First Five Early Learning Reservoir

Our play-based curriculum is grounded in early childhood education research and evidence-based practice to afford optimal outcomes for children’s learning and development.

We know from research that young children learn best through play. Play supports children’s physical, social and emotional wellbeing, and improves their language, thinking and problem-solving skills. Purposeful learning environments for play provide unhurried time for children to play, discover and learn.

For babies, our nursery spaces have clearly defined areas to help very young children make sense of their environment. The design of the space guides babies to different types of play and engagement. Babies can see everything in the space but can’t attend to everything they see when it’s too crowed or overstimulating. Our design is uncluttered and calming. We use baskets and arrange materials so that they are accessible to babies and encourage them to move toward, reach and grasp.

The design of our toddler rooms responds to schematic play (repeated patterns in children’s play) and children’s changing movement patterns such as stepping and climbing. The resources support schemas such as transporting items across the room, connecting objects together such as blocks and cars, and learning about the trajectory of objects and how they move. While play items do travel in the hands of toddlers, clear visible boundaries for each learning area reminds children of where things belong. Play spaces within our toddler rooms also respond to children’s beginning dramatic play and how they act out real-world experiences of home and community.

Learning environments for children aged 3-5 years afford rich stimuli and opportunities for extension as children become more detail-oriented in all aspects of their learning. Dramatic play is a feature as children take on roles and act out a range of scenarios, building their social and language skills as they engage with co-players. Dedicated block play spaces provide varied and complex materials and invitations to plan, build, evaluate and describe. Open art shelves present an array of quality materials in recognition of the arts being a primary language for young children to express their creativity, imagination and emotions. Literacy, numeracy and STEM are embedded in multiple ways across the play spaces.

Across all age groups, learning environments afford dedicated book areas to promote a love of reading and stories, and children’s oral language development. A focus on open-ended materials invites curiosity, multiple ways to play and negotiation as children collaborate and communicate with each other around how materials will be used. Defined spaces, uncluttered environments, clear walls and ceilings are responsive to children’s individual sensory profiles and their need for familiarity and safety.

Our government approved kindergarten program for 3-4 and 4-5 years is delivered by bachelor-qualified early childhood teachers. Within the kindergarten program, children develop five (5) foundational skill sets in preparedness for transition to school. Physical skills, social skills, emotional skills, oral language skills and dispositions for learning are foundational to formal learning at school and coping with the demands of the school day.

The design of playgrounds matters for children’s development and learning. Our expansive indoor and outdoor playgrounds for both nursery and older children provide the best of both worlds, with coverage for all-weather play and access to the natural world, sunshine and fresh air.

Our playground designs include fixed equipment, open space, portable equipment, natural or native elements and elements of risk. Built and natural features promote an array of experiences for children and support engagement with familiar spaces and equipment, and the ever-changing environments that nature affords. The elements in our playground designs cater to the developmental and play needs of young children as they grow.

Our Centre Chef, Huong, prepares fresh, nutritious meals daily in line with Nutrition Australia requirements and guidelines. Children’s allergy profiles, cultural requirements and individual preferences are catered for to ensure safety and positive food experiences. Huong engages with the children around ingredients, food preparation and taste.

Newly installed vegetable and herb gardens in our outdoor playgrounds provide opportunities for the children to work with educators and Huong around planting, harvesting and preparing fresh ingredients for mealtimes.

As eating is a social practice, our educators sit with children during mealtimes to talk about the meal and share stories of home and community. We offer progressive mealtimes for older children during morning and afternoon tea to ensure play is uninterrupted and mealtimes unhurried.