REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
Dee’s Message Dear Parents and Caregivers, If we think back to the not-too-distant past, it is gratifying to notice the enormous changes which have taken place in learning and education, particularly that of early learning. There was a time when this stage of a child’s education was given scant regard, with all efforts being focused on the more formal phases of primary and secondary education. However, thankfully this has changed, primarily through the efforts of pioneering educationalists who realised just how critical the early years are to lay the foundations for later learning. While the main focus might still be on play, just as it has been in the lives of children for millennia, now there is an acknowledgement that play is a critical tool for learning. No longer is it just an enjoyable pastime to keep little people busy – rather play is the portal through which exploration, creativity and learning takes place.
3 June 2022 One of the central tenets of the Reggio Emilia approach is that children are seen as capable, intelligent and creative. These are not little beings into whom we have to pour our accumulated adult wisdom and knowledge. Rather, they are unique individuals who have enormous potential to learn. As we honour their individuality and try to avoid the temptation to know how best they might learn or develop their skills and knowledge, so we help to expand their horizons beyond even those we might have dreamed of for them. This is captured in the Early Years Learning Framework which reminds us that “Children actively construct their own understandings and contribute to others’ learning. They recognise their agency, capacity to initiate and lead learning, and their rights to participate in decisions that affect them, including their learning.”
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
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