PrepActive Early Childhood Program

PrepActive provides a welcoming environment to play, learn and have fun together. It offers children preparing for their schooling years the opportunity to participate in a classroom environment that embraces their unique spirit, whilst extending their executive functioning, problem solving and self-directed learning abilities. The program is facilitated by A8’s speech team and is supported by Allied Health Assistants in a 1:1 format.

It offers children the opportunity to participate according to their own abilities, while being given the support that they need for extending their cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. There will be planned activities and resources that:

• Stimulate and refine the senses.

• Strengthen fine and gross motor skills.

• Encourage communication.

• Allow for creative expression.

• Offer the freedom to explore and discover!

Our group circle times will also bring a focus to the social skills required to work respectfully and co-operatively within a group. The program draws from the Montessori philosophy delivered by A8’s expert therapy team including occupational therapy, speech pathology and physiotherapy input.

We aim to provide a holistic environment that engages every child.

PrepActive PRINCIPLES

1. Observation of the child. It is through carefully observing a child that we can establish their needs and abilities. Through our observations we can then offer the appropriate support to nurture and extend a child’s holistic development.

2. Independence. “Help me do it myself” aptly describes what our role, as a parent/teacher/therapist should be. Teaching independence offers freedom. It is always well worth the effort to take the time to show, or explain to a child how to do something.

3. Prepared Environment. Not only does this refer to the careful consideration of how we prepare the physical environment, but also to the holistic preparation of the parent/teacher and the affect that they have on the child.

AREAS OF TEACHING

Practical Life: Activities that involve care of environment and self, that increase manual dexterity and build independence.

Sensorial: Activities that refine the senses, prepare the hand for writing and teach the ability to discriminate the similarities, or differences between objects.

Literacy: Alphabet is taught phonetically using sandpaper letters, and then extended with the movable alphabet for word building.

Numeracy: Practical, hands on work with materials before abstract concepts.

Culture: According to the age and interests of the child aspects of music, art, geography, botany, zoology, world communities are introduced