Enrolling your child in Kindergarten, or any Early Learning Centre program, can be a daunting task. From entrusting your child to adults you don’t know all that well, to concerns regarding how they’ll make friends – we understand that this time can be one of confusion, anxiety, joy and excitement all wrapped into one. The reality is Kindergarten is crucial for your child’s development, and for yours as a parent too! It is not a journey undertaken by your child alone, but something for your whole family to embark on together.
At Living Waters Lutheran College, we have intentionally designed and equipped our Early Learning Centre to be an extension of your home, providing all of our young learners with a safe, nurturing and welcoming space in which they can explore, investigate and learn. It is so much more than an additional year of child care; we’re committed to fostering an environment that fulfils the development of the whole child – physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually.
Here are four ways in which we prepare your child to succeed in the Early Learning Centre at Living Waters Lutheran College.
4 Ways ELC Develops Your Child:
1. Our children develop a sense of belonging
Though our College is small in number, it is rich in community and each student is provided with the opportunity to engage with other students in the Primary School. Our classrooms are hubs of wonder and participative learning, where students are often working in partnership with one another across a variety of subjects. Active members of our wider school community, our ELC students are integrated into the life of our College from day one, setting them up for a fruitful and authentic schooling journey.
2. Our children are encouraged to investigate
It is important that children are active participants in their own learning journey. The Walker Learning Approach (WLA) is a teaching pedagogy which uses play-based learning as its foundation but takes learning to the next level with the teacher working alongside children to guide, direct and encourage them in learning specific outcomes. At Living Waters Lutheran College, we have adopted the Walker Learning Approach for students in Kindergarten through to Year 1, and our staff are passionate about using this model to enhance the learning of our students. You can read more about Walker Learning area here.
3. Our children become confident and involved learners
At the core of our teaching is a balance of discovery through play-based learning whilst adopting a developmentally appropriate approach to literacy and numeracy throughout early years. Our ELC implements the Early Years Learning Framework which provides a flexible and creative learning approach, such as outdoor education and adopting ways for children to connect to their natural environment. Students are taken on regular visits to the College Library, to encourage a love of reading, and are given the opportunity to borrow books – encouraging them in their literacy and reading functions. When your child learns through play-based learning – learning while at play – they learn problem solving, emotional and social development, sharing, cause and effect, and much more.
4. Our children are educated holistically
Kindergarten is so much more than establishing numeracy and literacy skills. Our ELC students are supported by our nurturing teachers and dedicated education assistants who are committed to the spiritual development of each child. We also integrate Biblical teaching into our lessons and encourage our students to seek their God-given potential from an early age.
Come and discover our homely and nurturing kindy environment at our Early Learning Centre Open Day. Parents will get a chance to ask questions and meet our kindy teachers whilst children enjoy our Walker Learning investigations. To find out more, click here to book a spot at our Early Learning Centre Open Day on Saturday, 10 September from 10am – 11.30am. We look forward to meeting families at this family-friendly morning!
