Pre-Kinder is the term used by Greenwood to prepare your child for lifelong learning and a successful transition into Kindergarten. Children’s ‘Readiness’ for school is defined and developed through our unique G Programs. Our aim is to preserve the uniqueness of each child while providing authentic opportunities for growth. Research into brain development has proven that early learning in the 0–5 years directly influences a child’s ability to acquire knowledge and succeed at school. Children who take part in high quality Pre-Kinder programs are usually more likely to succeed in life.
The Greenwood Pre-Kinder Program is implemented throughout every day your child attends at Greenwood. The Greenwood Pre-Kinder Program is designed to acknowledge each child as a capable and resourceful learner and support your child’s sense of self and wellbeing. We aim to provide children with the confidence to interact with adults and other peers. Encouraging them to communicate their needs and wants and to be able to have an active approach to learning.
While the transition to School will be different for every child it is hoped that Greenwood’s Pre-Kinder Program will encourage children to achieve individual and group goals while learning in a holistic and constructive manner challenging their development and skills through the following G Programs.
G Me is about developing Social and Emotional skills in children. A major part of school readiness at Greenwood is to inspire each child to be the best they can be through promoting respectful, life-enhancing relationships. At Greenwood, our Educators are highly skilled in developing the ‘whole child’ and as a result Greenwood children are confident and capable learners.
Greenwood children are healthy, physical, active children! Our Centres provide space, time and encouragement for children to use their whole body and to develop skills. Our G Active program aims to develop each child’s awareness of their body, making healthy choices and developing sound daily hygiene habits. Our flexible daily routines promote fundamental movement skills enabling children to participate in group sports and physical games as well as fine motor and coordination skills to develop correct pen grip and establish dominant hand preference.
Experiences that promote children’s ongoing exploration of literacy and mathematical concepts in the environment are embedded in our everyday planning. Through interest based experiences children are supported to explore written and oral communication in a very natural and meaningful way. Encouraging children to incorporate literacy and numeracy related experiences into their play broadens their understanding and supports individual emergent skills. Our G Knowledge program has been design to specifically support Early Literacy development and similarly our G Whiz program provides a thorough foundation for Early Numeracy. Experiences that support this development include letter, shape and number recognition, our phonics program, story telling and the provision of our engaging writing spaces.
We believe our Greenwood children are the leaders of our future. In light of this we invest in the highest quality in resources and intentional teaching methods in order to promote children’s critical thinking skills. At Greenwood questions are encouraged and children are supported to actively research their own answers through the see, think, plan, do, review system. Experiences in this area include basic science experiments, and use of iPads and educational apps to complement classroom experiences. Children delight in self-discovery and exploration to understand and contribute to their world.
At Greenwood we encourage innovation and self-expression. We encourage children to work together and explore group projects. We emphasise that creativity is about the process of expression rather than the end product and acknowledge and celebrate each child’s achievement. We encourage children to use alternative means of expressing their ideas and feelings through music, movement, drama and creative problem solving.
At Greenwood we view our classrooms as learning communities. Therefore, we believe it is important that children develop an awareness of the people and places that make up our world. Experiences that we provide promote children’s understanding of their world include discussing people, places and events the children are experiencing and encouraging children share information about their families and culture.
What is the Goal of the Greenwood Pre-Kinder Program?
The goal of the Greenwood Pre-Kinder Program is to empower our Preschool children to meet their new challenge with confidence and have a sense of belonging to the wider community in to which they are about embark. Through our G Programs, Greenwood children will begin to appreciate what it means to “serve the world”.
We strive to provide the best foundation for all Greenwood children to:
- Successfully start school with confidence
- Develop the foundations for lifelong learning by developing skills and abilities which give children the ability to learn effectively
- Familiarise children with the school environment and associated routines, tasks, rules and expectations within that environment
Getting Ready for ‘Big School’
In the months leading up to the time your child leaves Greenwood and heads to ‘big school’ we will liaise with local schools in the area to orientate your child for the start of the school term. Our established ‘Ready, Set, Go’ transition system enables us to work collaboratively with each child, family and school to deliver a seamless and supportive transition into formal education. This can involve information sessions for families on essential schooling information and visits to local schools to promote children’s awareness of the school environment. It is important for the children to become familiar with the new Primary School environment including such things as:
- Where to put their school bag, hats and belongings
- Meeting their teacher and seeing the classroom
- Trying on their uniform and checking they have everything they need such as library bag, school hat and drink bottle
- Knowing where facilities are within the school environment such as where the toilets are, where the bubblers are and how to use them
What can you do as a parent to assist in the transition process?
- If you know another child that will be attending the same school, perhaps you could arrange for them to come over and play with your child before school starts
- Explain some of the rules at school – maybe an older sibling could discuss with your child that they need to put their hand up before speaking in class or ask before going to the toilet etc
- Encourage your child to talk about school at home and discuss their experiences. Ask specific questions such as ‘Who did you sit next to at lunch time?’, ‘What games did you play in sports today?’
- Give your child plenty of love and opportunities to discuss their day and the new experiences they are enjoying
It is as much a transition for your child as it is for you! So we are always here to help with information or anything you need. For more information please speak to your child’s Room Leader to discuss their individual development.
To enrol now click through to our form to secure your child’s place – Enrol Now!
To learn more about the Greenwood Pre-Kinder Program please call 1300 947 336 to book a tour – you will be introduced to our experienced Preschool Room Leaders and have the opportunity to discuss your child’s individual needs.