Curriculum

The B Program

Our curriculum is developed by qualified educators with many years’ experience in early childhood education. It aligns to the Early Years Learning Framework and is regularly reviewed to ensure we are maintaining all industry standards and regulations. We pride ourselves on creating a modern, dynamic program that gives your child an opportunity to explore, learn and have fun. Our educators tailor each element of the B program to your child’s interests, skills and abilities,ensuring that each activity aligns to the five learning outcomes in the National Quality Framework. We also welcome input from families and external consultants to make sure we are continually improving the learning experiences of the children in our care.

B Me

We help your child develop their social and emotional wellbeing, with activities that give them an opportunity to learn who they are, so they build a strong sense of individuality and self-identity.This includes routines that make them feel safe and secure, as well as activities that make them feel like they belong, such as hanging photos on the family tree, checking upcoming birthdays on the birthday chart, and signing in and out when they arrive and leave every day.

B Healthy

We encourage the children in our care to stay physically active and eat healthy foods, with lessons that help them understand how the body works and fun games that keep them on the move.Children learn about the healthy food pyramid using resources and fact sheets from the Munch & Move program and participate in physical activity outdoors, using HARTS sports equipment.

B Hi-Tech

The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, which is why it’s important for them to learn about different kinds of technology. Your child will use the latest technology to help them prepare for school and beyond, including smart boards, iPads, headphones and CD players. Our technology allows them to develop literacy, numeracy, manipulation, cognitive and problem-solving skills, while also teaching them about the importance of taking turns and caring for devices in a respectful way.

B Creative

Creativity plays an important role in your child’s learning and development, building their confidence, problem-solving and motor skills. We help children explore creativity through performing arts, craft, music and dance.

B Ready

Our school readiness program bridges the gap between early childhood and primary school education, to help your child prepare for the next stage in their learning journey. Fun activities help children get ready for school, by developing theirfine motor skills, self-help skills, cognitive skills, literacy and numeracy skills, math and science skills, manipulation skills, sharing and turn-taking skills.

B Sustainable

We help your child understand the world they live in and learn how to protect the planet, with activities that promote sustainable practices. Your child will enjoy lessons on gardening, weather, recycling and more.We have regular visits from experts at the local council, who teach the children how to build a compost bin from recycled materials, using compost mix and worm juice to enhance the quality of the soil. Children can also volunteer to be the energy saver police, with responsibility for monitoring water and electricity usage at Billybear Preschool, as well as minimising daily waste.

B Beginnings

Literacy and numeracy is the foundation of all education and will give your child a head start before they go to primary school. We provide your child with fun activities that develop their language, reading, writing and counting skills. Books are borrowed from the library each week to encourage children to read and teach them how to respect other people’s property. They can also listen to stories on CD, pointing to words and looking at pictures at they go. Our writing tables feature stationery that children will use when they go to school, so they become familiar with each item. We also teach them how to recognise numbers and shapes, using a mathematics table that changes each week.

Early Years Learning Framework

The Early Years Learning Framework is an Australian Government initiative, to ensure your child receives high-quality education in the childcare setting. It underpins our curriculum and lies at the heart of everything we do at Billybear Preschool and Early Learning Centre.

Belonging, Being, Becoming

The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is guide for educators who work with children from 0-5 years, to help them develop learning programs that are responsive to children’s ideas, interests, skills and abilities. The EYLF describes childhood as a time of belonging, being and becoming.
Belonging is the basis for living a fulfilling life. Children feel they belong because of the relationships they have with their family, community, culture and place.
Being is about living here and now. Childhood is a special time in life and children need time to just ‘be’—time to play, try new things and have fun.
Becoming is about the learning and development that young children experience. Children start to form their sense of identity from an early age, which shapes the type of adult they will become. The EYLF framework is regularly updated with best practice learnings from around the world and has a strong emphasis on play-based learning, so your child develops:

• a strong sense of identity
• connections with their world
• a strong sense of wellbeing
• confidence and involvement in their learning
• effective communication skills.

