Child Care Brisbane

​Fostering a strong sense of wellbeing

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Wellbeing incorporates both physical and psychological aspects and is central to belonging, being and becoming. Without a strong sense of wellbeing it is difficult to have a sense of belonging, to trust others and feel confident in being, and to optimistically engage in experiences that contribute to becoming. Wellbeing includes good physical health, feelings of happiness, satisfaction and successful social functioning. It influences the way children interact in their environments. A strong sense of wellbeing provides children with confidence and optimism which maximise their learning potential. It encourages the development of children’s innate exploratory drive and a desire to interact with responsive others. Wellbeing is correlated with resilience, providing children with the capacity to cope with day-to-day stress and challenges. The readiness to persevere when faced with unfamiliar and challenging learning situations creates the opportunity for success and achievement. Children’s learning and physical development is evident through their movement patterns from physical dependence and reflex actions at birth, to the integration of sensory, motor and cognitive systems for organised, controlled physical activity for both purpose and enjoyment.

Children’s wellbeing can be affected by all their experiences within and outside of Kindy. To support children’s learning, it is essential that adults attend to children’s wellbeing by providing warm, trusting relationships, predictable and safe environments, affirmation and respect for all aspects of their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, linguistic, creative and spiritual being. By acknowledging each child’s cultural and social identity, and responding sensitively to their emotional states, Kris helps build children’s confidence, sense of wellbeing and willingness to engage in learning. Children’s developing resilience and their ability to take increasing responsibility for self-help and basic health routines promote a sense of independence and confidence. As they experience being cared for by educators and others, they become aware of the importance of living and learning interdependently with others.

Learning about healthy lifestyles, including nutrition, personal hygiene, physical fitness, emotions and social relationships is integral
to wellbeing and self-confidence. Physical wellbeing contributes to children’s ability to concentrate, cooperate and learn. As children become more independent they can take greater responsibility for their health, hygiene and personal care and become mindful of their
own and others’ safety. Routines provide opportunities for children to learn about health and safety. Good nutrition is essential to
healthy living and enables children to be active participants in play. Kris attempts to provide many opportunities for children to
experience a range of healthy foods and to learn about food choices from her own example and other children. Physical activity and attention
to fine and gross motor skills provide children with the foundations for their growing independence and satisfaction in being able to do
things for themselves.

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Children are confident and involved learners

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A sense of security and sound wellbeing gives children the confidence to experiment and explore to try out new ideas, thus developing
their competence and becoming active and involved participants in learning. Children are more likely to be confident and involved learners
when their family and community experiences and understandings are recognised and included
in the Kindy. This assists them to make connections and to make sense of new experiences. Children use processes such as exploration,
collaboration and problem solving across all aspects of curriculum. Developing dispositions such as curiosity, persistence and creativity enables children to participate in and gain from learning. Effective learners are also able to transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another and to locate and use resources for learning.
 

As Miss Kris offers a supportive active learning environment, children who are confident and involved learners are increasingly able to take responsibility for their own learning, personal regulation and contribution to the social environment. Connections and continuity between learning experiences in different settings make learning more meaningful and increase children’s feelings of belonging. Children develop understandings of themselves and their world through active, hands-on investigation. A supportive active learning environment encourages children’s engagement in learning which can be recognised as deep concentration and complete focus on what captures their interests. Children bring their being to their learning. They have many ways of seeing the world, different processes of learning and their own preferred learning styles. Active involvement in learning builds children’s understandings of concepts and the creative thinking and inquiry processes that are necessary for lifelong learning. They can challenge and extend their own thinking, and that of others, and create new knowledge
in collaborative interactions and negotiations.
 

Children’s active involvement changes what they know, can do, value and transforms their learning. Kris’ knowledge of individual children is crucial to providing an enviroment and experiences that will optimise children's learning.

 

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Some famous people who attended Montessori as children:

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• Larry Page, Co-Founder of Google

• Sergey Brin, Co-Founder of Google. Recently, this article· was written which describes how Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, remembers his Montessori experience.

• Peter Drucker, Management Guru

• Prince William and Prince Harry, English royal family

• George Clooney, Academy Award-winning actor

• Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

• Anne Frank,  famous diarist from World War II

• Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian painter and Architect

• Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia

• Will Wright, designer of The Sims

• Katherine Graham, former owner-editor of the Washington Post. “The Montessori method—learning by doing— once again became my stock in trade…” from Personal History by Katharine Graham

• Sean Combs, Sean ‘P.Diddy’ (formerly known as Puffy) Combs, RAP mega-star

• Julia Child, famous chef, star of many TV cooking shows and author of numerous cookbooks Chef

• Helen Hunt, Academy Award-winning actress

• Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize winner for Literature
• Joshua Bell, American violinist, owner of Stradivarius violin
• Lea Salonga, multi-awarded Filipino-American singer and Broadway actress
• Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former editor, former first lady (John F. Kennedy)
• Berry Brazelton, noted paediatrician and author
• Kami Cotler, actress (youngest child on long-running series The Waltons)
• Melissa and Sarah Gilbert, actors

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