Little Academy

At Little Academy ELC, the educators follow the emergent curriculum which stems from children’s interests, upcoming calendar events and cultural celebrations. The team links their planning and programming around the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).

Children at Little Academy are given the opportunity to choose from a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, including sand play, gross motor physical movement experiences, role-play, arts and craft, construction, storytelling, drama, writing, puzzles and problem solving, maths and science. All rooms have a scheduled learning engagement group time twice a day - in the morning and afternoon.

The children enjoy planned experiences, which are a variety of guided group activities that follow the EYLF. Activities include cognitive development, fine motor development, social skills building, language skills and writing. These activities can take place either indoors or outdoors as required.

2 years to 3.5 years

The educators observe each child’s interests and needs in order to guide weekly programming. They then extend and engage the children further, developing their skills and knowledge in order to meet their individual needs.

The daily routine involves:

• Indoor activities: puzzles, table activities, construction, home corner, dress-ups, dancing, creative arts, cooking experiences, reading corner.
• Group learning engagement mat time: stories, songs, nursery rhymes, project or interest based, social and emotional development, learning dispositions, health and safety.
• Outdoor play: sandpit area, construction mats, reading mat, bicycles, cubby houses and a variety of outdoor playground equipment and toys. There is also the opportunity for the children to explore the natural environment with the sustainable vegetable gardens. Each child can plant, water and nurture their own vegetables and harvest them for the centre chef to include in meal time.
• A variety of sensory experiences to engage children’s curiosity and inquiry.
• Nappy change and toilet facilities. 
• Music and movement time. 
• Sleeping and rest time in individually allocated beds. 
• 5 meals a day: breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and late afternoon snack prepared by the centre chef, Miss Lynda.

Morning

Harry is two and a half years old and loves to play outside. He and his friends head straight for the sandpit and build some hills for their trucks to ride on.

Lunchtime

After lunch, Harry decides to work on this robot craft project. He adds the finishing touches to it and sets it aside to dry so that he can take it home that day.

Afternoon

Harry and his friends are playing a memory matching game with some help from their educator. Harry is learning how to take turns and be a good sport by these types of games.