The Early Years Learning Framework is the guide that ALL Early Childhood Education and Care settings follow to ensure a high quality of care for all children. The following information has been provided for families by  The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Government; (2009)

‘We have developed the Early Years Learning Framework to ensure your child receives quality education programs in their early childhood setting. This is a vital time for them to learn and develop. The Framework‘s vision is for all children to experience play-based learning that is engaging and builds success for life. It is a guide for early childhood educators who work with children from birth to five years. They will use the Framework in partnership with families, children’s first and most influential educators, to develop learning programs responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities, and recognise that children learn through their play. The Early Years Learning Framework describes childhood as a time of belonging, being and becoming.

• Belonging is the basis for living a fulfilling life. Children feel they belong because of the relationships they have with their family, community, culture and place.  
• Being is about living here and now. Childhood is a special time in life and children need time to just ‘be’—time to play, try new things and have fun.  
• Becoming is about the learning and development that young children experience. Children start to form their sense of identity from an early age, which shapes the type of adult they will become

Educators will use this new Framework in a range of early childhood settings, including long day care, preschools and family day care to ensure that your child receives a high quality experience. It has been created and trialled by experienced early childhood educators, academics, parents and carers.

The Framework focuses on your child’s learning. Educators will work with you in order to get to know your child well. They will create a learning program that builds on your child’s interests and abilities, and keep you in touch with your child’s progress. Through the Framework’s five learning goals educators will assist your child to develop:

• a strong sense of their identity
• connections with their world
• a strong sense of wellbeing
• confidence and involvement in their learning
• effective communication skills

The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Government; 2009

At creative Learning Preschool and Childcare Centre, all our learning and development programs are child focused. This means that our programs are based on the individual learning and developmental needs of each child in our care. We achieve this by first taking the time to build meaningful relationships with children and their families, observing the activities that children participating in through the day, and by listening to each child’s voice. This then allows us to plan and implement meaningful experiences that will help each child learn and develop through play.

‘Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine. When children play with other children, they create social groups, test out ideas, challenge each other’s thinking and build new understandings. Play provides a supportive environment where children can ask questions, solve problems and engage in critical thinking. Play can expand children’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and to learn. In these ways play can promote positive dispositions towards learning. Children’s immersion in their play illustrates how play enables them to simply enjoy being’ – Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

Learning through play is the most effective way to encourage early childhood learning and development. As such the teachers at Creative Learning Preschool and Childcare Centre ensure that all of our learning and development programs are play based, giving each child in our care the best possible start to their education.

At Creative Learning Preschool we promote children’s learning through meaningful and challenging experiences and interactions that foster high-level thinking skills. These experiences are carefully planned based on children’s needs and interests, then delivered in an intentional manner that will promote learning and development that is both relevant and meaningful to children in our care.

The concept of a holistic approach to learning refers to the connections of all aspects of learning and development in Early Childhood Education and Care. This includes the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, personal and spiritual wellbeing as well as the concept of belonging within families, the wider community and the natural environment. The teachers at Creative Learning Preschool and Childcare Centre understand the importance of a holistic approach to learning, and view each child as a capable, unique and amazing individual.

The learning environment has as much of an effect on children’s development and learning as intentional teaching (if not, more). We recognise how important it is to have meaningful and inspiring spaces within our classrooms as well as our playground that stimulate curiosity and an eagerness to learn in children. As such, we ensure that our learning environment, both indoors and out, are reflective of children’s developmental needs and interests, and are challenging whilst still within the capabilities of children in our care each day.

School readiness is the simple concept of preparing children for Primary School Education. Whilst this does include some cognitive based learning such as numbers to 10, Alphabet recognition and Writing one’s own name, our focus is more on the actual skills that children will need before attending Primary Education, including:

• Fine motor skills: Building on fine motor strength, coordination and dexterity means that your child will be able to hold and effectively use tools required for learning such as pencils and scissors.
• Gross motor/ physical skills:The ability to run, jump, climb, crawl, balance, and the skills to manipulate objects such as balls with hands and feet are important to the basic physical development of all children.
• Social skills: Building on the skills that children need to make friends, work in groups and engage appropriately in social settings, such as being able to share resources and wait patiently for their turn to speak in group settings.
• Self-helps skills and personal hygiene: skills such as being able to remove and put on own clothing, open lunch box, use the toilet and wash hands effectively are important skills that children need to learn before they can attend primary school. As such, developing self-help skills form a major part of our school readiness program.
• Effective communication skills:Children need to be able to effectively communicate with their peers and teachers before attending primary school as these skills form a large part of the ‘formal learning’ that occurs in kindergarten. This includes listening, comprehending, responding and both verbally and non-verbally expressing ideas.
• Emotional regulation and emotional literacy:Children develop skills to regulate their own emotions effectively and express their emotions in an appropriate manner. This means that they will be able to receive feedback from their peers and teacher and respond in an appropriate manner to further their learning and development while at primary school and beyond.