Nature Pedagogy - Rituals

Although we emphasise the nature-based program and never stop children from touching or exploring mud, composting or patting the animals; we have a duty of care to ensure children's health and safety, as well as follow certain standards.

In the video below, you can notice one of the methods we use to wash our hands before leaving the Narragunnawali garden.

As discussed in the previous post mixing age groups provides many benefits. This can be easily observed in the video where older children assist and guide younger peers on hand-washing. The children are seen as capable and provided with a sense of agency. With little to no guidance from educators, children prove to be our co-learners rather than blindly following instructions.

Nature Pedagogy - Rituals

In the below video, you will see how children prepare to visit our Narragunnawali Garden to see ducklings that are three days old.

The first thing we do upon entering the garden is to sit as a group and greet each other with Yumalundi, which is a Ngoonawal greeting. Then we do our Acknowledgement of Country ritual, which sets up the expectations of the children that we are there to look after the land, the animals, the plants and ourselves.

At Woden Valley ELC, we promote mixed-age groups to encourage peer-to-peer learning and role modelling. It is part of our Quality Improvement plan for this to happen naturally and spontaneously, as we see children as a whole.

We also establish that the animals are our teachers and co-workers and treat them respectfully. By observing the ducklings, we establish trust with the mummy duck and allow them to feel safe in their new world and around multiple people.

(EYLF 2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.)

Nature Pedagogy - Foundation skills

An innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education values the child as strong, capable and, resilient, rich with wonder and knowledge. By allowing children to immerse themselves in activities that promote imaginative and creative play, every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential, and this innate curiosity drives their interest in understanding their world and their place within it.

The Image of the Child: Children are competent and capable learners.

Children are driven by their interests to understand and know more. Children are viewed as active and valuable members of the wider community who are capable members of society. Each child can naturally question, interpret and understand the world around them. The educational focus at Woden Valley ELC is on the individual strengths and needs of the child. Children are always encouraged to explore, have opinions and provide suggestions.

Children form an understanding of themselves and their place in the world through their interactions with others.

There is a strong focus on social collaboration, working in groups, where each child is an equal participant, having their thoughts and questions valued. The adult is not the giver of knowledge. Children search for knowledge through investigations. Our role as adults is to observe children, listen to their questions and stories, find what interests them and then provide them with opportunities to explore these interests further.

Children are communicators.

Communication is a process of discovering things, asking questions, and using language as play. At Woden Valley ELC, children are encouraged to use language to investigate, explore, and reflect on their experiences. They are listened to respectfully, believing their questions and observations are opportunities to learn and search together.

It is a continual collaborative process. Rather than the child asking a question and the adult offering the answers, the search is undertaken together.

The environment is the third teacher.

An integral element of our philosophy is the physical environment and immediate surroundings. The space encourages collaboration, communication and exploration. The space respects children as capable by providing them with authentic materials & tools. The area is cared for by the children and the adults.