The Curriculum

Play is a vital part of a child’s life and is the way they make sense of their world. It’s the basic ingredient to learning, develops new skills, and stimulates intellectual growth. We value play very highly in our daily experiences with the children and this is the base for most activities. It’s this spontaneous play and exploration that forms our emergent curriculum.

An emergent curriculum is one that builds upon the interests of children. Topics for study are captured from the children’s ideas and conversations (such as puddles, shadows, dinosaurs, etc.), community or family events.

Projects are in-depth studies of ideas and interests. Considered an adventure, projects may last one week or may continue through the year. Teachers help children make decisions about the direction of the project and based on the children’s responses, will introduce materials and questions that provoke the children’s curiosity to further explore the topic. Long term projects enhance life long learning.

Each teacher is responsible for the organisation and curriculum of their room under the guidance of the Centre Director and Management team. Teachers are allocated child free time each week to plan for and evaluate each child’s ongoing development. This time is essential for the delivery of a high quality curriculum. Additional assistants may work at Villa Bambini when children with special needs attend.