Our Centre Philosophy

The educators and families at Little Grasshoppers believe that all children have a right to quality education in a loving, caring and well maintained environment. We believe this environment needs to cater for the uniqueness of each child by providing quality experiences to enhance their growth and development. The welfare of our children is our priority and we believe a consistent and safe environment is essential for their development. We believe that providing an environment that reflects an appreciation for culture, needs, morals and opinions will enhance our centre practices.

We understand that children learn from their experiences and interactions with family members, educators, peers and other community members.

As educators, we understand the important role we play in children’s development and the lasting impact our teaching can have on their lives.

We believe our philosophy and curriculum provide the foundation for future learning. Throughout the centre, we incorporate learning outcomes, principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework. We capture children’s learning and development through our curriculum. We believe that self- reflection is an important benefit in providing quality educational programs. A play-based program provides children

with the opportunities to explore the environment and develop new skills. Experiences will derive from the interests of the children and will support all areas of development. Children are naturally curious and require opportunities to gain knowledge and understanding of the world. They need the time and space to explore, discover, investigate, question and discuss all that is around them. We believe if children are comfortable within their environment they are more willing to explore, discover and interact with others.

Children bring a range of abilities, skills, values and interests to the learning environment based on previous experience and knowledge. Each child will interpret the world differently and will develop and attain knowledge at different rates and in different ways. We believe the role of educators is to respect each child as an individual, extend on their interests and strengths and develop warm reciprocal relationships. Through these relationships, educators can enhance their understanding of how individual children learn and develop, and provide a learning environment that will support the needs of each child.

Children will feel valued if their ideas and opinions are listened to by their peers and educators and their interests are incorporated into our curriculum. Children play an active role in their own learning and are competent, capable members of society.