From butterflies to blasting off, we have been very busy in the Preschool. Each day brings new and exciting opportunities for learning. Whether we are out and about with P.E, art, participating in yoga or visiting the school library, we are very focused on extending children's emergent interests.

The butterflies are still hatching and the excitement these births create continue to engender delight and discussion. The emergent learning at the moment highlights to us, as teachers, just what capable and confident learners we have at Preschool. Children are sharing their exceptional knowledge about rockets, space craft and planets. Some very clever drawing and mark marking has been happening. We have been very intentional in supporting these foundation skills in numeracy and literacy as the play opportunities arise. Our resources are open ended and readily available to children.

We are often are asked how we plan for play based learning.  Kaiako (teachers) use an emergent curriculum approach.  While this is framed by the teacher, it is child initiated, allowing for collaborations between children and teachers and giving everyone a voice. It is responsive to the child, thereby allowing teachers to build upon existing interests. In its practice, the teacher takes on the role of facilitator, taking what they see or hear and bringing to children the opportunity to discover more, dig deeper and construct further knowledge. It is flexible in that planning rather than being done well in advance, is constantly developing. Curriculum is dynamic, neither stagnant or repetitive. It enables children's learning and teachers thinking to be made visible through varied forms of documentation. 

Stacey,S. (2009) Emergent Curriculum in early childhood settings. p 17&18