Children’s voices versus Christmas glitz

With only a few weeks of kindy remaining, does the curriculum change? Do we change the balance of our co-constructed curriculum where both adults and children have a voice, make decisions and plan? Does our core focus in listening to children’s voice change? Absolutely not!

What about Christmas glitz and hype? Does that fit into our day? Depends! Depends on the views and interests of children and teaching teams. The end of the teaching year affords a valuable opportunity for children to review, reflect, remember and celebrate. It is also a time of transition when children are thinking about what’s ahead. It just so happens that it is also close to Christmas.

For some families, Christmas is a time of significant celebration however not all Christmases look and feel the same. Families develop their own rituals and traditions.

With all these thoughts in our heads, we continue to focus on relationships and children’s agency in influencing end of year play and events. We are mindful that we remain ‘with children’ rather than lead them in directions that are Christmas focused. We are also mindful that the end-of-year changes, excitement and activity can be stressful for everyone, including young children. Sometimes they experience emotions, both positive and negative, that they may not be able to name or understand. Sometimes it’s just a feeling of being unsettled. We will continue to maintain a predictable pattern of the day while bringing in opportunities for children to practise being brave, resilient and persistent. We will continue to be available to support children in social interactions and provide guidance and/or direction as needed. We will play, converse, reminisce and of course plan alongside children right through to the last day.

This is a time for reflection and celebration for teaching teams too as we think back to the beginning of the year and see the growth that has occurred in these amazing little people. Thank you for sharing them with us.