Infant Care At The Australian International School Early Learning Village - Interview With Sinead Hodgson, Program Coordinator

Infant Care At the Australian International School Early Learning Village - Interview with Sinead Hodgson, Program Coordinator

Staffed by well qualified and experienced carers and educators, Infant Care at the Early Learning Village offers parents a unique program that cares for the needs of and supports the development of their baby. Our Infant Care Coordinator, Sinead Hodgson tells us what she loves about working in this caring and nurturing environment, and how our 'Love, Care, Respect' ethos supports each baby's unique learning journey.

What Do You Enjoy About Working In Infant Care?

What I love about working in Infant Care is having the privilege to observe the awe of daily wonders in the children, to witness milestones and to build relationships with young children and their families. For young children, a secure relationship is the foundation for all future learning to occur, as the children build confidence as competent beings.

In Infant Care, we have an open-door policy – meaning, the family of the children are welcome to come and go as they please, as this is as much their space, as it is the children’s. We have a fantastic team of carefully selected teachers, who are qualified Early Childhood Professionals, with the same philosophy, of Love, Care and Respect. We are inspired by the Habits of Heart, which promote an awareness of self and connection with others. The Habits of Heart begin at infancy and are a set of emotional dispositions which build the foundation for children to understand their own and others' emotional intelligence.

Why Should Parents Consider The Infant Care Program For Their Child?

Starting your child in Infant Care during their very first months, you can rest assured that your precious babe will be truly nurtured by trained professionals in a space perfectly suited for those earliest stages of development. From the age of infancy, children are experiential learners. That is why we embed the love, care, respect curriculum that stimulates the senses while promoting cognitive, linguistic, motor, and social-emotional development through diverse learning opportunities. At Infant Care, we advocate autonomous, uninterrupted play, which supports natural learning. Love, Care and Respect IS the curriculum for Infant Care.

Every day in Infant Care is different, and we pride ourselves on this. We are lead purely by the children’s routines as we believe in reflecting the biology of the infant and providing for their innate needs.

How Is The ‘Love, Care, Respect’ Approach Delivered?

Love, care, respect is our curriculum - our whole focus is around how we can be more in tune with the child’s needs. We do this through providing a natural environment that is full of possibilities, allowing each child to explore their own unique learning journey. Our team of caring and sensitive educarers are constantly tuned into the individuals needs and routines of each baby, and are aware of the critical role of ‘the relationship’ with the child.

We allow the children the time and space they need to be able to move freely so they can discover their body and learn through their movement. A natural slow and calm approach is critical so the children can feel their way through the day.

The children will initiate their own exploration throughout the day. Purposely chosen resources for the children are on offer, to explore or collect at their impulse. We pride ourselves on the resources we have mindfully chosen. We offer daily experiences to ignite the senses with sand play, water play, utilizing our sensory room, going for walks around the wider school in our six seater prams, exploring the hive gym room, offering arts and crafts, reading stories with puppets and spending quality time building relationships.

What Happens In The ‘Sensory Room’?

The sensory room was developed with sensory stimulation in mind. Multi-Sensory environments improve the development of thought, intelligence and social skills. The space that has been created was mindfully designed specifically for infants. Our sensory room generates a relaxing and calming effect, with an under the sea theme currently, however this will be evolving and changing regularly. The sensory room is designed to increase concentration and focus attention, develop senses of hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste to heighten awareness and improve alertness.

Click here to find out more about the AIS Infant Care Program