Early Education at KIN

At Kin Early Education we provide a diverse array of learning opportunities aimed at promoting children’s learning and development and which cater to the whole child. This means that within all our programming, Educator and parent input collectively address the children’s interests, needs, strengths and abilities to help extend their learning journey. It is our goal to develop secure and respectful partnerships with children to scaffold their development on their early learning journey.

Our programs and experiences are underpinned by our belief in utilising a varied range of pedagogical practices. We draw on; observations of children’s strength abilities and interests, community / family life and events and equivalents of child-directed, educator supported and educator initiated learning to guide and support our programs.

Our educators are responsive to the children. Throughout the day we actively listen to the children’s ideas, observe their play and engage in interaction and conversation with them. Educators then utilise individual, small and large group experiences, project work, interest / dramatic corners and play environments to facilitate and extend upon the previously mentioned observations of children’s learning.

Subsequently, we employ a flexible program at the centre. Educator reflections of each day’s learnings are documented and collated to provide parents with valuable insights of their children’s activities whilst at the centre. This freedom and lack of rigidity allows our Educators to respond meaningfully to the needs, interests, abilities and strengths of the whole child and parent.

Every child at the Kin is programmed for on an individual basis. Parent input, staff observations, artwork and indicators of each child’s learning are taken by Educators, interpreted, evaluated and filed into their learning journal, (a story like album) detailing each child’s learning journey at our centre.

All educators at Kin respect and value the central role the family plays in shaping their child’s development. Therefore we work in partnership with each family to gain their expertise and knowledge associated of their child’s strengths and interests. Parents are encouraged to comment in learning journals. These comments are used to help guide our programs, evaluations and daily reflections.

Our educational program is delivered through an intentional, play-based pedagogy aligned to the Victorian Early Years Learning Development Framework (VEYLDF). Our program continues to develop as we use the relationships children have with their families and communities, working in partnership with parents, to ensure each child’s knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of our programs.

The VEYLDF framework

The VEYLDF:

It identifies five learning and development outcomes for all children from birth to eight years:

  • identity
  • community
  • wellbeing
  • learning
  • communication.

It provides practice principles to guide early childhood professionals to work together, with children and with families to achieve the best outcomes for every child.

The framework:

  • enables you to work more effectively with other professionals and with families.
  • provides valuable guidance for supporting children and families in their transitions through the first eight years of a child’s life.
  • provides a shared language and guiding principles for achieving the best outcomes for every child by supporting continuity of learning.