Educational Program

Leylands Learning Centre adopts the (only) nationally approved early years learning framework to guide the development of our educational program. This learning framework is the Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF).

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) promotes five learning outcomes that are designed to capture the integrated and complex learning and development of all children. These are:

1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators

Based on knowledge gained from observing children and contributions from their families, educators (together with the educational leader) use the learning framework’s principles, practices and outcomes to plan for each child’s learning and development. Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will progress towards outcomes in different and equally meaningful ways.

The EYLF supports curriculum decision-making as an ongoing cycle of observation, analysing learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection. Curriculum decision-making is guided by the principles, practices and learning outcomes of the approved learning framework. This involves educators drawing on their pedagogy and their in-depth knowledge and understanding of each child.

Why child-centred program?

The diversity of family experiences means that children experience ‘belonging, being and becoming’ in many different ways. Children’s unique and diverse experiences, perspectives, expectations, knowledge and skills should contribute to their learning.

Learning about these unique aspects of each child and identifying their individual strengths and capabilities assists educators to make informed decisions about how to further support children’s learning.

A child-centred program offers children the opportunity to make choices about what, how and whom they want to play. Viewing children as active participants and decision makers opens up possibilities for educators to move beyond pre-conceived expectations about what children can do and learn.

Why play-based learning?

Learning through play is one of the most important ways children learn and develop. "Play is something done for its own sake," says psychiatrist Stuart Brown, author of “Play,” He writes: “It’s voluntary, it’s pleasurable, it offers a sense of engagement, it takes you out of time. And the act itself is more important than the outcome.”

The benefits of play:

1. 1. Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise, test theories and imagine.
2. 2. Play enables children’s expressions of personality and uniqueness.
3. 3. Play promotes positive learning dispositions, such as curiosity and creativity and enables children to make connections between prior experiences and new learning.
4. 4. Play also assists children to develop relationships and concepts supports a sense of wellbeing and promotes a valuing of diversity.

Incursions are seen as an integral part of our curriculum as they enable children to explore, extend and enrich their learning and their social skills development, in a non-school setting. Incursions may have a cultural, environmental or outdoor emphasis and complement the educational programs offered at Leylands Learning Centre.

Our extra-curricular activities are planned on a yearly basis. Below activities have all been provided or are current being provided to children at LLC:

1. Multisport: Basketball, Soccer, Footy and Netball. Provided by Little Champions.
2. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) incursion. Provided by Beyond the Beanstalk.
3. Indigenous performance. Provided by Young Australian Workshop
4. Environmental education, Cultural experience, Stories and literacy, Healthy eating, Music and Poetry etc. Provided by School Performance Tours.
5. Yoga: Healthy mind, body and breathing techniques specifically for young kids that promote strength, resilience and calm. Provided by Karma Kids Yoga.
6. Free dental check-up and dental health lesson.
7. Community visits from Campsie fire brigade, Campsie police station, Campsie library.
8. Animal farm visit. Provided by Kindi Farm or Kidz Zoo
9. Christmas Party performer (Elf or Santa) visit.

What is school readiness?

School readiness refers to whether a child is ready to make an easy and successful transition into school. While many people think of academics (e.g. writing their name, counting to 10, knowing the colors) as the important school readiness skills, school readiness actually refers to a much broader range of skills. In addition to some academic basics, school readiness skills also include self-care (independent toileting and opening lunch boxes), attention and concentration, physical skills (e.g. having the endurance to sit upright for an entire school day), emotional regulation, language skills and play and social skills.

Why are school readiness skills important?

The development of school readiness skills at early childhood stage allows primary school teachers to expand and further develop a child’s skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills. Without these basic skills already established upon entry to school, children can very quickly find themselves playing ‘catch up’ compared to their peers that are advancing more quickly. Students that begin school with the build block (or foundation) skills in place advance quickly as opposed to those that start school only to then begin the slow process of developing school readiness.

Our school readiness program

Name focus. Prior to letter recognition program all children will focus on their names and the letters that make up their individual names. Activities involving name tags will occur daily along with matching, tracing and copying names and the individual letters which make up children’s names.

Fine motor skills. Alongside the letter recognition program children will engage in activities which are geared towards strengthening fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. Activities which promote finger dexterity, manipulative skills and promote the development of a mature pencil grip whilst fostering concentration and attention skills will also be employed.

Letters and Phonetics. During letter focus weeks school readiness activities will centre around letter recognition and phonetics, both upper- and lower-case letters will be included as well as varied fonts. Educators will support children in identifying focus letters in their environments and collect items which have beginning focus sounds.

Sleep time and lunch boxes. Sleep time stops for children who are going to school next year. Intead they children participate in writing experiences after rest time. Children also bring their own lunch boxes and eat their meal independently while sitting together, children look after their own belongings to simulate school environment.

Transition to school report will be prepared and offered to parents who requests it prior to school commencement.