Using a variety of media to share our learning experiences with the children, families and wider community is always an important part of our teaching and reflecting.  We – the staff and children,  take a lot of photos which are used in many different ways.  We use a large imac screen to share the many photos, videos and slide shows we have of the centres learning experiences, and those of the children that have been an important part of our kindy community in the past. We are able to instantly send snap shots of amazing moments to parents via the use of the kindy’s iphone, or a photo of a child totally engrossed in their play to a parent who may have been feeling a little anxious after a child had difficulty separating at drop off time.  We have photos of the children engaged in their learning on display, we create posters of the children engaged in their learning with quotes that reflect our philosophy about how children learn, the children’s learning portfolios are kept updated and contain a wealth of information about the children and their learning that are shared with families. Our blog and website provide a tangible link with kindy families past and present, fellow educators, and other like-minded people across the globe.  Newsletters and information boards are seen as an important part of regular communication with parents and carers, local schools and provide an invaluable point of connection for those unable to be physically present at the centre on a regular basis.

This year we have also decided to add another dimension to sharing our experiences with each other, children and families,  in the form of books.  These books will be created over the course of the year, and are readily available to children and parents and other visitors to the kindy.

This is the first of our books, a beautiful 30cm x30cm hard cover book exploring the theme ‘Belonging’ and what that looks like at Lobethal Kindergarten.

The children have read it over and over, and love discovering themselves in the photographs. It is full of all the things we treasure and value, and we look forward to creating many more of these books over the year.

Written by Nic

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 Early Years Learning Framework

Outcome 1- Children have a strong sense of identity

Principle 1– Children feel safe, secure and supported

Principle 2– Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter dependence, resilience and sense of agency

Principle 3– Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities

Principle 4 – Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.

Outcome 2 – Children are connected with and contribute to their world

Principle 1- Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.

Principle 2- Children respond to diversity with respect

Principle 3 – Children become aware of fairness

Principle 4 – Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

Outcome 3 : Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

Principle 1– Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing

Outcome 4 – Children are confident and involved learners

Principle 1– Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, and reflexivity.

Outcome 5 – Children are effective communicators

Principle 1– Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

Principle 2– Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts

Principle 3– Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media

Principle 4– Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work

Principle 5- Children use information, and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking.