Overview

Peek-A-Boo Cottage has two rooms, for different age groups, that are guided by “continuous provision” and the philosophy of RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) introduced by infant development expert Magda Gerber; who comments “we not only respect babies, we demonstrate our respect every time we interact with them.  Respecting a child means treating even the youngest infant as a unique human being, not as an object”.

 Continuous provision allows children to explore recent learning, practice new skills and follow the path of their own interests, with educators able to enhance the learning these experiences introduce.  These experiences, along with intentional teaching in various contexts, ensure that the children have plenty of opportunities to practice and improve skills with knowledge and confidence in active, independent learning.  During active learning, educators encourage toddlers to discover the world around them by exploring and playing; the learning and development is anchored by the long-term trust developed in the educators supporting as they play.  Our approach to care giving ensures that educators are responsive to each child’s needs during the course of the day at the centre.  Our educators create an environment where the children can best do all the things that they would naturally do in a safe challenging and predictable environment; naturally this includes plenty of time for uninterrupted play, exploration and discovery.

 The environment at Peek-A-Boo Cottage has been broken up into 3 distinct areas as follows:

The Jelly Fish Room caters for age group 0 to 15 months.  This is the room where friendships are being developed along with social, emotional, language, cognitive and creative skills.  Educators observe and monitor the children interacting and performing tasks, then tailor programs to meet the development and interests of each child individually.  By using this methodology, the educators can assist, encourage and model programs to suit the individual needs and interests if each child.  The children enjoy a range of activities; for example, painting, pasting, role playing, building, dancing, tactile exploration, stories, singing, physical experiences, nutrition awareness music and movement to name a few.

The Dolphin Room caters for ages 16 months to 2 years 11 months, continues to develop the skills introduced in the Jelly Fish Room and introduce concepts and ideas.  Pre-Academic are introduced and offer various experiences that promote self-esteem and confidence in the child’s own ability.  Positive self-esteem evokes in each child the confidence to attempt tasks, activities and experiences presented to them; the experiences are both interest and developmentally based introducing and developing social, emotional, language, cognitive and creative skills.  The programs the educators introduce also incorporate family, children and professional advice where relevant.

Our outdoor environment has been designed specifically for the age groups of children catered for in the centre; the equipment is size and age applicable.  The surroundings are safe and secure, including shaded play areas and soft-fall rubber surfacing.  The outdoor area has been designed to promote exploration and play while enjoying the company of friends; all while under the watchful eyes of the educator team.

Our cot and sleep rooms are designed to simulate the home environment; we use full size white cots and clean, warm linen and blankets.  We use view and sound monitors to ensure full supervision for the duration of the children’s rest period.