Making Choices at Preschool by Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education NZ
Making Choices at Preschool
Vashna Subratty - ECE Teacher of the Deaf — September 11, 2023
A term full of exciting growth and communication milestones, as we welcomed new faces, bid farewell to friends, and celebrated the diverse ways our children express themselves and engage in their learning journey.
Term 3 has been busy for our Preschool. We welcomed the following children: Tiari, Jai and Hakaraia; we farewelled Jaxon and Amelia, who left to continue their learning journey at Primary School.
It has been lovely to 'hear' children's voices with our eyes and ears. Some children have chosen to sign/talk about an experience, such as a place they visited or their baking activities at home. Some children shared new ideas by creatively setting up learning experiences and involving others. This includes playing the 'floor is lava' game and talking about their house, which was also the focus of our Preschool.
It was fantastic to see children using their preferred mode of communication to express themselves. They have been using gestures, signs, words, pictures or the coreboard modelled by the teachers to communicate their needs and interests. Our children were provided with ample opportunities to make choices, take risks and engage in a wide range of play, both inside and outside, through engaging actively in different curriculum areas.
We thank our speech therapist, Stephanie Jack, who has worked alongside the Preschool team and NZSL tutors (Wendy Orellana and Seijin Bae) to support our tamariki through music, games and language groups.
