Chalkboards; homework; lectures and exams may be synonymous with learning but when it comes to early childhood education, it’s all about play.
Whilst play may be something that isn’t necessarily valued by adults as a way of teaching, qualified early childhood educators know just how vital play is for our children.
Linking literacy to play is a cornerstone of Explorers Learning Academy and quite simply, part of everyday life. The team of dedicated and passionate educators believe that when children are enjoying themselves, they are actually learning at the same time.
We chatted to Educational Leader Kim, who is also the preschool room educator, about play time; how much she loves her job and her team and how she learnt that spiders eat their own webs for energy… who knew!
Although no day is the same at Explorers Learning Academy, there is one thing that you can rely on day in and day out and that is play time.
An integral part of the centre’s educational policy, Kim explains “we try to incorporate literacy in a multitude of ways because we find that children learn so much through play”.
Much like a brownie made with black beans or perhaps hidden vegetables in Bolognese, she believes that inadvertently it makes them feel like they’re not learning.
The centre employs the Jolly Phonics programme, a fun and multisensory approach that teaches not only phonics but also spelling, punctuation and grammar. They also focus on project work which gives them the opportunity to learn about their world.
The project topics are more often than not sparked by a child’s curiosity and the projects themselves are initiated by the children. Insects, weather, planets or dinosaurs, whatever the interest the educators will explore it. Whilst there is certainly an intentional teaching aspect, they are led by the children. This type of learning can go off on all sorts of tangents!
For Kim, early education work was something with which she unexpectedly fell into and immediately in love with. With the love for her job exuding in her voice she has never looked back. “We really are entrusted by the families to help guide and teach; it is such a big responsibility. I feel that everyone who works here has that same passion and a nurturing and caring kind of personality. We all work well together to create the best outcomes for the children”.
Linking literacy through play begins with the babies in the nursery room and is developed through to the preschool room. Babies have a love of music, language and stories and it is this love that the centre nurtures and encourages.
“Having that communication with the children really seems to foster the use of language and that love of communicating which then in turn, gives them confidence. In the preschool room we have news that they present to the group. It really does create that confidence of being able to speak in front of the group and sharing their lives and things that they love”.
Kim feels fortunate to be part of their learning journeys, right alongside the children. Witnessing their development and watching how they use their investigative and discovery skills is a rewarding experience for her. “It’s amazing to see where they started at the beginning of the year and how far they have come at the end of the year”.
As an educator, Kim loves to watch their brains working away and the enormous sense of pride they have within themselves when they recognise their huge achievements. It’s all about preparing them for school and beyond, providing them with the life skills and confidence to be able to communicate.
And it’s not just a school day for the children, “Every day is a learning adventure for us too” explains Kim, “…a lot of their questions have resulted in amazing facts. Like we’ve learned that spiders eat their webs after they’ve made them. This is all stuff we didn’t know. I honestly feel like we learn just as much from the children”.
Learning through play… I think we could take a leaf out of the Explorers books and incorporate more playtime into adulting!
WHY WE LOVE THIS LOCCAL BUSINESS
In a nut-free-nutshell, Explorers Learning Academy Mittagong is an exceptional centre and the many happy Explorers families [past and present] around the Highlands is testament to that. But don’t just take our word for it! Go check them out for yourself.
They now have two centres in Mittagong. You’ll find them at:
36 Etheridge Street and 27 Belmore Street.
And you can call the lovely team on (02) 4872 1730 or email mittagong@explorerslearningacademy.com.au.
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This piece is sponsored by Explorers Learning Academy and is proudly endorsed by The Fold Southern Highlands. The Fold team is excited to share the amazing stories and adventures of our local businesses and we want to say a BIG thank you to you for supporting our sponsors who help make The Fold possible. We strongly believe in the businesses and all the information we share with you on The Fold.
