Mighty Minds Educare Mt Wellington

Choosing a centre for your child is exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time, we understand; choosing Mighty Minds means your child will be in a loving, caring and safe environment where their learning is nurtured in an environment that is encouraging to them. We place a strong focus on LISTENING; listening to children’s experiences from home and the world around them and encourage them to participate and share their knowledge with others; through this process, a child’s dispositions are nurtured and this contributes to positive moulding, defining the adults they become.

Tui Room

(0 - 2 years)

Our practice in the nursery room is greatly influenced by the Pikler Approach to raise healthy babies. This approach is based on renowned Hungarian paediatrician Emmi Pikler’s research into gross motor development and emphasizes treating babies with respect. Here are our guiding principles:

• We give our full attention - especially when involved in a Caring Activity.
• Slow Down.
• Build Trust, and your Relationship, during the Caring activity times.
• Babies are never put into a position which they cannot get into by themselves.
• Allow babies uninterrupted time for play.
• Babies send us cues all the time. Tune in respectfully.

Simply said; Dr. Pikler reminded us that babies are unique individuals and we should treat them as such

Kea Room

(2 ~ 3 1⁄2 years)

Toddlers are naturally inquisitive and busy; our programme for toddlers have taken into account for them not being fully independent, curious, their short concentration span and their love for getting involved. Inspired by the Reggio philosophy, children in this room will be encouraged to make decisions for their own learning, they will be encouraged to communicate their ideas and will be given the opportunity to test their own hypothesis. Through this, toddlers will communicate and test their own ideas and gain confidence in the process.

We also understand that toddlers are still young, that’s why it is still important for us to be there for them and support them in situations that they are unable to resolve yet. We will encourage them to develop friendships and try new things. We will also ensure that we are there to support them when they need us.

How do we achieve this?

• We listen and observe before interacting
• We provide opportunities for spontaneous play
• We give children time to practice what they know
• We are there to support when they need help
• We provide a wide range of opportunities and experiences
• We encourage children to express their ideas
• We praise them for their effort
• We have lots of magical cuddles to give away for those who need it

Pukeko Room

(3 1⁄2 ~ 6 years)

Preschoolers come in all shapes and sizes; they are full of ideas and energy and they have an eagerness to discover new things. At this age, they are hungry for new information and experiences and the opportunity to try out their ideas. They are also eager to show us what they understand about the world and what they can do, and they often need recognition for their effort.

Inspired by the Reggio philosophy, children in this room will be encouraged to make decisions about their own learning journey, they will be encouraged to communicate their ideas and will be given the opportunity to test their own hypothesis. We also encourage our preschoolers to share their knowledge with peers or someone younger, we believe that when they are passing on their knowledge, they will gain recognition and self-confidence.

How do we achieve this?

• We listen and observe before interacting
• We provide opportunities for spontaneous play
• We give children time to practice what they know
• We encourage children to share their knowledge with others
• We are there to support when they need help
• We provide a wide range of opportunities and experiences
• We encourage children to express their ideas
• We provide opportunity for children to test their ideas
• We praise them for their effort
• Most importantly; we have fun while doing it

Our Motto

We focus on children’s contribution to their own learning and encourage them to share their knowledge with others. We believe that educators are children’s partners in learning and that children have the ability to plan and direct their own learning. So listening, observing, interacting, and learning is at the centre of our programme.