An Australian first − children and families set to benefit from early childhood curriculum
In 2006, after more than two years of extensive research, community consultation with leading early childhood practitioners, key stakeholders, parents and children, C&K published Australia’s first collaborative birth to school age curriculum, entitled Building waterfalls.
As this state’s oldest and largest community based early childhood association, we were able to draw on our 100 years of early childhood experience and practice. We are proud to have developed this first ever community based curriculum project in Australia, which is now available for early childhood educators and parents.
Building waterfalls is different to other early childhood curriculums in that it was created by and for educators, parents and children. We have combined the philosophy of C&K, which is that children learn through exploring, investigating, problem solving and negotiating, as well as contemporary international early childhood research and practice.
We believe that children do not learn in isolation. It is a collaborative process. Building waterfalls acknowledges the important role adults - educators and parents − other children and the physical environment play in children’s learning.
Building waterfalls acknowledges children as competent and capable learners, and the significant role adults play in optimising and enhancing children’s living and learning experiences. Adults and children share responsibility for the learning process through interaction, negotiation and collaboration.
International studies have proven that children learn and thrive in a warm, caring play based environment that includes parents in the learning process. For this reason we have intentionally used the term “curriculum framework” to reflect the learning possibilities and potentials inherent in each individual environment.
The inspiration for, and the name, Building waterfalls came from five-year-old Blake Shackley who attended a C&K affiliated centre in 2004. When Blake was asked what he liked best about coming to preschool, his answer was quick and certain: “Building waterfalls”.
The metaphor: building waterfalls, provides a powerful and symbolic provocation for our thinking and a reminder of the capabilities of children – their strength, optimism, spontaneity and possibility.