The early years of a child’s life are a pivotal and precious learning period. From birth to around age eight the brain’s architecture is developing rapidly, absorbing information and experiences which become the bedrock for lifelong habits and thought processes. Hence, C3’s Early Learning Programs (also implemented at their ELC centre at C3 Childcare Group) are designed with a central philosophy: to provide children with a strong foundational start.
We’re thrilled to announce that C3 has recently rolled out two new initiatives created for children aged 2-8; the Mindful Readers Program and Mindful Maths Program. With a focus on mindful learning, these programs follow The Early Years Learning Framework in literacy and numeracy set by the Australian Government Department of Education. As well as covering the academic fundamentals, the focus is on kindling a child’s love for learning, nurturing their resilience, and helping them develop essential social and emotional skills.
The power of the brain
Christine Wan, Co-owner of C3, emphasises that the way in which individuals tackle educational challenges can significantly influence the opportunities they pursue and how confident they are in their abilities.
“All throughout our education centres the philosophy is that when you’re telling your brain that you can do something, you’re fostering a growth mindset,” she says.
Early learning is especially focused on setting up the right mindset to harness the brain’s potential. By shaping neural pathways, children can tackle problems effectively.
“You know how people say things like ‘I don’t have a maths brain?’ Well, everybody has the ability to do maths – everybody. It’s just the power of the brain. If we are conditioning our neural pathways to be able to solve a particular problem in a particular way, that means we’ve set a foundation for that concept. Then, the next part is to build on that concept, widen our ability, and create different synapses in the brain,” Christine explains.
Christine’s philosophy aims to establish this ‘can do’ attitude right from the start of any child’s learning journey, enabling C3 Childcare to provide the best formative environment for school readiness.
The Mindful Readers Program
The achievements of children in the Mindful Readers Program demonstrate how efficiently young minds can acquire new skills with the right attitude and tools. Christine says that when children are taught to decode words rather than learning them through memorisation or rote learning, the process can even be quite fun.
“Our specialty is helping kids read any word, nonsensical or not. It’s all about teaching kids to code, decode, and break down words,” enthuses Christine.
She continues, “It turns into a fun game for them, like teaching them a secret language. Our youngest learner to achieve this was 18 months old.” Christine enthuses that the child was reading Year 5 level words by the age of 3.5 years old.
Making this potentially daunting process feel like a bit like a game of hangman helps children easily adapt to it, empowering them and boosting their confidence.
The Mindful Maths Program
Building a robust foundation in maths is essential. Christine’s objective for the Mindful Maths Program is clear: “To set kids up with a solid maths foundation.”
She elaborates, “The concept of adding means more, subtraction means less, and we just put names to these actions. It’s really about helping kids understand that.”
For a child to have any interest in learning a new concept, Christine says an educator needs to help the child see how it could personally benefit them.
“Children have basic instincts to fulfill their own needs. From the minute they’re born, it’s working out ‘what’s in it for me?’ that will get them motivated,” she explains.
For this reason, the focus during the early years is as much on appreciating the significance of maths as it is on mastering the equations themselves.
Using relevant, real-world examples also helps when learning the foundations of science. When looking at anything from animals to beehives, trees, or even a child falling off a bike, they all can be related to science concepts.
On the horizon: The Music Program
Along with the Mindful Maths and Mindful Readers programs, C3 are also looking forward to introducing a music program, focusing on the wide array of benefits that music provides young learners. Beyond its positive impact on brain development, learning an instrument can boost confidence, help children engage with others, and develop a sense of self-mastery.
Interested in finding out more about C3’s Early Learning Programs? We’re here to answer any questions and help you find the perfect service for your child. Enquire on our websites https://c3educationgroup.com/contact/ or www.c3childcaregroup.com.au or call us on
📞 1300 235 437 (1300 C3 KIDS).
