REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
Dee’s Message Dear Parents and Caregivers,
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
17 February 2023 necessity – may well lead us to discover new things in life, but as the children reveal to us 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”.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
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