Embedding the Learning Connections Early Years Program
In the heart of the Clinton community, Kookaburra Creek Kindergarten has achieved remarkable success establishing the Learning Connections Early Years Program in their centre.
The Early Years Program, a neurodevelopmental movement program, has transformed the way the kindergarten engages with the children, fostering growth, connection and enhanced learning outcomes.
The journey began when the Kookaburra Creek Kindy team introduced the program into their centre through Kindy Uplift funding.1
Initially met with some scepticism, the program quickly demonstrated its worth as staff members, led by their passionate leader, Shay Gilliland, embraced the program with open minds.
Shay describes one standout success story involving a little boy presenting with significant behavioural challenges. Described as “very tricky,” he was withdrawn and unresponsive to traditional methods of engagement. However, after just a few weeks of participating in the Early Years Program activities staff noted a transformation they considered nothing short of miraculous. He began to trust and interact with staff and peers, and also developed better basic self-care skills such as using the toilet— an extraordinary leap forward for him and a testament to the program’s impact.
The positive changes extended beyond individual cases. The overall attention span of the children improved significantly, allowing for longer and more focused mat sessions. The staff team were amazed.
Shay noted “This is working, and I believe it’s Learning Connections.”
Getting parents involved!
Building on these positive signs, Kookaburra Creek staff embedded the Early Years program further into their daily program, including into the morning routine. From the familiar ‘sign in, put your water bottle and lunch box away, hat on head go and play’, the morning routine became ‘sign in and do your Learning Connections activities with your parent’. Shay says, ‘there are three different tasks that they have to do every day with their parents before the parent leaves, giving parents a transition to say goodbye to their child.’
Shay and her team educated the parents about core elements of the Early Years program including homolateral brain boosters, egg rocks, rolls, creep mats and animal cards. This not only reinforced learning at home but also encouraged positive family bonds. Shay’s proactive approach ensures that parents understand the importance of these activities and share heart-warming feedback about their children’s growth.
Self-Regulation – staff and children!
The impact of the Learning Connections’ Early Years program goes beyond benefits for children and parents.
Staff are seeing the children and their behaviour in a different way now and taking better care of themselves too. When kids are over stimulated, and the noise levels get really high, educators ask, ‘what can I do to bring this back down again?’ and then say ‘Ok everybody I want you to come over here and do some egg rock and rolls’.
Through modelling the Early Years program movements and teaching kids about why these activities are important, staff are able stop, breathe and regulate themselves as well as assisting the children with this process. This has made the centre’s days much calmer.
Shay says “the staff’s understanding of each child’s needs is deepening. When we have a difficult child, we will talk about what we think that child is asking for. We ask questions – What does that child need to be able to regulate? What sensory input is that child needing right now?
Congratulations Kookaburra Creek Kindergarten!
Today, Kookaburra Creek Kindergarten stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when an innovative program is embraced and implemented with enthusiasm and dedication. The Learning Connections’ Early Years Program has not only enhanced the developmental outcomes for the children but has also helped create a playful, vibrant and supportive community of educators and parents working together for the best possible start in life for their young learners.
Congratulations to Kookaburra Creek Kindergarten for their outstanding achievements with the Early Years Program. Their story is an inspiration and a testament to the power of dedication, innovation, and collaboration.
- https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/grants-and-funding/kindy-uplift-program ↩︎
