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Information for Parents

A message to parents from Alive Catholic Early Learning

Alive Catholic Early Learning Centres continue to work in partnership with families to provide education, care and support for our children

Alive Catholic Early Learning has created these resources to help families support their child’s learning continuity in an online environment when they are not at our Centres.

In these rapidly changing times – in one sense – nothing changes. We’re still here supporting your children in their learning.

You are not expected to be an educator or teacher – your role is to support your child’s learning and development in any capacity you can. This can be supported by the learning resources we have developed which can be successfully completed in the home.

Here are some simple things that you can do to support your child as we move to an online learning environment. 

Pastoral Care

In event of an extended lockdown, the primary responsibility for the pastoral care of children may rest with their parents/guardians. However, educators will continue to monitor the general wellbeing of your children by checking in regularly and being available to support parents and address any concerns.

Parents should contact their Centre if they have concerns or require support. Educators will be expected to pass on any feedback received to the Head of Early Learning, particularly if there are concerns.

Comfort and love

What your children need right now is to feel comforted and loved; to feel like everything is going to be okay.

This might mean that you … 

  • play a game outside  
  • watch movies together  
  • share a book 
  • do some cooking together  

All of these things are learning experiences for your child.   

Wellbeing

It is perfectly normal to feel anxious in these uncertain times.  Make time to listen to any concerns that your child may have.

If you need extra support - talk to your child’s educator or seek outside support. Please see here for a list of services available. 

Healthy choices

Encourage your children to: 

  • get fresh air 
  • exercise 
  • eat healthily  
  • drink plenty of water

Behaviour

Over the coming weeks, you may see your child behave differently.

Whether it is anxiety, or anger, or a protest that they cannot do things normally - it will happen. This is normal and expected.

If you’re struggling to know how best to support your child – connect with your child’s educator.

Your child’s wellbeing is the most important thing. Your role is simply to make sure that they are healthy, happy and safe.

Go gently. Love your child. Support your educators. Be kind to yourself.

Curriculum Overview

At Alive, our curriculum includes a focus on social and emotional learning, movement, STEM, numeracy, literacy, arts and expression, sustainability and spirituality.

We believe that how children learn shapes who they become.

Below is some information on each of our curriculum areas.

Social and emotional learning

Responsive relationships that promote feelings of trust, safety and self-worth are fundamental to children’s growth and development. That’s why quality relationships define our learning program.

Movement

Movement is vital to children at all ages as it supports a child’s development in many different ways, including:
 
  • Wiring up the neural pathways in the brains
  • Building spatial orientation
  • Supporting balance, coordination and strength
  • Encouraging children to express their emotions through creative movement
  • Fostering interactions and cooperation using both verbal and non-verbal communication

Sensory

The first two years of a baby’s life is an important time for their sensory and motor development. Babies begin to experience and understand the world through sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. Sensorial play is great for building connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. It is great for calming and relaxing children as they use their range of senses to fully engage in their play. Children begin to recognise the different sensorial attributes and their language skills improve through inquiry as they ask questions and consider the ways in which they can engage in the experience.

STEM

STEM stands for ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics’ – four fields that are important in every part of our lives. Science is about our natural world—like the moon and stars, land and ocean, weather, plants and animals. Technology is about things like computers and smartphones, television, radio, and microscopes. Engineering is about the way things work – like buildings, roads and bridges, machines, and appliances. Mathematics is about numbers, shapes, and quantity. Maths is all around us, and every other STEM field depends on mathematics.

 

By simply allowing your child to investigate the world around them, and encouraging them to ask questions, you are engaging your little one in STEM. It is never too early to start exploring STEM concepts with your child.

 

STEM can happen outdoors. A great way to encourage a life-long love of STEM in your little one is to go out into nature with them. Even little babies enjoy exploring the world around them simply by touching leaves, watching insects, listening to birds and playing with grass and sticks. Children aged 3-5 will love collecting things – like rocks, flowers, leaves, and bugs, and more.  Bring along binoculars or a magnifying glass and let your little one investigate their world on another level!

You can help your child learn STEM concepts by describing what’s around you and talking about what’s happening, for example ‘Look at the water bubbling in the pot. The water is boiling. That means it is very, very hot.’ As your little one gets older, you can encourage them to talk about the things around them and ask them questions, such as ‘What do you think will happen when we drop the cloth in the water?’

 

Little ones learn about STEM concepts simply by playing. Engaging in the trial and error of play develops your little one’s early critical thinking and reasoning skills and helps them understand how things work. 

Numeracy

Numeracy is an important as literacy and is sometimes called ‘mathematical literacy’. Being numerate means having the confidence and skill to use numbers and mathematical approaches in all aspects of life.


Children start learning numeracy skills from the time they are born. This happens from watching and experiencing numeracy in action, especially in everyday play and activities. Examples of this include counting fingers and toes and toys, deciding on how many slices of apple you want to eat and recognising numbers and shapes on objects and in books.


As children get older numeracy and maths skills continue to build and include comparing different sizes, grouping things together and talk about same and different, using words of position (over, under, next to), fill a water bottle, help with shopping and use of money and dividing food into shares.

 

Literacy

Engaging children with social, written and oral literacy experiences promotes receptive and expressive language development. Through exposure to other languages and cultures, we nurture within your child an early appreciation for the diversity of the world we live in. 

Arts and expression

Self-expression is celebrated through creative arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama and movement. 

Sustainability

As a community we welcome everyone to come together to create a sustainable future for all and develop your child’s sense of belonging and connection to the environment.

Spirituality

Day-to-day experiences will enable your child to discover God’s grace in their own way through beauty, joy, awe and connecting with each other and the natural world.