3 year-old and 4 year-old programs

At Robert Cochrane Kindergarten, we believe children learn best through a play-based program which is guided by our experienced educators through intentional and scaffolding teaching. Our educators teach by being deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful in their own discussions and actions. Our educators use strategies such as modelling, demonstrating, open-ended questioning, explaining, shared thinking and problem solving to extend the children's learning and understanding.

Robert Cochrane Kindergarten runs a variety of programs in our 3-year-old and 4-year-old classes as part of our educational curriculum including:

Music Program

Children participate in regular music and movement lessons enjoying a variety of creative experiences through movement and dance.

Environmental/sustainability program

Within our two large outdoor playgrounds, the children plant and care for the vegetable gardens. With a focus on the environment, the children collect food scraps at the end of mealtimes and contribute these to the compost bins, observing the worms in action. We use the water from our large water tanks in the bathroom and garden. The children are also encouraged to reuse and recycle water whenever possible.

Incursions/excursions

Community visits, puppet shows and music and drama shows are planned throughout the year. The 4-year-old classes also participate in community visits and bus excursions.

Mandarin Language Program

Thanks to new funding from the Department of Education, we are thrilled to introduce a Mandarin Language Program for both of our 4-year-old kindergarten groups from 2025!

After thoughtful consideration, we chose Mandarin as it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, offering children an opportunity to explore a rich cultural heritage and develop new ways of thinking and communicating.

Our program runs twice a week and includes both small and large group experiences. Through songs, games, storybooks, art and craft, cooking, and cultural celebrations, children are immersed in playful and meaningful language learning.

By introducing another language in early childhood, we support children’s communication skills, memory, and cultural awareness—building a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

 All of the above programs are included in the parent contributions.