Curriculum
Creating dynamic learning environments for our littlest knowledge-seekers.
Reggio Emilia
The third teacher.
Parallel to the Reggio Emilia theory, Ascolta believes the environment is the third teacher. We know all children are competent, curious, and eager to learn, and that physical spaces play a huge part in that learning. So, we strategically create our environments to support their readiness.
Through carefully-considered aesthetic environments, children engage in collaborative long-term investigations where they can construct knowledge through inquiries, explorations, and conversations. All Ascolta’s spaces are enriched with authentic materials to cultivate curiosities and provide dynamic learning opportunities. Through open-ended materials, our spaces promote imaginative play for creative self-led learning. Children are encouraged to think outside-the-box and have opportunities to expand and construct their meaning of the surrounding world.
Finding meaning in the everyday.
The big questions
We love that children are constantly asking “why?”, “how?”, and “what?” to seek meaning. As Educators, we also use these questions every day, reflecting on our practice and interactions with all children in our care. Part of this reflection process involves asking ourselves, “how can we help this child find meaning in their actions, encounters, and experiences?”.
We provide learning environments that encourage children to confidently shift from one experience to another. Spaces where they listen and are listened to — where they can express their differences and learn to appreciate the differences of others. Spaces where they can find meaning and intuitively learn new things, every day.
We encourage you to go deeper.
There’s more where that came from
The Reggio Emilia approach to education is a huge part of what we do. If you’d like to read more about the approach, here’s some helpful links.
Montessori
The Montessori pedagogy...
is founded on a scientific understanding of childhood, and how the body and mind develop throughout childhood. Specifically, it’s a method of education — supported by research — based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative play as a way nurture to childhood development.
At Ascolta, we treat every child as an individual, embracing and celebrating every aspect of their development. We encourage children to learn about themselves through self-correcting and purposeful, self-chosen “work”. Our Educators guide each child through positive experiences within an environment that cultivates their learning journey.
“We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”
– Dr Maria Montessori
Building independence & confidence.
Cultivating a sense-of-self
We believe learning is optimised when children are free to choose activities that not only engage their interest and effort, but are enjoyable and challenging. With an emphasis on self-directed learning, children naturally build confidence and independence as they play. In doing this, they also intuitively learn self-mastery and self-discipline across all domains of development — physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and moral.
Learn more about our learning experiences.
More on Montessori
The Montessori pedagogy is a huge part of what we do. If you’d like to read more about the approach, here’s some helpful links.
Inquiry Based Learning
Agents of their own learning
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) is built on the belief that children are agents of their own learning. Rather than teaching “at” children, we involve them as much as possible, so they become active partners in the learning process. We encourage every child to use initiative and take responsibility of their learning journey.
Inspiring children to love their learning journey.
Creating a community of learners
It’s no secret that as adults, we learn best when we’re engaged, have a positive growth mindset, and are genuinely interested. Children are exactly the same, which is why we want them in the driver’s seat when it comes to learning. Ascolta provides children with an inquiry-based curriculum that’s focused on them. It nurtures and guides children to become caring, active participants in their learning journey.
We know that this type of learning naturally leads to reflection, helping children build responsibility, knowledge, conceptual understandings, and important life skills. It also gives children opportunities to transfer knowledge from one context to another, leading to a deeper form of understanding. Another core component of this curriculum is building self-efficacy and self-worth in every child — it’s a joy to see our little learners growing more confident each day!
There’s so much
more to say...
“Inquiry Based Learning — in combination with the Reggio Emilia and Montessori frameworks — is crucial in how we cultivate lifelong learners and positive learning experiences. “
Early Years Learning Framework
Belong, Be,
and Become
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is an Australian-wide government initiative for early childhood education and care. The EYLF is centered around play as the catalyst for all learning experiences, and places an emphasis on using play to help children “belong, be, and become”.
There’s power in play.
Doing what children do best
Aligned with the EYLF, we believe that play-based learning is one of the key ways children make sense of the world around them. Socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically, children use play to grow skills as they interact with people and their environment.
Structured and spontaneous play-based learning supports every child’s natural instinct to explore and inquire, so learning becomes effortless. In fact, learning hardly feels like learning in the “traditional” sense — it’s fun, engaging, enriching, challenging, and rewarding. At Ascolta, we’re able to create teachable moments every day thanks to the play-based approach we weave through all aspects of the centre.
Learn more about the Early Learning Years Framework.
Five outcomes,
one framework
The EYLF covers five key outcomes — which we highly value at Ascolta. From identity to wellbeing, active involvement to confidence and communication, the EYLF is worth a read.