At Leaping Learners Early Education Centre we provide an educational approach to traditional child care.

Our educational approach is based on our knowledge of HOW children learn and WAYS children learn.

We provide a stimulating preschool environment and plan experiences and interactions that encourage learning.

Is education important in the early years?? Yes!!

Early childhood is the most critical period in life for brain growth and development. It is a unique stage in the human life cycle and as such we need to acknowledge the unique learning and development opportunities that occur at this time and ensure that children are exposed to quality educational experiences early in life.

We recognise the importance of the early childhood period and its critical significance for children’s development. Therefore, we ensure that our day care centre policies and practices are based on current early childhood research, providing quality experiences based on sound theoretical foundations.

Leaping Learners is much more than childcare… It provides quality preschool education and a leap start in learning.

Our educational programs at Leaping Learners are based on the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). The Framework is designed to assist educators to provide young children with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning.  It ensures each child receives quality educational programs in their early childhood setting. The Framework focuses on play-based learning that is engaging, supports children’s transition to school and builds success for life providing the most appropriate stimulus for brain development.

The Framework also recognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social and emotional development.
The Framework is used in partnership with families (children’s most influential educators), to develop learning programs responsive to children’s ideas, interests, strengths and abilities and recognises that children learn through their play.

The Early Years Learning Framework describes childhood as a time of Belonging, Being and Becoming.

Our Curriculum is based on the Early Years Learning Framework and promotes all learning outcomes. We believe that every child is unique therefore a child will benefit most when the daycare program is responsive to their needs, interests and abilities. Therefore, our early education centre programs will include both planned and unplanned experiences and interactions which occur throughout the day. Programmed activities will be displayed in our day care centre rooms, please feel free to ask questions or make suggestions anytime regarding our day care centre program.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could participate or contribute in some way to the daily program of our child care centre. E.g. read a story, cooking with the children, bring in cultural artefacts. Share your skills with us!!

We believe that every child is unique therefore a child will benefit most when a program is responsive to their needs, interests and abilities. Therefore, our programs will include both planned and unplanned experiences and interactions which occur throughout the day.  The program consists of anti-bias educational program designed to promote all learning outcomes. Documentation of our activities will be displayed in our rooms, please feel free to ask questions or make suggestions anytime regarding our program. It would be greatly appreciated if you could participate or contribute in some way to the daily program. Eg read a story, cooking with the children, bring in cultural artefacts. Share your skills with us!!

Donations are also appreciated. We use recycled items during programmed activities. Donations help keep our supplies stocked up.

Starting school is a significant milestone in the life of any child and family. Leaping Learners provides an enriching environment that supports continuity of learning and positive transitions for each child into making the transition to “BIG School” a pleasant experience. Our unique and specialised educational school readiness program designed by university trained Early Childhood Teachers incorporates the NSW Primary School Key Learning Areas with the Early Years Learning Framework.

Our comprehensive holistic Preschool Program encourages children to learn and develop pre-reading, pre-writing and pre-maths skills while also focusing on independence, resilience, confidence and autonomy.  We base our Literacy activities on the ‘Ants in the Apple’ Program which places a big emphasis on Phonemic Awareness. We also incorporate the NSW Foundation Style Handwriting into our Preschool Program as children develop their pre-writing skills. The children are also encouraged to begin writing/ tracing their own names, simple words and numbers and drawing various shapes. They also have the opportunity to further develop scissor cutting skills.

Starting at ‘big school’ can be a little daunting for both children and their parents. At Leaping Learners we prepare you for a smooth transition to the first year of school. We provide support through emotional and social development, self-help skills, language and music group times, school readiness literature for parents and an information session for families.

Our School Readiness program starts from the first day your child attends Leaping Learners, regardless of their age! Babies and toddlers will learn to separate with ease from their parents upon arrival and preschoolers will learn social skills in the playground such as problem solving and negotiation.

School Readiness activities include name writing, number and math’s games, reading and phonic awareness games, story sequencing activities, board games, fine-motor activities, scissor skills, turn-taking games and many more.

Technology is an important aspect of our program and we have fitted our older room with ipads, children’s computers and our Interactive Whiteboards.  The children are given free access to the computers and ipads on a daily basis to help develop their knowledge and skills. Our carefully selected software is educational and age appropriate and is incorporated into the daily early learning centre curriculum to extend the children’s learning on current classroom topics.

Excursions into our local communities are a major part of our school readiness program.

The transition from preschool to Kindergarten is a very important step in children’s lives and it is vitally important that significant transitions and achievements are acknowledged and celebrated with children.

A Leaping Learners we are extremely proud of our graduates achievements each year and value the journey we have shared with them and their families.

We honour this important milestone with an official Graduation Ceremony where each child dresses in a traditional graduation cap and gown and are awarded with a commemorative certificate and medallion.

• Excursions into the local community such as Woolworths Fresh Food Tours
• Family days such as Easter Hat Parade, Grandparents Day, Mother’s & Father’s Day Morning Teas.
• Community visitors such as Fire Brigade & Police
• Animals incursions such as mobile farms, pony rides, Rangers on the Run and Henny Penny Chicken Hatching
• Incursions such a performers and shows
• Fun days/weeks such as Crazy Hair Day, Winter Wonderland or Wet & Wild Day
• Dress up days such as Pyjama Day, Superhero Week
• Meaningful/Multicultural Celebrations such as NAIDOC Week, Harmony Day, Ella Multilingual Program
• Wellness Activities such as All Kids Fit, Yoga, Dental Visits
• Regular Cooking & Gardening experiences