Learning Across the ELC

Preschool

Over the last fortnight as part of our ‘Community Connections’ Inquiry, the preschool children have been creating their families. Ms Lauder’s Preschool children created family portraits, exploring mathematical concepts of shape as they drew a border and the members of their family. They were using straight and curved lines, corners, rectangles, circles, squares and triangles. Children were supported through detail prompts and comparative language (what shape is their head? Are their legs longer or shorter? do they wear shoes? do they have eyes? What shape are their eyes? Is their hair like yours? etc). Children also practised writing their names on their artwork by exploring the letter formations on their name cards. Watercolour paints were used to enhance their drawings, with many children discussing their favourite colours and the colours their family members liked most. Each child shared their family portrait in front of the group, telling us about who is in their family, how many people there were, who brings them to Preschool each day and if they have any siblings in our Loreto Community too. 

Ms Martin’s Preschool children used their creativity and fine motor skills to sculpt their families. Children were sharing who was in their family as they rolled, stretched and flattened the play dough. They identified different shapes such as squares, circles and triangles, and discovered that balls were called spheres. They counted the number of people in their families and shared with each other who had more or less people in their families, who had sisters or brothers, and who had pets in their families. The children's sense of smell was engaged with the different playdough scents of chocolate, cinnamon and ginger and they used a collection of natural loose parts to add body parts and features and reflected on if they had included all of these.

These experiences have not only supported the children’s sense of belonging to the preschool space but have also enabled us to learn more about each child’s family, and individual strengths, interests and needs. It has been a great way for us to reflect on the similarities and differences within our own families and our whole Preschool community.

Ms Ollie Lauder

ELC Teacher

Wattle

In Wattle room, this term we will be delving deeper in acknowledging, learning and embracing different cultural to foster togetherness and connectedness within our community. 

We believe and recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of our society.    We respect the diversity of families and communities, and the aspirations they hold for their children and support children’s motivation to learn and reinforce their sense of themselves as competent learners. Embracing cultural diversity in early childhood settings strengthens partnerships with families and builds on trust and positive relationships.

This week of inquiry focus, Blossom children started of reading “I am Australian Too” book written by Mem Fox, to freshen up children’s idea about how  our lives are enriched by the vibrant cultural diversity immigrants bring to their new communities.  What journeys we have travelled, from countries near and far!  As we began reading and learning using laminated different kinds of flags as props of handing it over to the children.  This is a great way for children to recognise different kinds of flags from a common cultural background or descent. Introducing children to flags is an excellent way to expand on cultural and geographical knowledge.  Using pictures of flags is a great way to teach children about different countries around the world and give them a greater sense of identity and belonging.

Manasi Kewlani

ELC Team Leader