REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER

The happy sounds of the children at play permeated the ELS during the week. Sometimes these sounds might just become part of the background grey noise we experience while strolling through the space –but just stand still for a moment and listen, and the sounds are suddenly a reminder of what makes an early learning environment such a special place.

It reminds us that the conglomeration of laughter, singing, casual chatter and explosions of delight is what learning is all about. This week it had the added element of Valentine’s Day, which saw the classrooms transformed with splashes of red everywhere –and much talk about how we show love to those who are closes to us.

I read a quirky but wonderful quote this week, which captures something of the value of play. It says that “Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.” Curiosity and exploration – and each day, it is through play that real learning takes place.

In our environment, and especially as we lean into the richness of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, our teachers are constantly aware of the need to balance unstructured play with that which had more focus and direction. Because it is both that learning takes place. As such, the termly Provocations in each class provide a relatively structured launchpad from which creativity, exploration and learning can take place.

This requires the teachers to be intentional in their preparation of activities, and in their awareness of where each child is at as he or she takes part in the activities. The Early Years Learning Framework speaks specifically of intentional teachers and of the need to be “deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in their decisions and actions”.

It is heart-warming to watch our teachers in action – in particular to notice their intentionality –as they are constantly aware of the dynamics while the children are playing. From gently guiding their interpersonal interactions, to cheering on their accomplishments, to prodding them to explore a new idea or creative activity, all of this adds huge value to the already beneficial aspects of play.

Open-ended questions posed by the teachers encourage the children to explore ideas that they may not have thought of, while at the same time building their language skills as they explain what they are planning to do, or what they think of an idea. Intentional teaching is thus not an alternative to unstructured free play but rather an additional, enriching extension. Watching it in action is so evident in the sparkling eyes of the children as they excitedly explore even more avidly whatever it is that they are engaged in.

Have a great weekend!

Dee Pitcairn Principal