At SOEL, we’ve spent over 50 years developing world-class early learning programmes for Babies, Toddlers, Pre-Kindy and Kindy. From the innovative foundations set by our founder Bernadette Giambazi in 1974 to the tireless work of our dedicated Pedagogy and Training team, we aim to raise the bar for childcare and early education in Perth.
Our child-led, inquiry-based programmes are inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and guided by both the Early Years Learning Framework and decades of research and experience. These programmes are thoughtfully designed to support children’s holistic development, focusing on their social-emotional skills, rights and agency.
Much of the direction and focus of the children’s learning is influenced by their curiosity and interests. Staff document each child’s learning through a combination of retellings, photographs, videos, and audio recordings, which showcases the children’s individuality, their interactions, and their relationships. Educators make predictions about where the children’s interests might lead, what skills and knowledge they need, and how those interests may be expressed.
Inquiry-Based Learning
Literacy and numeracy naturally develop through this inquiry-based learning approach. The children engage in:
- Research and experimenting
- Investigating and exploring
- Planning and hypothesizing
- Designing, imagining and creating
By working collaboratively, children develop essential skills such as teamwork, communication, decision-making, and knowledge sharing.
Documenting the children’s research
Children’s discoveries and the meanings they derive from them are recorded in various formats, including:
- Drawings
- Photographs
- Writing
- Measurements
- Spatial organization
- Graphs and numbers
Books, songs, rhymes, chants, and dances offer children opportunities to enhance their listening skills, manage themselves, and participate in a group setting. Additionally, children are encouraged to develop independence, take responsibility for their actions, and find solutions to problems.