At Bentley Preschool we value learning within a social context; we setup areas that invite large and small group work. We offer a selection of shared materialsin the middle of the table as a platform to work from.
We provide welcoming spaces with open ended materials for the children to engage in and imagine and make meaning from, this supports the children's interests and abilities in a flexible learning environment.
We offer long stretches of time for uninterrupted play - often up to two hours - to promote deeper engagement. These long blocks of time allow children to spend time in many experiences through the morning, or spend satisfying time in just one experience. During this time Teachers and Educators have the time to observe and support children throughout the preschool.
We prepare our preschool each day with 'provocations' and 'invitations to learning' for children to explore. The environments created each child's interests and capabilities and learning styles and we invite and encourage children and their families to contribute ideas, interests and learning experiences. We have parents bring in materials to make New Zealand Poi's and to teach us a dance and song from New Zealand. We have also had baby chicks visit preschool and as an extension learning about the life cycle of chickens. We value our children's voices and parents input into our program.
