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We believe that the children learn best when a good relationship is developed with parents and educators. Having a good relationship means we understand better to provide the best support and care to meet the needs and interests of individual child and family. Children develop strong secure relationships with staff members at Mungarra Kindergarten so that they feel belong to our learning environment and being part of the community. We aim to provide an environment where children can grow their love for learning whilst feeling values and supported throughout their journey.
One of our goals is to establish and maintain respectful, trusting, and reciprocal relationships between children, families, educators, and the wider community. We believe children can realize their full potential under the collaboration between educators, families, and the wider community.
We believe that children are competent learners and can communicate ideas, problem solve, make decisions, explore, investigate, and co-operate with others, to develop skills and knowledge. We respect their own perspectives and consider them as capable learners in teaching and learning. We encourage children to be the constructor of their own learning and development.
One of our goals is to establish and maintain respectful, trusting, and reciprocal relationships between children, families, educators, and the wider community. We believe children can realize their full potential under the collaboration between educators, families, and the wider community.
We advocate for children’s right and the importance of high-quality early childhood education and care in the community. We believe that children’s interests, needs and voices are always the core value and focus on our teaching. We ensure that children’s perspectives can be heard and reflected in everything that we do.
We acknowledge each child’s individual needs, strengths, and interests, and incorporate the diversity in planning and implementing educational programs. We value each child for their abilities and their sense of ‘being’ is respected in the process of planning our learning curriculum.
We adopt a holistic approach in our curriculum. Our educators plan intentionally to support and promote children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Our learning program encourages children to engage in positive interactions with their peers and educators through meaningful play-based experiences. Our team of educators creates environment that is inspiring, aesthetic, sustainable and stimulating for children’s learning.
We apply the Early Years Learning Framework and multiple early childhood pedagogical theories to guide our practice and to scaffold children’s learning.
We incorporate ongoing observations, evaluation, and critical reflection into our educational program. Every individual child is given sufficient support in consideration of their needs, interests and learning abilities.
We facilitate children’s development of life-long skills such as socio-emotional skills, communication, numeracy and literacy skills, love getting involve in a variety of learning experiences and connecting with the world through play and intentional teaching. We also believe that social competence is one of the essentials in early development that lead to a successful future, therefore socio-emotional
We support children to develop a sense of belonging to the local Mungarra and the wider community. We value cultural diversity. We believe that an inclusive environment helps children gain confidence to explore their becoming and to explore their cultural identity. We believe that children can develop empathy and understanding for others when they are part of an inclusive community.
We like to see children feeling connected to the broader community and being respectful to diversity.
We scaffold children’s developing an awareness of their own world view and acknowledging others’. We believe that children’s positive attitudes regarding cultural differences are beneficial to our community.
Diversity refers to differing race, culture, languages, religions and values, abilities and socioeconomic status, gender and any other aspects. Equity is inextricably linked to provision of fair, just and non-discriminatory education and care. Inclusion means removing barriers to meaningful participation and engagement. We believe each child has the right to access to education and care that provide them with equal opportunities regardless of their diverse backgrounds and capabilities.
Mungarra Kindergarten follows practices that are inclusive and responsive to diversity and children with additional needs. Mungarra’s team of educators considers all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes.
One of our goals is to establish and maintain respectful, trusting, and reciprocal relationships between children, families, educators, and the wider community. We believe children can realize their full potential under the collaboration between educators, families, and the wider community.
Cultural competence concerns children’s ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Children who are culturally competent respect multiple ways of knowing, seeing and living, celebrate the benefits. Children who are culturally competent are aware of their own world view. They develop positive attitudes towards cultural differences. They gain knowledge of different cultural practices and world views from interactions. They develop skills for communication and interaction across cultures with people around them.
Mungarra Kindergarten follows practices that are inclusive and responsive to diversity and children with additional needs. Mungarra’s team of educators considers all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes.
One of our goals is to establish and maintain respectful, trusting, and reciprocal relationships between children, families, educators, and the wider community. We believe children can realize their full potential under the collaboration between educators, families, and the wider community.
An anti-bias approach/practice can help children learn to place a positive value on differences among people and treat all people with respect. This approach can nurture the development of positive self and group identity in children. Mungarra Kindergarten aims to support children’s development of
Gender is a learned role. Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. Early years professionals and educators have the responsibility to have a positive influence on gender and to encourage children’s meaningful discussion on gender through encouraging children’s play, language, toys, and storytelling. Mungarra Kindergarten aims to promote positive gender norms in the early years, create the necessary foundation for children to grow, and develop their ideas and understanding about gender, thus supporting children to learn about equal and respectful relationships.
Our philosophy is inspired and developed by the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2009), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (United Nations, 1989), John Dewey’s progressive approach, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and Reggio Emilia’s project-based approach
References:
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2020). Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Victoria: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.
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Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: DEEWR
Derman-Sparks, L, LeeKeenan, L, & Nimmo, J (2015). Leading anti-bias early childhood programs. A guide for change. New York: Teachers College Press.
Edwards, C. (1993). The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Ablex Publishing Corporation, 355 Chestnut Street, Norwood, NJ 07648.
Ewing, R., Callow, J., & Rushton, K. (2016). Language and literacy development in early childhood. Cambridge University Press.
Farmer, S., Dockett, S., & Arthur, L. (2014). Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings. London: Cengage Learning Australia.
Hayes, N., O’Toole, L., & Halpenny, A. M. (2017). Introducing Bronfenbrenner: A guide for practitioners and students in early years education. Routledge.
Jaramillo, J. A. (1996). Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and contributions to the development of constructivist curricula. Education, 117(1), 133-141.
Mac Naughton, G., & Williams, G. (2008). Teaching Young Children: Choices In Theory And Practice: Choices in Theory and Practice. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Mooney, C. (2013). Theories of childhood: An introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky / Carol Garhart Mooney. (2nd ed., Redleaf professional library). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children: Choices in theory and practice. (3rd ed.). NSW: Pearson Education.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990, 1577 u.n.t.s. 3.
Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, W. (2017). Leadership : Contexts and Complexities in Early Childhood Education. Second Edition. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.