So much happens during a child’s first five years of life.
It’s a critical time when their rapidly developing brains are ripe for learning, and recent research suggests that up to 90% of brain development has already taken place before a child enters a classroom.
It’s why access to high quality early learning is so important for a young child’s development. And it’s also why, in addition to a comprehensive curriculum and play-based learning approach, Goodstart centres also spend a lot of time carefully planning learning experiences both inside and outside of centres.
These experiences are diverse and make use of local communities, resources and natural ecosystems. They offer opportunities for children to be curious, ask questions, make connections and build an understanding of the world around them.
These are all important pieces of the puzzle which create a well-rounded child who’s ready for the challenges of school and life beyond.
Here’s just a few examples of planned experiences Goodstart centres have offered children recently:
- Children at Goodstart Mona Vale recently enjoyed a beach kindy excursion where they learned about their local environment, experimented with the various features of the coastline and proactively took steps to protect marine life.
- Bush kindy is a program many Goodstart centres have implemented. Goodstart Montrose began their bush kindy program in 2014 and have used it successfully to encourage inquiry-based learning and connections with the natural world, developing skills in problem solving, language and science along the way.
- Community excursions, like this one at Goodstart Lara, allow children to explore and make connections with their local community. By visiting a nearby airport, the children learned more about how their community functions and the different roles and responsibilities community members have.
- Intergenerational relationships are beneficial to children, which is why Goodstart Clayton plans regular visits to a local aged care facility. These visits are not only fun but also help children develop communication skills with people who are much older than them, and learn from the experiences shared by the elderly residents.
- Interacting and caring for animals provides children with many developmental opportunities and helps them build their sense of empathy while also learning about nature and the lifecycle. Goodstart Penfield provides a unique example of this, with many farm animals living at the semi-rural location.
These are just some of ways Goodstart centres work to provide rich, engaging and fun learning opportunities for children.
To find out what’s happening in centres in your area, you can search for a centre near you here.