Holy Family Catholic School Early Learning Preschool Blog (Term -3/Week 1)

Nina Marni, all our little learners and awsome families,

Welcome to our third term & week one preschool blog.

We warmly welcome all new and existing families to our weekly blog as we share some learning experiences from this week.

Learning Intention 1:
To refine and establish a daily routine that supports consistency and predictability for new and returning children

Why?
• The establishment of predictable routines supports children to understand what to expect in their day and provides a sense of comfort and supports the development of resilience as children are aware of the events in their day which in turn contributes to children’s ability to self regulate
• Predictability and consistency is important for children as it provides them with a sense of safety and understanding about what will happen next in their day. It is also important that educators make judgements in the moment that will best support the wellbeing of all.
• When educators create environments in which children experience mutually enjoyable, caring and respectful relationships with people and the environment, children respond accordingly. When children participate collaboratively in everyday routines, events and experiences and have opportunities to contribute to decisions, they learn to live interdependently

ILPs – All children

• Educators greeting children by their name and welcoming them into the preschool
• Lockers with children’s photos and names to support children’s sense of belonging in the preschool room
• All children’s names written on wooden discs that are used for morning signing in and morning group time
• Children’s family photos and individual photos displayed in the preschool room
• Permanent learning areas and provocations will continue to be set up every day. Key areas of learning such as literacy, numeracy, art & crafts, construction, mark making, and sensory areas will be changed over weekly and educators will reflect on engagement levels and adjust as needed.

Learning Intention 2:
Sacred symbols are special and important.
Why?
Doctrinal Insights from the Catholic Tradition that support this Enduring Understanding include:
• Sacred symbols remind us that God is close to us, and with us.
• In my Catholic learning environment, I can see many sacred symbols.
o Candle flames remind us that God is with us.
o The Bible reminds us of God’s love for us through special stories.
o The Cross reminds us of Jesus.
o Water is used for special blessings
• Sacred symbols are used in my school/ELC and in church celebrations, prayer and liturgy. (CCC1145)
Other faith traditions also have sacred symbols
The Sign of the Cross is a prayer to God.
Doctrinal and Content Elaborations:
Doctrinal Insights from the Catholic Tradition that support this Enduring Understanding include:
• The Sign of the Cross is a prayer with actions and words.
• The words remind us that God is called Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• The actions represent the symbol of the Cross, and that prayer involves our head, heart and body.

ILP’S: All Children

God has established prayer as a means for us to communicate with him. Through prayer, we can praise God, ask for forgiveness, thank God for all he’s done, and let our requests be made known to him. Prayer allows us to open our hearts to God and let him know our innermost thoughts and desires.

Literacy and numeracy intentions
Literacy
• To encourage language development, creativity and self-expression by engaging with a variety of provocations (restaurant role-play, mark-making using Aboriginal symbols, and Space station sensory play)

Why?
• Some children have shown a great interest in our homecorner preparing, cooking and serving food. (ILPs – AK, AB, CB, HM)
• Many children have been observed to enjoy sensory play and a few children have expressed their knowledge and interest in space and planets (ILPs – AM, AP, AM, AH, EK, HT, SG, LB, SP)
• Literacy incorporates a range of modes of communication including music, movement, dance, storytelling, visual arts, media and drama, as well as talking, signing, reading and writing.
• Engaging with small world play provides a hands-on, engaging way for children to explore various scenarios, fostering creativity, imagination, and a deeper understanding of narrative structure
• Well thought-out provocations encourage social skills like sharing, cooperation, and turn-taking, especially when playing in groups

Numeracy
• To construct towers/ structures with various heights and use adjectives such as ‘tall’ and ‘short’ to compare them

Why?
• Some children have shown an interest in building and construction of various structures
• The development of number understandings is one of the most important aspects of mathematics in early childhood because early number understandings assist children in learning more complex mathematical ideas
• Comparing tall and short objects helps children grasp the concept of relative size and height, which is a fundamental aspect of spatial reasoning
• Comparing heights introduces the concept of measurement in a simple, relatable way
• Learning to identify and compare attributes like height contributes to overall cognitive development, including critical thinking and problem-solving.

• Literacy provocations – Matching letters (puzzle)
• Sensory provocation – Space station small world play
• Mark-making – Aboriginal symbols
• Maths provocation – building towers (tall and short)
• Art and Craft – decorating and constructing with boxes

COMMUNITY FUN WITH NEW FRIENDS