Zoe Askew
Participation in early childhood education is increasing in Australia with more than 1.3 million children attending approved early childhood education services last year, an increase of 67 per cent over the past decade.
Gippsland Grammar Early Learning Centre (ELC) director Lisa Burgess said this increase reflected a greater understanding of the importance of early childhood education.
“Studies show these early years are crucial for intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth,” Mrs Burgess said.
“In fact, 90 per cent of brain development occurs in the first five years of a child’s life so the opportunities and experiences we provide for a child really do matter.”
During October Gippsland Grammar’s two ELC’s celebrated Early Learning Matters Week, which is a national celebration of the importance of high-quality, play-based early learning. This year’s theme is ‘learning through play’, which helps children to both learn and thrive, and is a central focus of Gippsland Grammar’s ELC programs.
“At the ELC the children are immersed in an environment which provides plenty of experiential early literacy and numeracy experiences, a mix of adult and child-directed learning, as well as opportunities for open-ended, interest-based exploration,” Mrs Burgess said.
Mrs Burgess said the two distinct ELC programs were targeted specifically to either the three or four-year-old age groups.
“At the ELC we know the needs of a three year old are very different to those of four and five-year olds, which is why we run age-specific groups that cater for each child’s unique level of development,” Mrs Burgess said.
“Highly-skilled teachers and educators and our small group sizes ensures that each child’s needs are supported right from the beginning.
“And there are key things that children need to learn when they are three years old and just starting their educational journey, as opposed to when they are four years old and are preparing for starting school,” Mrs Burgess said.
“For example, children in our three-year-old reception program are learning independence, gaining confidence, developing key social skills, developing speech and language and establishing the key fundamentals of literacy and numeracy.
“We know that, guided by educators who are experts with this age group, our three-year-olds thrive without being overwhelmed by older children in the same group.”
Gippsland Grammar Bairnsdale campus’s three-year-old program teacher Sommer-Lea Collins said term four was a satisfying time to reflect on how far the school’s youngest students had come throughout the year.
“This year has been challenging for some of our three-year-old students as they have had limited access to social activities due to the pandemic,” Mrs Collins said.
“But the children have shown remarkable resilience in learning to become independent and it is a delight to see them excited to unpack their bags, ready to participate in a day full of stories, songs, creative and physical play.”
Daily programs at Gippsland Grammar ELC integrate the arts, science, mathematics and language, the development of thinking skills, growth mindset precepts and education about sustainability. The three-year-old program is enriched with weekly music lessons and the ‘need to read’ early literacy program. The four-year-old program also includes music, Japanese, library, a perceptual-motor program (PMP) and ‘buddies’ program with Year 5.
Gippsland Grammar has limited places remaining for next year in the school’s three-year-old reception programs at both St Anne’s (Sale) and Bairnsdale ELCs and the four-year-old transition program at the Bairnsdale ELC.
Families wanting to know more about what a Gippsland Grammar early childhood education can offer are invited to phone ELC director Lisa Burgess at 5143 7123 during business hours.
