Our Readiness for School Program complies with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). It is important that children gain their learning and understandings through interest-based play and experiences.

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​Play is a valued process for children’s learning, thinking, imagination, story making and communication. The play of young children includes many different types including sensory, explorative, physical, creative, symbolic, projective, role, and dramatic play and games with rules. All are important aspects of children’s learning and development. Play provides children with opportunities to express a sense of agency, demonstrate their competence and be leaders in their own learning.

 

Play can provide children with a sense of belonging and being as well as support the development of children’s individual and social identity. Children use play to participate in their culture, to develop the literacy of their culture, to order the events in their lives and to share those events with others. Through play, children develop an understanding of their social worlds. They learn to trust, form attachments, share, negotiate, take turns and resolve conflict.

 

Play develops into planned and experimental exploring, problem solving, consolidating and practising, imagining and creating. As children develop the capacity to pretend, they develop their own worlds using objects to take on the roles and relationships they wish to explore.

 

Symbolic play (make believe, or pretend play where familiar activities may be performed even in the absence of materials or social context—for example when a child mimics talking on a phone) is crucial in supporting children’s developing literacy. Through symbolic play children create a fictional world to tell their stories.

 

Social play and dramatic play provide a space where friendship groups are formed, power relationships negotiated, and challenging life experiences are explored. Play provides children with opportunities to be supported to learn to make play safe, fair, just and equitable for all participants. Rich, purposeful play contributes to the development of literacy skills.

When educators base the curriculum on the five learning outcomes and the principals of the EYLF, children will have a firm foundation for the many transitions and changes they experience in the early years, including moving into full time school.

 

The Early Years Learning Framework is linked and progresses to the framework for school age care in Australia which also acknowledges the importance of play and leisure in children’s learning and development. Early intervention is the best option if you have any concerns about your child’s development.

 

A developmental milestone in the EYLF states that children in the 3-6 age group should be understood by others, speak fluently and are able to hold a conversation. Also those children should be playing with other children and able to toilet themselves. If you have any concerns in relation to your child's developmental milestones, please speak to our director or educational leader.

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For more information please download the Early Years Learning Framework parent’s guide or speak to our educational leader.