Our Centre plans and runs exciting educational programs to encourage a child’s development. The program provides a balance between indoor and outdoor play, as well as times for relaxation. The national curriculum that is followed is called the Early Years Learning Framework. It was established to ensure that all children in an early childhood setting receive a high quality education program.

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Central to this framework is the idea that childhood can be described as a time of Belonging, Being and Becoming

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• Belonging - is the basis for living a fulfilling life. Children feel they belong because of the relationship they have with their family, community, culture and place.
   

• Being - is about living in the here and now. Childhood is a very special time of life that ends far too quickly. Children need the opportunity to just be - time to play, explore and have fun.
   

• Becoming - is about the learning and development that take place during this time.
   

The framework outlines five learning goals and educators will assist children in achieving these goals:
 

- Children have a strong sense of identity

- Children are connected with and contribute to the world.

- Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

- Children are confident and involved learners

- Children are effective communicators

 

How are the principles of the Framework achieved at Top Ryde Early Learning?

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While our Educational Leader oversees all of our program and learning development, it is our educators that guide and establish our program on a daily basis. All of our educators contribute to our program, ensuring that it is enriched with lots of meaningful, diverse and child-led experiences. Our parents, families and children also have the opportunity to contribute.

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Each day our educators document the children’s learning in the Learning Stories – these documents are the stories of your child’s development through an experience: What did they do? What did they say? What did they learn? What role did the educator play? Was it an individual experience or a group experience? This information is documented, along with photographs, in the body of the learning story.

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Educators will then reflect further upon what the children have actually learnt, analyse their learning and link it to the Early Years Learning Framework.

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The final section of the story is what they plan to do next and why – how are educators going to extend on this experience for further learning and what do they want to achieve.

 

These stories will build up throughout the week to be sent to parents at the end of the week. Educators can then take this documentation and add it to similar documentation from previous weeks to create project documentation that is available in the room for parents and families to view. These projects build over time – some last a  couple of days, some weeks and others can go on for months. As these interests grow, parents can read the project book and see the development as it is happening.

 

Other specialised programs at Cressy Road Early Learning:

 

Munch and Move Program

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Munch and Move is an initiative from the NSW Health Department and encourages the healthy development of young children through fun and play-based experiences. The six key messages that form the basis of Munch and Move are:

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• Encourage and support breastfeeding

• Choose water as a drink

• Eat more fruit and vegetables

• Choose healthier snacks

• Get active each day

• Turn off the TV and computer and get active
   

The principles are incorporated into our daily routine as well as specialised activities, such as sports and games at the oval at Ryde Secondary School and our monthly sports days.

 

Creative Arts Program

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Learning and having opportunities to be creative and expressive is an essential part of our program at Top Ryde Early Learning. We believe that child-initiated activities provide the space for children to be creative, and learn to express themselves in creative ways. Art allows children to develop cognitive, language, social and emotional and physical skills and all our educators go on regular in-services so they can support each other in artistic and creative endeavours.

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Please feel free to call the centre for further information, or better still, come down and have a look around yourself.

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