Rooms
Koala
2 to 3 Years
The Koala room is one of our toddler groups. At this active age, children start to make sense of their world.
The room features lovely open spaces both inside and out, and can have up to 12 children with five educators. The room focuses on building skills to play and actively explore the environment. Children learn best through positive role modelling and often enjoy mimicking adults around them.
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Self-help skills are encouraged in regards to eating, sleeping and drinking. This can be the first room in which children will develop their fine motor skills in regards to meal times with drinking from an open cup, using cutlery correctly and even self serving meal times. Children will also begin to take ownership when settling onto their bed for rest time, or begin toilet training.
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The Koala room bases most of its ideas and direction for learning on child-initiated events and experiences. The educators use the children’s portfolios and fortnightly reflections to highlight and reflect on the experiences they enjoy most, which then form the core of the program and are thoughtfully extended over time.
Toilet Training
Here, children often begin the milestone of toilet training; reassuringly, educators work closely alongside families to ensure a plan is followed at home and within the room. This can sometimes be an uncertain experience for children, and best approached with care, sensitivity and respect. Each bathroom within the centre has children‘s toilets that are accessible to their height and physical abilities.
The first step is for children to become familiar with the bathroom, and often sitting them on the toilet at each nappy change can be a subtle introduction to the area. Educators will always respect each family‘s values and beliefs in this area of development, and can also offer guidance and support in starting and continuing the process.
Koala Room Routine
Time
Activity
7.30am
Children begin arriving
7.30am - 9.00am
Time to explore the room
8.45am - 9.00am
Children assist in packing up
9.00am
AM group time
10.15am - 11.30am
Indoor/Outdoor program – children will continue to explore both the indoor and outdoor program. This will also be the time when any incidental group times or intentional teaching experiences may occur and specialist program sessions are during this time.
11.30am - 12.30pm
Lunch
12.30pm - 2.00pm
After lunch children get ready for sleep/rest, any children not sleeping will engage in quiet small group and individual activities. As children wake, they will join quiet activities.
2.30pm - 3.00pm
Afternoon tea
3.00pm
PM group time
3.15pm - 5.30pm
Children will continue to explore indoor and outdoor program
5.15pm
Late snack
5.30pm - 6.00pm
Children help tidy classroom
6.00pm
Centre closes
These routines are flexible based on weather conditions, specialist program, centre events, and children’s individual needs. Morning group times will be an opportunity for the children to come together and begin their day. This helps the children to feel a sense of community in their learning space.
