Our philosophy values the child as being central to his/her own
learning. Children are able to pursue their own interests and
revisit and build upon ideas at their own pace.

As advocates of a ‘100 languages of children’, a concept that
recognises that children have multiple ways of thinking,
playing, exploring, speaking and doing. Our approach
encourages children to use every tool they have to express
themselves.

Children at Learning Matters are active constructors of
knowledge, who are encouraged to be ‘researchers’. Most of
the educational experiences within the programmes take the
form of projects, where children have opportunities to actively
participate, explore and question things. Our Programmes
have a strong emphasis on the social and emotional
development of children. We support them as active members
of our community and encourage their relationships with
other children, teachers and parents.

Children are naturally curious. They want to know about the
world around them. They do this by watching, listening,
moving, talking, feeling, exploring and questioning. These
interactions and experiences often involve and emerge
through play.

Through play, children can discover their own interests,
abilities and limitations; they imagine, investigate and explore.
They develop memory skills, build vocabulary, learn new skills
and knowledge and learn how to collaborate with other
children and adults.

Play is an essential part of childhood and is the natural way at
Learning Matters. When children play, they:

• • • • • • • Socialise
            • Communicate
            • Think creatively
            • Negotiate
            • Notice new things
            • Repeat favourite things
            • Overcome barriers and so much more!

Research and our experience have shown us that play supports
positive attitudes towards learning, providing a good
foundation for ongoing success at school and skills for
life-long learning.

At Learning Matters, we view the environment as ‘the third
teacher’. Our playscapes are designed to be open and
free-flowing, enabling uninterrupted exploration, play and
learning. We value outdoor play and spaces and the design of
our programmes offer children equal opportunities for both
indoor and outdoor play. The educators and our team
intentionally create an atmosphere where children can feel a
sense of solace, agency and creativity.

As guides on the side, our educators facilitate children rather
than direct them. At Learning Matters, it is important that
children freely express themselves, make mistakes and find
new solutions. The role of the educator is thus to gently nudge
children’s thinking towards their natural curiosity through
provocations and inviting engagements. This approach
focuses on careful observations of children and is carried out
over time.

Our curriculum for the programmes is dynamic and emerges
from the children’s interests, family communication, and close
observation by educators. Educators collaborate to conduct
planning sessions, compare their notes in order to decide on
invitations and engagements to support and extend each
child’s learning.

In our Early Years Programme, educators intentionally plan,
observe and document children’s learning. This promotes
open communication between educators and parents.
The environment makes children’s learning visible and allows
both educators and parents to participate and reflect upon
their practice as collaborators keeping the child at the centre.

When children show interest in a particular area, educators
facilitate projects to encourage that interest. They document
each child’s learning and growth in a portfolio in addition to
regular communication through photographs, work samples
and daily observations.

The Early Years approach at Learning Matters invites children
to present their ideas and learning in myriad ways. Art,
movement and dance, music, stories are the ways that children
represent their understanding and growth. The belief that
learning and growth can be represented in many forms other
than the traditional approach of being represented through
the narrow approach of a child knowing shapes, colours,
numbers and letters. At Learning Matters we give space for
expressions to flourish and support each child to build
confidence and excitement about their learning.

As guides on the side, our educators facilitate children rather
than direct them. At Learning Matters, it is important that
children freely express themselves, make mistakes and find
new solutions. The role of the educator is thus to gently nudge
children’s thinking towards their natural curiosity through
provocations and inviting engagements. This approach
focuses on careful observations of children and is carried out
over time.