Little Assets - Melbourne City Early Learning Centre

Our Philosophy

Little Assets is a family owned service which aims to provide quality early childhood education and care to children all around Melbourne.

Little Assets believes in providing a safe and secure environment for children to excel in reaching their highest potential. We value that children are central to their own learning and are able to pursue their interest and evolve their learning at their own unique pace. They have unique ways of thinking, playing, interpreting their learning, discovering and expressing through a play-based program and we aim to facilitate this by providing educational resources as well as trained educators to extend their skills.

At Little Assets, we believe in providing a nurturing and inclusive environment that honours each child's unique journey of learning and development. Our philosophy is grounded in a holistic approach, incorporating key principles from the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) guidelines, the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), the National Quality Framework (NQF), Child Safe Standards, the Reggio Emilia approach, cultural diversity, neurodiversity, inclusion, anti-discrimination, child rights, and cultural responsiveness.

1. Child-Centric Approach (EYLF and NQF): We recognize that every child is a capable and competent learner, and our curriculum is designed to support their individual interests, strengths, and needs. We draw inspiration from the EYLF and NQF to create a play-based learning environment that fosters exploration, creativity, and a lifelong love for learning.
2. Reggio Emilia Influence: Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we view children as active participants in their learning journey. Our educators act as co-learners, observing and documenting the children's experiences to better understand and support their evolving interests and inquiries. The learning environment is considered the "third teacher," promoting collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
3. Cultural Diversity and Inclusion: We celebrate and respect the diverse cultures within our community. Our curriculum reflects cultural diversity, incorporating a variety of perspectives, traditions, and languages. We actively promote an inclusive environment where every child and family feels valued, fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness.
4. Child Safe Standards: The safety and well-being of every child is our commitment. We adhere to Child Safe Standards, implementing robust policies and procedures to create a child safe environment. Our staff undergo regular training to recognize and respond effectively to any concerns related to the safety and welfare of children in our care.
5. Neurodiversity and Inclusion: Recognizing the uniqueness of each child, we embrace neurodiversity. Our educators are trained to understand and support children with diverse abilities and learning styles. We create an inclusive atmosphere where every child feels accepted, respected, and supported in reaching their full potential.
6. Anti-Discrimination and Child Rights: Little Assets is committed to promoting an anti-discriminatory culture. We actively challenge stereotypes, biases, and discriminatory practices. Our program instils a sense of social justice and respect for child rights, fostering empathy and understanding among children, families, and educators.
7. Cultural Responsiveness: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives is respected and embedded in our service’s program and practices. Our curriculum and practices are culturally responsive, acknowledging and respecting the diverse backgrounds of our community. We engage in ongoing professional development to enhance our cultural competence, ensuring that our learning environment reflects and respects the richness of cultural heritage present in our community.
8. Sustainability: We provide opportunities for children to explore and learn about the concept of sustainability fostering an awareness of the environment, promoting responsible and ethical practices, and instilling a sense of responsibility and respect for the world from a very young age.

In essence, our philosophy at Little Assets is a harmonious blend of best practices, principles and critical reflection aiming to provide a holistic and enriching experience for each child in our care. We are dedicated to fostering a love for learning, building strong foundations for future success, and promoting a sense of community and belonging for all.

Music program: Children enjoy music sessions with the Hey Dee Ho music program.

Sports program:  Sports 4 Kinder program is included as a regular incursion to encourage healthy physical activity.

Dance program: Children take part in the Kira-Kira Little Feet program, featuring Japanese music

Language program: Children take part in in-house Mandarin language lessons.

Little Yogis: children enjoy yoga sessions with a qualified yoga trainer

Excursions: To extend on their learning the children are taken on outings to places like the library, museums and local food markets.

Storytelling & Woi Wurrung Language: Based on the Indigenous culture, the children love listening to stories about the Dreamtime. 

The centre offers a Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum embedded in a multicultural environment.  They embrace the effectiveness of play based learning, using the practices, principles and outcomes of the Victorian Early Years Learning Framework and NQS. 

The educators continuously encourage the children to make choices, discover, create, explore and communicate openly, while having fun in the welcoming, well-resourced environments. 

The children are cared for in the following rooms:

Nursery

Orange Room: 6 weeks to 12 months

Children will be supported to develop fundamental physical, social, intellectual and emotional skills through enjoyable, play-based activities. These will include games, songs, arts and crafts in the indoor/outdoor space. The children also take part in music and Mandarin lessons. 

Toddlers

Blue Room: 12 months to 2 years

The educators in this room will help each child develop fundamental physical, social, intellectual and emotional skills through enjoyable, play-based activities. These will include games, songs, arts and crafts, and the independent exploration of the safe, vibrant indoor/outdoor play areas. The children also take part in music and Mandarin lessons. 

Red Room: 1.5 years to 2.5 years

The educators will encourage each child to explore various types of physical play to help them develop their fundamental skills. Such activities will include dancing, riding bikes, sliding, balancing, see-saws and climbing – to strengthen fine and gross motor skills and promote sensory exploration. Lots of group games will help expand your child’s social and communication skills within the safe, vibrant indoor/outdoor play areas. The children also take part in music, sports and Mandarin lessons. 

Green Room: 2 years to 3 years

Here the educators will help each child develop their fundamental social, fine motor and language skills. They will encourage their participation in a variety of fine motor activities spanning art, reading, basic mathematics and play, while also facilitating interactions with other children to boost their social and communication capabilities. The children also take part in music, sports and Mandarin lessons. 

Preschool

Purple Room: 3 years to 4 years

In the pre-kindergarten room the educators will continue to develop each child’s independence, self-esteem and co-operation skills, while helping them to socialise and play with others. Enjoyable activities like arts and crafts, pre-reading and imaginative play will also take centre stage to help boost language, motor, creative and cognitive skills. The children will also gain an appreciation for numeracy, literacy and problem-solving to further prepare them for the next big step – kindergarten. The children also take part in music, sports, cooking, Mandarin lessons and show & tell. 

Yellow Room: 4 years to 6 years

In the kindergarten room, educators prepare each child for primary school in a stimulating environment designed to help them grow both socially and emotionally. The children’s ability to think, use and recognise language will be developed through guided creativity (art), group activities (play, dance, music and movement), and school concepts (mathematics, reading and writing). All learning is based on subjects of interest, and guided by the educators to help each child accomplish tasks independently, make discoveries about themselves and name their feelings. The children also take part in music, sports, cooking, assembly, lunchbox program, Mandarin lessons, show & tell, library and museum excursions.