ORIENTATION PROCEDURE
We provide an orientation process for new children and families to familiarise
them with the daily routine and activities. When a child has been
offered a space at Gingerbread, the parents will be invited to visit with
their child for 4 to 6 visits. Please visit between 10am and 10.30am. This
will help your child get to know the staff, take part in some of the daily
routines so that when the time comes to start with us, s/he will feel more
relaxed and confident. This procedure minimises separation anxiety and
reassures parents that most children do settle in quickly to a new, caring
and accepting environment.
Parents will be requested to complete a Gingerbread Orientation Feedback
form to enable us to better serve parents in the future.
THE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
The most important goal of our early childhood program is to help children
become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to
be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas
and to think their own thoughts. Our goal is to help the children
become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners. We are
teaching them how to learn.
Play is the work of early childhood.
Sometimes parents ask us if their children are actually learning anything,
as it seems they are simply playing. This underestimates the importance
of play in the early childhood setting. Play provides the foundation
for academic learning. It is the preparation children need before
they learn highly abstract symbols such as letters and numbers. Play
enables us to achieve the key goals of our curriculum.
At Gingerbread Preschool, we use a method of programming that is responsive
to individual children’s needs, and based on a thorough understanding of
young children and their stages of development.
The process begins with teachers observing children each week, recording
their observations under a specific developmental area (ie social/emotional,
physical, cognitive and language). Although programmed for an individual
child’s needs, it is also beneficial to the whole group, and all the children
have an opportunity to participate in a variety of experiences. At the
end of the week, the teacher will evaluate the objectives that were set,
and record their findings. This information is then used in conjunction
with the following week’s planning. The program planning cycle then begins
again.
Please note that these developmental records are available for discussion
with parents. Also, the weekly program is on display in the Parents’
Information Area.
The program is designed to:
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Develop a feeling of self-worth and high self-esteem
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Develop positive attitudes towards learning
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Develop a caring attitude towards other people and the environment
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Develop language and communication skills
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Develop skills and knowledge in all areas of the curriculum.
The activities we plan for children, the way we organise the environment,
select toys and materials, plan the daily routine, and talk with the children,
are all designed to accomplish the goals of our curriculum and give your
child a successful start in school.