About us

The Preschool Program

At Emmerick Street Community Preschool we believe that an early childhood curriculum includes the processes that are connected to learning and teaching, as well as the intentions of the early childhood professional and learner. This idea is reiterated by the educators of Reggio Emilia in the North of Italy, who view the child as an active participant in their own learning. Our staff are inspired and influenced by the philosophies and practices of the educators of Reggio Emilia.

Our program relates to all aspects of children’s experiences whilst at the preschool and involves both planned and spontaneous activities. The preschool’s programming style is also guided by the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.

Our educators believe that “Children learn best when the curriculum is connected to their everyday lives and interests” (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett, and Farmer, 2005). We see the child as constructing knowledge through interactions with their peers, teachers, families, and their environment. We strive to offer an interest-based and child-negotiated approach (meaning that staff and children work together through the learning journey). The foundations of the curriculum come from the children themselves, whom teachers observe closely to discover what it is that they are interested in and what investigations they are pursuing.

The team make notes and jottings, take photos and gather other traces of children’s learning, and then work in collaboration to develop an understanding of the children’s theories. We then make plans for the next steps aimed at extending and sustaining the child’s or children’s pursuits and deepening their exploration. Pedagogical documentation is used to make the children’s learning visible to families, children, and the community. Pedagogical documentation emphasis’s to children that we believe they are truly capable and resourceful and that they are active contributors to their own learning.

Our environment is designed to facilitate children’s learning and exploration through the provision of resources and materials which offer choice and possibility and discovery. We acknowledge that in play the emphasis is on the process and not the product and we value the learning that is gained through experimentation and investigation. We also feel that it is important that all children feel safe and secure at the Preschool; therefore we strive to provide a home-like environment.

We are a very well resourced preschool and resources are regularly rotated in the environment to reflect the children’s current interests and capabilities.  Learning areas such as art and craft, a writing centre, music corner, cognitive area, block corner, book corner, and home corner are set up in a way that encourages the children to make choices and decisions. Low open shelves with a variety of resources allow the children to take on an active role in their own play and learning.

We use an online educational platform, Storypark to document and communicate children’s learning to families.  Storypark is an essential documentary tool that assists in the process of making children’s learning visible. Storypark provides an ongoing record of a child’s individual learning and some record of group events and experiences.

Parent’s suggestions and requests are welcome and are readily incorporated into the program. Active involvement is encouraged in all of its forms, there are many ways you can be involved in the program and the first way is by simply reading entries on Storypark, teachers use this as a primary communication tool, where they ask for your input and suggestions.  Please feel free to speak to one of the educators to find out more about how you can get involved in our program.