We reflect the values of the EYLF in everything we do. Each week, your child is provided with the opportunity to participate in structured and play-based activities designed to enhance their learning, including:

• individual and group experiences using technologies including computers, smart boards, iPads and listening posts
• exploring social roles through dramatic play
• music, performing arts and dance, to increase physical activity and develop fundamental movement skills
• problem-based learning experiencesand activities that develop hand-eye coordination, such as puzzles and games, as well as grouping, recognising and initiating patterns and sequencing
• visual art and craft activities
• literature and literacy concepts that develop imagination, patience and cooperation
• construction and building activities that promote problem-solving skills
• science-based activities involving observation, hypothesis and discovery
• social skills including cooperation, empathy and emotional regulation
• long-term project work, such as sustainability and caring for the environment.

The EYLF is a key component of the National Quality Framework, which is designed to encourage continuous improvement of childcare services across Australia. If you have any questions about how we implement the EYLF within Billybear Preschool, please contact us or talk to your Centre Director.
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Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing Program

Our music and wellbeing program helps your child develop social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills in a fun and interactive way.

The Joy of Music and Movement

The Bonkers Beat program features music as an integral component of every lesson. It invites your child on a magical journey, where they learn and grow with our friend Bonkers the Monkey. Through singing, dancing and playing instruments, Bonkers teaches your child important social skills and lays the foundation for further education, by improving their language, literacy and numeracy skills. We also provide families with additional resources, so you can continue the fun at home. The children at Billybear Preschool also enjoy the Bonkers Gym Program, which includes yoga with Bonkers the Monkey. Yoga is a wonderful tool for children in their early years of development. It helps children become conscious of their body and offers a number of health benefits, including better flexibility, strength, posture, self-control, concentration and coordination. The Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing Program is integrated into our curriculum and provided to all families at Billybear Preschool. Since we introduced the program in 2016, the children have loved every minute and our educators enjoy the ongoing training and support. External consultants ensure the program is tailored to the children in our care, providing our educators with new activities and resources that keep the children engaged and excited. The program is a valuable addition to our curriculum and helps your child develop important social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that will benefit them in primary school and beyond.
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B Ready

Our school readiness program bridges the gap between early childhood and primary school education, to help your child prepare for the next stage in their learning journey.

The Billybear School Readiness Program

The transition from preschool to primary school is a big change for your child and your family. The more prepared your child is for the changes ahead, the sooner they’ll settle into school and enjoy the experience. Our B Ready program is provided to children aged 3-6 years old and involves a set period of time each day, where your child can focus on developing the skills they need for primary school and beyond. The program aligns to the Early Years Learning Framework and is regularly updated to reflect the latest changes to the NSW Department of Education’s primary school curriculum. Your child will use the latest technology to support their learning, including smart boards, iPads, computers, listening posts, GoPro cameras and more. Our educators have 60 years of combined experience in early childhood education and are passionate about helping your child learn and grow. They ensure every activity is tailored to the interests, skills and abilities of your child, so they can make the most of every learning experience. While many preschools begin preparing children for primary school when they’re 4-5 years old, we introduce our B Ready program to children when they turn three. We believe it helps your child develop strong social, emotional and cognitive skills over the long term and gives them an opportunity to learn how to use the technology that will become an important part of their life. Our B Ready program offers structured and play-based learning activities that will help your child:

• manage their emotions, behaviour, attention and activity levels in a socially-appropriate way, such as setting their own safety rules and displaying them in the room
• understand and use language through speech, sign or alternate forms of communication, to express their wants, needs, thoughts and ideas
• develop higher-order reasoning and thinking skills
• perceive, understand and regulate emotions and use them to facilitate thoughts
• work together in a group, including brainstorming, cooperation, helping each other, listening to others and respecting each other’s ideas and input
• develop verbal and non-verbal social skills, such as learning to compromise with others and follow social norms
• learn to plan or complete tasks in sequential steps to achieve a positive result, such as counting, recognising numbers, shapes, sizes and capacity
• develop self-care skills, such as going to the bathroom, buttoning their shirt, zipping their jacket, packing and unpacking their bag and taking care of their belongings
• develop gross motor skills that use their whole body and build strength in their arms, legs and torso, as well as manipulative skills such as sequencing,

recognising and completing patterns, and matching activities

• maintain their physical fitness, such as running, skipping, jumping and ball games
• develop their fine motor skills, such as writing, cutting, opening lunch boxes and tying shoelaces

To learn more about our B Ready program, get in touch with one of our experienced educators or enrol today.
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