Philosophy
Our aim at Gumleaf Gully is to provide an environment that is warm, friendly, safe, secure and nurturing, combined with learning experiences which stimulate and challenge each Child’s strengths, needs and interests. We provide a caring, supportive environment with programs that cater for individual needs and most importantly, fostering each Child’s unique ability in a positive way and encouraging Children to work at their own pace. A working, respectful partnership between the centre and the home is vital for the benefit of the Child. All our staff are educators of young Children, and are referred to as `Teachers`. Gumleaf Gully Childcare & Early Education Centre is a community committed to the Vision stated below.
Vision
The community of Gumleaf Gully celebrates the uniqueness of each individual. We provide an educational setting where children are happy, challenged, loved and nurtured.
Adopting a Montessori Approach…
At Gumleaf Gully we have adopted some of the Montessori Principles and below is a brief summary of our approach to Early Education.
The first five years of your Child’s life are crucial to the development of personality and intellect. This is a period during which learning takes place at an accelerated speed. By adopting some of the Montessori Principles we can focus on the individuality of each child in respect of their needs or talents as opposed to the needs of the class as a whole, and concentrate on developing each Child’s needs, likes and areas of weakness. The basis of the Montessori Approach is the understanding that a child should be viewed as a competent and intelligent human being. Childhood should not be viewed as simply a stage of adulthood but rather as a wondrous, special and unique period of human development.
Dr Maria Montessori (Founder) first identified the extraordinary powers of a young Child’s `absorbent mind` as a universal once-in-a-lifetime ability to simply absorb knowledge from the surrounding environment. This unconscious learning process allows young children to learn about their physical space, their language, their culture and social relationships. It is during this period from birth to age six that the Child’s personality, self-esteem and spiritual psyche are developed forming impressions that will impact for life.
Montessori places great responsibility on the adults who care for Children during these most impressionable early years of development. The adults encourage the Children providing proactive and exciting tasks that stimulate curiosity, problem solving and responsibility.
Montessori also gives importance to the physical environment. A beautiful, calm and ordered environment provides an aesthetic appreciation in Children and is conducive to them accepting responsibility for the care and maintenance of their surroundings. Children who feel that they offer a real contribution to their environment will feel valued and will become independent and responsible.
Montessori focuses strongly on the process of learning rather than simply the product. Children are treated as individuals with recognition of their individual readiness to absorb new information. Children are not placed in competition with each other and are valued for their individual abilities and contributions to the group. The learning environment is Child centred and provides every opportunity for children to feel a sense of success.
Relationships with Children should begin with respect. They have as much capacity, as much intelligence and as much potential as us and deserve to be treated with equal respect for their efforts and abilities.
