‘The primary purpose of being four is to enjoy being four. Of secondary importance, is to prepare for being five’.
Our Seabirds Preschool program involves Educators being intentional, purposeful and thoughtful in their decisions and actions to support children at this dynamic stage and age in their learning and development. The preschool program will have a strong focus of children learning collaboratively in a social context with Educators creating with them a challenging, yet flexible, learning environment. A consistent daily routine will be established ensuring familiarity and predictability for the children which in turn builds confidence and trust.
Pre-Schoolers 4-5
Four year olds are moving out into the world!
Relationships, gender, different people and different cultures, all the big social issues, become visible to a 4 to 5 year old. They explore these issues through their play as well as in collaboration with their Early Childhood Educators. These Educators and teachers, will ensure the Seabirds program will support and guide the children to interact with their peers to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking, and negotiate and share new understandings.
As 4 to 5 year olds are developing autonomy and confidence they also need help to learn to regulate their own behaviours. Playing and working together in this social context is an integral part of this program, as is weaving in core elements of early literacy and numeracy, visual and performing arts, science and mathematics.
We believe our role is to include in this program, learning and understandings that will facilitate the children’s smooth transition into their next educative setting – Kindergarten.
A typical day includes:
Seabirds children commence the day with play in a mixed age group context in the outside area with both Seabirds and Rockpools peers.
During the morning the Seabirds children will move to their inside learning program with their teachers starting the day with a large group gathering to greet each other and acknowledge their classmates for the day. The children will engage in activities that are both intentionally planned by their teachers as well as activities that evolve from their own ideas and interests.
The foundation for these activities and engagements in learning, will be the Early Years Learning Framework ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’ – the national Early Childhood Education ‘curriculum’.
The daily timetable will include morning tea together, inside and outside learning programs, grouptimes (large and small), rest and relaxation time for those who need it, afternoon tea, then mixed age group play to finish off the preschool day around 3pm or until children’s hometime.
