Our Programs
Many, many years ago, professionals working in the early childhood field identified that in order for young children to reach their full potential in a learning environment, they must each be viewed as an individual. As individuals, each child has unique interests, varying levels of skills and very specific needs from adults and peers. Each child also has a unique style of learning that allows them to gain the most from experiences.
ABC Learning Centres supports the New Zealand Government's Statement of Desirable Objectives and Practices (DOPs) for early childhood services. All centres are licensed by the Ministry of Education and our programmes encompass the principles and strands of Te Whaariki, the early childhood curriculum in New Zealand.
The four foundational principles of Te Whaariki reflected in our programmes and environment are:
| • Empowerment - Whakamana | The early childhood curriculum empowers children to learn and grow |
| • Holistic Development - Kotahitanga | Reflects the holistic way in which children learn and grow |
| • Family and Community - Whanau Tangata |
The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the Early Childhood Curriculum |
| • Relationships - Nga Hononga | Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places and things. |
Each centre has a charter which outlines our commitment to early childhood education in New Zealand. We invite you to take the time to view your centre's charter at any time. Management and parent meetings are held at the centre during the year to which all families are invited. These allow all parties to have ownership of the charter.
Each child has a special achievement journal, which is used to take a variety of direct observations of each child's individual strengths and interests and through partnership and communication with families, activities are planned to engage the child. These activities allow opportunities for the child to work in a one on one situation with the teacher or in small or large groups with peers, to achieve step by step growth in all areas of their development.
By planning activities that build upon the individual child's strengths we ensure that children succeed in their skill building and therefore develop a healthy attitude to learning.
Children in our programmes participate in a wide variety of activities as well as a flexible daily routine and planned transition times which are developed to ensure that every part of the day is a 'teachable moment in time'.
Our programmes and the activities offered are based on the individual child. Each child is able to develop skills according to their own unique abilities.