Inclusion at IGS
All children have the right to be included at IGS Early Learning. All children benefit from belonging to, and participating in our quality inclusive early education and care programs.
Early Learning provides the opportunity for all children to play, develop and learn together with children of their own age. These relationships are the foundations for learning and provide a powerful way of belonging to a group and developing a sense of who they are.
Through inclusion, all children are:
- supported to feel safe and valued, encouraged to do things on their own
- supported to contribute
- encouraged to make their own choices
- encouraged to play with their friends
- given opportunities to learn new things
- encouraged to participate in the program alongside their same age typically developing peers
IGS Early Learning is actively engaged with the Inclusion Support Program (ISP). This program assists services to include children with additional needs by providing tailored inclusion advice and support from the NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency. The ISP also provides specialist equipment and funding options to address inclusion barriers where required, so that all children are able to participate meaningfully and experience a true sense of belonging within the program. Please see the ISP Brochure here.
If you have any questions, queries, concerns or would like any assistance with understanding your child’s development, progress or behaviour, please contact your child’s teacher.
Supporting children’s social interactions
At IGS Early Learning we promote relationships with and amongst children that are responsive, respectful and encourage children’s sense of security and belonging. Relationships of this kind free children to explore the environment and engage in play and learning.
When supporting interactions, we value children as individuals with unique personalities, interests, strengths, and needs and encourage their independence and sense of agency. We recognise that all children’s behaviour is a form of communication. Children have the opportunity to practice communicating, negotiating, resolving conflict, problem-solving, expressing emotions, and responding to others at the Centre.
Through everyday interactions and experiences, children are supported and coached by teachers and educators to have positive interactions with one another using a variety of strategies drawn from evidence-based approaches linked to emotion coaching and the Conscious Discipline A.C.T. approach:
A: Acknowledge the child’s deepest desire and intent
“You wanted ______” or “You were hoping _____”
C: Clarify what skills to use.
When you want _____ then say (or do) ______”
T: Take time to practice.
“Say (or do) it now for practice”
For more information about how children’s social interactions are supported, please refer to the Early Learning Interactions with Children Policy here.