The benefits of this approach enables the program to be organised based on the children’s budding interests, passions, strengths and needs. The topics of interest that emerge are often linked to children’s play, their experiences at home, a community event, and priorities that emerge from conversations between children, children and educators, children and parents, and parents and educators etc. These interactions and observations are important and are utilised as part of the teacher’s intentional teaching practices. 

At our Centre we are trying to engage children in STEAM education.

STEAM is the acronym given to the integrated learning approach focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Educators are introducing children to the basics of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, and engaging them in STEAM-related learning activities.

Children need to be presented opportunities to learn the same material in different settings and through different lenses. STEAM gives children chances to investigate an idea in a variety of settings and their learning is strengthened when they learn the same skills, ideas, and concepts in different contexts. 

As part of our programming and documentation we are emphasising the role of dispositions to plan learning experiences and assess children’s learning.

Dispositions are combinations of children's emerging knowledge, skills and attitudes to learning. Positive dispositions for learning include courage and curiosity, trust and playfulness, perseverance, confidence and responsibility. It has been acknowledged that positive dispositions are essential to children being confident and capable learners. It is also important that educators attend to practices and environments that create the right conditions to enable the development of positive dispositions.