emergent curriculum, both adults and children have initiative and make decisions. This curriculum is also negotiated between what interest’s children and what adults know is necessary for children's education and development.
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We believe that through ‘play’ activities children will develop the skills to become self-confident, self-motivated and self disciplined.
At each developmental stage there are tasks to be mastered such as talking, listening, running, throwing or bouncing a ball and cutting with scissors. Our curriculum provides many opportunities for children to choose activities providing spontaneous skill practice.
In our classroom spaces, children have opportunities to engage in sensory exploration, drama play, block building, game playing, puzzle work, writing and drawing, and reading. Children will play with their peers, dress up, be immersed in constructing with Lego or blocks, re-create and make with play dough, read books, sort tiny objects, or write letters and draw pictures.
Teachers will watch and listen to children, document their play, take photos, offer resources to support and extend their play, or play alongside them. We believe that children learn as they pursue their passions and questions; our objective is to deepen and extend that learning. The activities are interesting, inviting, developmentally age appropriate, open-ended and process oriented. If a particular activity is popular we may choose to repeat it often (with slight variations) until the intense interest passes.
For further information regarding the emergent curriculum and programming in childcare please visit the following selected website:
http://www.expectastar.com.au/group/pdf/Shauna_Woo.pdf
http://ccccnsw.org.au/resource/rattl062/story10/story10.html
http://www.deewr.gov.au/EarlyChildhood/Policy_Agenda/Quality/Pages/EarlyYearsLearningFramework.aspx
B. Project Work and Small Groups
“As we undertake in-depth project work with children, we foster investigation, building relationships and appreciation of diversity and thinking. We want children to develop a love of learning and inquiry, an interest in taking new perspectives and in collaborating with others. We want to enrich their childhoods with a deepening sense of belonging to a group that has a growing, collective history.” Reggio Children 2000
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As an in-depth project begins to grow, the children continue to play in typical ways, engaging in role playing in the dress-up area, building with blocks, assembling puzzles, and exploring sand and water. Life in the classroom continues in its usual way, even as some children become absorbed in projects. During these times children are able to use various media to explore their ideas and represent their understandings whilst being engaged in exploratory work, sensory discovery.
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Teachers will observe and work closely with children; facilitating their use of materials, asking questions, and offering materials that provoke children to stretch their thinking.
C. Documenting and Photo Sequencing
To carry out this approach teachers engage in an ongoing process of planning, analysing, observing, and evaluating the children’s activities, ideas, needs and interest.
Social interactions with their peers and other people are also observed and recorded, class work transcribed, laminated and displayed. You’ll see teachers watching and listening to children, documenting their play with photos and notes.
Throughout the Centre, you will see a display of photographs of children at ‘play’. Through visual media and pictures of children busily engaged in daily activities displayed in graphic presentation. Their words recorded as they discuss what they are doing, feeling and thinking, and how they explain their interpretation of these experiences. The photographs are a valuable resource used in class discussions and incorporated into the curriculum.
‘Showcasing’ children’s work enhances their self-esteem and self-confidence as well as providing parents an opportunity to see what happens throughout their child’s day.
D. Portfolios
A Portfolio is included into the Horsley Kids curriculum. At the end of the year each child will receive a personalised portfolio that will summarise a child’s year in the centre. The portfolio will display a collection of photographs, craft, artwork and written observations.
E. Computers and Technology
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Exposure to new technology is occurring every day. Incorporating computers into our curriculum encourages children to be aware of this technology and introducing them to computing as well as building self-confidence. Appropriate pre-school computer programs will be readily available in the classrooms. |
F. School Readiness Program
In preparation for kindergarten/primary school we introduce experiences and activities based on the following concepts and developmental areas:
- Language and comprehension
- Positive social interaction
- Positive and effective communication skills
- Problem solving and turn taking skills
- Basic mathematical and pre reading skills
- Understanding both natural and built environments
- Health and physical education awareness
- Cultural awareness and appreciation
- Self-confidence and self-esteem
G. Incursions
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Excursions are an important part of a curriculum, however due to child safety and staff child ratios Horsley Kids Early Childhood Centre do not participate in any out of service excursions. We do organise in house visitors, such as; Reptiles up Close, Insectus, Old Mac Donald’s mobile farm, pantomimes, Bonza Pony & Train rides, musical show and other interests to the centre. Visit from the local Fire Brigade department, Ambulance service and local Police Department also visit the centre at random times throughout the year teaching children about safety, stranger danger, fire protection and other relevant youth rated issues. |
“The Hundred Languages of Children" No way, the hundred is there!
The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred ways of listening
of marvelling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body. |
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and at Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there. |
Loris Malaguzzi, inspired by Reggio Emilia Italia (translated by Lella Gandi)