​Learning through Play

At Cabarita Mortlake Kindy we implement a play based curriculum because children learn through play. They are learning how to collaborate, negotiate, make choices, organise, explain, lead, communicate, share, take responsibility, ask and answer questions, record, interpret, predict, recall and reflect. It is also believed that play shapes the structural development of the brain and research shows it assists in building and strengthening  brain pathways.  We believe in the importance of play for all children, as this is how they learn and how they progress. At preschool children regularly engage in "Free Play" where they are provided with materials, equipment and activities that allow them to make their own choices in how and what they play with. These experiences are designed and planned by the educators  with individual or group outcomes in mind, however the children have the freedom and the agency to direct and shape their play and learning, providing them with more scope to grow, develop and learn in meaningful and relevant ways and at their own rate.

As part of our preschool program and in order to prepare children for school, our qualified educators will use their training and knowledge to competently provide a holistic educational program that challenges yet supports young learners as they learn and develop new skills, whilst practicing and refining existing ones. We encourage children to be active and engaged learners and aim to foster a lifelong love of learning and self-awareness that will bloom with them as they grow. Children will have many opportunities to explore early literacy and numeracy concepts through play and intentional group teaching. Throughout the year we engage the children with the world through incursions at preschool, excursions in the community, yoga, cooking, gardening, and family and cultural events. Our natural outdoor environment and gardens encourage the children to develop an appreciation for nature and help reinforce the embedded messages of sustainability and social responsibility within our program.