At Little Gumnuts Childcare we understand the importance of education. We have established a teaching philosophy that will incorporate the new National Early Years Learning Framework, (EYLF) which promises innovative models and offers us with the opportunities to rethink and manipulate early childhood pedagogies (teaching and learning).

 

The Framework to our philosophy will have a specific emphasis on play-based learning, early literacy and numeracy skills and social development. Our teaching methods are linked to the National Quality Standards for Child Care and Preschool to ensure they encompass a nationally consistent and quality early childhood education component.

 

As Early Childhood professionals we will ensure that our curriculum encompasses listening to children, documentation of children’s learning and the recognition of social nature of learning, which occurs by providing children with opportunities to revisit their learning via discussion with their caregivers, educators and parents.

 

We understand the importance of consistency for children; however believe that in order for every individual child to develop the need for flexibility in teaching methods are vital and use this theory as our foundation for development.

 

At Little Gumnuts Childcare we feel that the Reggio Emilia approach is align to our teaching philosophy as it shows the respect for the child, believing that the central reason for development is based on the understanding that a child must have control over his or her day-to-day activity and the learning must make sense from the child’s point of view.

 

The Reggio approach also values the teaching of young children in their own natural development as well as encompassing the relationships that they share with their environment at the centre of its philosophy.

 

This approach offers us a particular understanding of the environment as another teacher, a place for children in which work and play, reality and fantasy, science and imagination, sky and earth, reason and dream are things that do belong together. We will endeavor to use this approach as a starting point for reflecting on the way we value children, families, teachers, experts and the environment.

 

This understanding and approach to teaching and learning gives us cause to reflect on how we understand our use of environment, our attention to the aesthetic, photographic documentation of projects and pedagogy, the prominence of visual art and science alongside the language and ideas of the children and teachers. The Reggio approach reinforces the importance of listening to children’s feelings and thoughts, the power of teacher’s collaboration, the power of including parents and the need for support from the wider community.