The philosophy behind our curriculum at Bright Sparks is that play is the way in which children learn, develop and grow.
The programme we offer follows the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and is based on the children’s interests and needs and the provisions made by educators to support and encourage children in their play and meaningful learning experiences.
Through play and meaningful experiences, the children:
- learn a wide variety of skills
- are able to follow their own interests and are self-motivated to learn
- are able to work at their own level and at a pace that suits their need
- are able to direct their own learning in a non-threatening environment
- have experiences which are meaningful to the child which encourages learning to continue
- create and solve their own problems
- exercise their imagination
- extend their attention spans as they persist at mastering skills
- develop independence and confidence through relationships
- engage in social interactions which further develops their language skills
- develop the skills they need to help prepare them for school
- can express emotions and develop a positive self-image!
The physical environment, both indoors and outdoors, plays a major part in the delivery of our program at Bright Sparks. We endeavour to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere where children, families’ and staff feel a sense of belonging. We run indoor/outdoor self-directed play time for large blocks of time during the day, During this time the children choose to work/play spontaneously on their own, in a small group or take part in a teacher initiated activity that has been planned as part of the day.
To encourage children to develop skills in all developmental areas – social/emotional, cognitive, language, physical – and school readiness, we have the indoor environment set up with a variety of learning areas.
- Quiet areas for reading, stories and resting
- An area for writing, drawing and cutting
- Creative areas for art and craft
- Role play areas for dress ups and imaginative play
- Manipulative areas for puzzles and games
- Science and Nature areas for discovery and questioning
- Construction areas with blocks for design, building and innovation
- Music area for singing, dancing and movement
- Information and communication technologies eg: Ipad and computers
The outdoor environment also provides the children with many opportunities to develop skills in all developmental areas and to enjoy learning as they play. We recognise that the outdoors is a special and unique part of the Australian culture. Bright Sparks has a wonderful outdoor environment and offers a variety of learning areas such as:
- Garden areas for exploring nature
- A Vegetable garden for the children to plant, care for and harvest produce
- Animals housing for birds, chickens and rabbits – children assist in feeding and caring for the animals
- A Bike track for two wheelers, three wheelers, push toys, carts and scooters
- A trampoline, climbing equipment and swings
- Sand pit area and mud pit area
- Areas for ball games, parachute games and other gross motor games
- Construction area
- Water play, Art & Craft, music and role play resources are set up at various times
