School Readiness Program
What does school readiness look like at Alkira ELC?
At Alkira ELC, a strong emphasis is placed on our educator team’s commitment to forming partnerships with schools, families and allied health professionals to provide our children with a positive transition to school. We make it a priority to work with kindergarten coordinators from local public and private schools on their expectations for children entering their first year of school. With that knowledge, we work towards achieving those goals and setting our children up for the best start to formal schooling. Research shows that the best way to support children and prepare them for formal schooling is by taking a holistic approach to their development. Our philosophy guides our educators to support children in preparation for school by building on the children’s lifelong skills with focus on the processes rather than the product. This happens all the way from the Jannali (nursery) room to the Adoni (preschool) room.
Our curriculum supports children to build on ALL areas of development through their interests and their play. We believe it is simply not enough, nor is it beneficial to be focused on academic skills when preparing for school. It is important to recognise that areas such as social and emotional development as well as independence are the foundation skills children need to participate in and process formal learning. As mentioned in “First year at school” (Conner & Linke 2017), international research reveals that self-regulation and language development are the two key factors that underpin learning success in the first years of school and beyond. Our educators know that one area can’t be built on without the other and that there are foundations and stages to all learning; pre-requisites as such. Just as babies learn to crawl before walking, we need to ensure we are supporting each child through each stage rather than rushing to teach them skills that they are not ready for.
When a child is beginning to write or draw, we must first build on their fine motor skills, hand strength and hand-eye coordination. Before a child begins to learn mathematical concepts, we must first build on their problem-solving skills, numeracy and number awareness and motor planning. These concepts can be built on through play, with skilled educators providing learning opportunities based around children’s interests. It is our aim to not only support children in their early childhood development, but also allow them to enjoy and be excited by the process before heading into thirteen years of formal schooling.
What do we offer?
Each year we offer parents the opportunity for a parent teacher meeting where we set goals and collaborate reflectively on their child’s development. During this meeting, lead educators discuss primary school zoning, enrolments, orientations and how families can best support their child.
Early in the year the service holds an information night for families to hear firsthand from primary school teachers, occupational and speech therapists on what school readiness looks like from their perspective. The lead educator within our Adoni (preschool) room liaises with kindergarten coordinators throughout the year, providing them with information that will support a positive transition and start to school. Schools recognise the important role we play in the transition process respecting the knowledge we have of each child and relationships we have formed. Where appropriate, our educators may attend children’s initial school orientation sessions, providing any support that they may need.
Alkira ELC prides itself on being part of this collaborative approach to school readiness and year after year enjoy watching on as our children successfully begin school and thrive in the formal setting. Our involvement and interest with our school leavers does not stop there. We invite our graduates back to the centre with their parents for an event reconnecting with their past preschool class, educators, and environment. This event strengthens our connections and bonds to our community as we continue to remain in contact with many of our families from past years.
The service continues to be recognised by the NSW department of Early Childhood Education and Care as EXCEEDING in all seven quality areas.
I highly recommend Alkira. My children have attended for some time. It feels so comfortable it’s like dropping them off to an extended family.
I understand, support and embrace Alkira’s teaching practices with an emphasis on learning through play.
Their backyard is amazing with so much room to run and explore. With endless amounts of activities to do like caring for the animals and picking veggies from the garden.
The program they have called Storypark has enabled me to connect with the educators. And to see the day to day activities so that I can interact with my kids when they get home. Its also comforting to see them having fun and doing things they wouldn’t normally do at home.