With our centre opening around the corner, we wanted to give you and your families more information about the educational vision & philosophy being embraced by Grace Village, to give your little ones the very best start in their development & educational journey.
Lara, the founder of Offspring Education and an early learning consultant, is working with Grace Village to assist us in developing our learning environments to provide a ‘best practice space and approach to your child’s development’.
Lara was kind enough to detail the philosophy and how it will be applied to Grace Village, so our community can stay better informed as to how your children will be enjoying their early years with us at Grace Village.
“The Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education is the basis for the program at Grace Village Early Learning.
Part of this philosophy the environment as the child’s third teacher. Each space is designed to provide children with opportunities for choice and independence to explore and learn.
Social interaction in pivotal for learning in the early years are provided for with spaces for learning through play in small groups.
The social and emotional well-being of each child was considered in the design of each space. Children feel safe, secure and supported in a natural environment.
Resources were carefully considered and placed in the learning environments that would minimise visual noise for the children and create a calming, home-like environment.
The use of soft fabrics, natural furnishings and real plants provides a sense of calm for the children.
Early literacy learning is a focus throughout the environments and incorporated in meaningful experiences through play.
In the toddler room signs are included in the construction area to show text used in meaningful ways that represent real experiences. Books about farm animals are incorporated with the farm animals to help foster an interest in reading.
In the older rooms literacy is incorporated in meaningful ways with a storytelling space designed for children to act out a popular Dreamtime story and a writing station for children to write letters and fill out forms as they would in a post office.
These meaningful experiences with language foster a love of literacy in the early years.
Numeracy is offered through meaningful experiences with opportunities for children to count, sort, classify, weigh, stack and compare with resources that are intriguing, natural and developmentally appropriate.
Creativity is encouraged in each room with art centres that are equipped with a variety of resources for children to express their ideas and explore different techniques to foster a love of art and become confident learners.
When children are provided with a choice for their creative endeavours they develop problem-solving skills and confidence.
Physical development is also an important aspect of the Grace Village program with opportunities provided for children to run, crawl, climb, spin & move their bodies as needed for strong physical development.
Dramatic play is crucial for children to be able to practice skills they have learnt in real life and make sense of the world around them.
Every environment offers opportunities for children to engage in dramatic play that will enhance each child’s cognitive, social, emotional and creative development.
Indigenous culture is also represented in each space with rugs, puzzles and instruments featuring authentic Indigenous designs.
Dreamtime stories are included in each literacy corner and natural materials are used throughout the curriculum which nurtures a respect for the natural world and aligns with Indigenous beliefs about the importance of nature.
The children who attend Grace Village Early Learning will be very fortunate to have such a rich learning experience with every environment designed to maximise the learning and development of each child.”
For more information on the Reggio Emilia program or anything relating to Grace Village, please contact us to arrange your personal tour anytime
