Belonging, being and becoming are integral parts of identity.
Children learn about themselves and construct their own identity within the context of their families and communities. This includes their relationships with people, places and things and the actions and responses of others. Identity is not fixed. It is shaped by experiences. When children have positive experiences, they develop an understanding of themselves as significant and respected and feel a sense of belonging. Relationships are the foundations for the construction of identity.
In early childhood settings, children develop a sense of belonging when they feel accepted, develop attachments and trust those that care for them. As children are developing their sense of identity, they explore these different aspects when they encompass physical, social, emotional, spiritual, cognitive and language growth and development through play and their relationships. When children feel safe, secure and supported they grow in confidence to explore and learn.
From the very start of the year, we begin to embed many opportunities for the children to learn new skills and knowledge through play, intentional teaching strategies, routines and transitions. This has given us insight into the children’s interests and their own individual identity, which will help us to create purposeful learning environments throughout the term.
The settling in period is an important stage. We support your child to feel secure and confident in their new settings and the children start building strong attachments to their new teachers. We understand that the settling in period is different for each child and our teachers spend considerable time in these early weeks getting to know your child’s individual interests, needs, likes and dislikes to ensure the children feel safe and secure. This allows the educators to know and understand the children well, establishing special bonds and a real sense of belonging to our TIGS community. We recognise this time may also be difficult for our parents as well. Please be reassured that your child’s educators will contact you with any questions or issues that may arise, you are most welcome to ring us at any time to check how they are progressing.
