At Molendinar Family Learning Centre, we adhere to Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) where we aim to enable every child to be a:
- Successful Learner
- Confident Individual
- Responsible Citizen
- Effective Contributor
The Early Level is designed to ensure a smooth, continuous educational experience for your child, transitioning seamlessly from ELC into primary school. Guidance like Realising the Ambition supports practitioners in maintaining a high quality of learning and teaching, with a strong focus on the fundamental role of play throughout the Early Level and beyond.
Learning Through Play
Research strongly confirms that play is essential for all learning in early childhood.
- Learning through play is a critical way for children to build their understanding of the world.
- It supports the development of their social, emotional, and physical capabilities.
- Through play, children are able to apply new knowledge in practical and imaginative ways.
Play Pedagogy
You may hear us refer to play pedagogy. This is the specific teaching approach where practitioners:
- Actively observe and respond to the children's individual and evolving needs, often taking the children's lead.
- Base their actions on a deep understanding of how children learn and develop.
Play pedagogy involves a balance of learning opportunities:
- Child-led learning: Children initiate and direct their own exploration.
- Adult support: Practitioners skilfully decide when to observe, when to offer encouragement or direct teaching, and when to introduce new, challenging experiences.
This dynamic approach ensures that children learn in the most beneficial way for their development, helping them make progress across all curriculum areas, including literacy, numeracy, and health and wellbeing.
Assessment and Planning
In play pedagogy, observation is the primary method of assessment.
- By observing children at play, practitioners gain insight into what and how a child is learning.
- This information is used to assess progress and determine the next steps: identifying what a child can learn by following their own interests versus what needs to be taught directly.
- This process allows practitioners to plan engaging and appropriate experiences tailored specifically to your child's needs.
Play pedagogy is fundamentally based on a strong grasp of child development, acknowledging that every child learns at their own pace and in their own way. Guidance such as Realising the Ambition: Being Me provides detailed information on developmental milestones, helping practitioners deliver the right support at the optimal time.
Partnership and Support
All children benefit from support in their learning journey. While play pedagogy is highly effective in meeting diverse learning needs, some children may require additional support that differs from their peers. By working in partnership with your child's practitioners, you play a vital role in supporting their education. We will work with you so that together, we will meet the needs of your child.