Effective early childhood education is of utmost importance in a successful transition to school and love for Lifelong Learning. Our LLC program is dedicated to ensuring this is achieved all year long. We know how much families like to take this time to have some well-deserved time off; however, here are some benefits to maintaining your child’s routine with their Early Childhood Centre in the lead-up to Primary School.
- Empowering students with 21st century school readiness skills
- Continuity with partnerships to form support systems in preparation for environmental change
- Continuity with routine to maintain expectations for the week
- Development of fundamental skills during routine times at school, such as lunchbox moments, responsibility for their belongings and social and emotional confidence
- Opportunity to develop collaborative partnerships between families, Early Childhood Educators and Primary School teachers to ease children and families during their transition
What does Affinity Education offer your Preschool children during this time in preparation for school?
The two years before your child starts Primary School is of great significance. Affinity Education offers a two-year Kindergarten/ Preschool Program that caters to and supports your child’s holistic learning and development. Early Childhood Teachers and Educators working in the School Readiness age group are equipped with the tools, knowledge and understanding needed to prepare your child for school effectively. They recognise the importance of an integrated program that provides your child with the opportunity to develop a love for lifelong learning. The Lifelong Learning Curriculum draws on contemporary research and evidence-informed practices to ensure your child is confident in their journey into Primary School. Inquiry-based learning and the project approach allows your child to engage in shared sustained thinking with their peers and educators around interesting investigations based on their interests.
This Curriculum focus positively shapes quality outcomes for your child as it aids in developing their higher order cognitive skills through play-based learning and purposeful intentional teaching strategies such as:
- Problem posing and Problem Solving
- Communication and Collaboration
- Hypothesising and Testing of Ideas
- Researching and Analysing Skills
School Readiness Skills Developed During the Holiday Period
Equipping your child with foundational skills that will enable them to thrive and flourish in their Primary School context is of great priority to each Affinity Centre. The Lifelong Learning Curriculum takes a deep dive into the crucial skills needed to support and empower your child to ensure they are confident and involved learners. During the holiday period, Affinity Services offers a School Readiness Intensive Program, which is a continued program to support the transition to school holistically. During this program, your child will:
- Investigate and explore concepts of STEM through the Big Thinkers STEM Program
- Become immersed in a range of project based work that targets Active Citizenship, Kindness and Next Steps to support your child’s emerging sense of independence.
- Opportunities to stimulate their imagination and creativity, deeper thinking and problem-solving experiences through Aussie Wildlife Champions, Positive Living Skills and Literacy and Numeracy enrichment programs.
What next?
The holiday season is a busy period full of celebrations and preparation. Ensuring your child is ‘school ready’ is of great importance. As a result, there will be many opportunities during this time to increase the frequency of your child’s attendance through casual bookings. The program will allow your child to maintain the continuity of their learning as they will be exposed to a selection of stimulating and age-appropriate experiences to support their transition to school.
The Lifelong Learning: School Readiness Curriculum emphasizes enquiry-based projects and foundation academic skills to support children’s development of key 21st century school-readiness. Find out more in the 3-5 years School Readiness Curriculum video below: