From the first interaction at enrolment day staff begin to build strong positive relationships with children and parents. The staff within the 3-5 playroom are a motivated and dedicated team with a nurturing and holistic approach to play and learning. Staff ensure experiences are child lead and take into consideration Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes when pursuing children’s interests. Curriculum for Excellence is learner centred and this means we want to get it right for your child.
How our children achieve this:
In the moment planning: Children have a natural desire to learn and explore and build upon their existing knowledge. In the moment planning lets the child choose what to do and our staff team join and support them in their learning. Staff work closely with the children to observe their own interests and provide experiences which will extend their learning. Staff effectively do this by using the three stages of learning which are the child’s spark, the teachable moment and observation.
Loose Parts: Within the playroom and the outdoor environments the children have the opportunity to explore and develop their creativity through loose parts play. Loose parts are any collection of natural or manmade objects that can be used to extend and further ideas in children’s play. They are open ended materials that can be moved, combined, taken apart, redesigned, lined-up and more. Loose parts is child led and encompasses every aspect of the curriculum.
Block Play: Our environment supports children’s curiosity and inquiry and our staff team use open ended questioning to encourage children to explore and experiment. All children use this resource differently and their play connects to other areas of the curriculum. The staff ensure children can extend their play by giving them time to discover, create and re-create and more importantly follow their interests without interruption.
Developing children’s vocabulary Word Aware: Word aware is a way of developing children’s vocabulary through promoting their interest in learning and having fun with words. Within the 3-5 room we do this by encouraging children to talk together with their friends and create situations that develop children’s curiosity with regards to rhyme, song, stories and silly words.
ABC Music: This fun innovative programme puts children’s musicality at the centre. The programme encompasses literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing. The staff use this fun, engaging resource to develop literacy and numeracy through music, beats, rhythms and the interactive boards.
Learning Outdoors: When children are given unhurried time in an outdoor environments, their learning can have a deeper meaning and they can create long lasting memories. Our children thrive in increased freedom and space and have opportunities to participate in risky play daily. Our outdoor area is fully equipped with natural and manmade resources that promote creativity, problem solving and team work skills.
In St Francis’ Nursery Class there is no such thing as bad weather – only the wrong clothes
