A Primary Educator Approach and What it Means for Your Child

Many parents have a fear that once they send their child off to childcare, they will be lost in a sea of other children.

It’s true, that can happen.

But not if you choose the right centre for your child.

Giving your child the best chance to thrive

At Gowrie NSW we use primary educator relationships (or key educator approach) because we know it gives each child the best chance to thrive within an environment where they have secure attachments.

If a primary educator relationship isn’t something you are familiar with, we’re going to explain exactly what it means… and more specifically, what it means for your child within our early education and care centres.

children are listening a story from teacher

What is a a primary educator relationship?

You know your child better than anyone.

That’s probably why you’re so nervous sending your child off to daycare or preschool with people who don’t know them as well as you do.

Nothing will replace the bond you have with your child… but a key educator approach recognises that children respond best when they have strong and secure bonds.

In practice, that means that when your child is in our care, they will have a primary caregiver, i.e. a key educator. That person will work closely with your child to understand their routine, needs and interests to nurture them through the early years.

Not only does the primary educator approach give your child someone who they can turn to, who really understands who they are, it also gives you a point of contact within the centre. The key educator relationship extends from your child to create a strong bridge between home and the care environment.

The benefits of a primary educator relationship

Everyone benefits from a primary educator approach. The educators feel a sense of fulfilment that they are really helping individual children. And as a parent, you have peace of mind that there is someone responsible for your child.

What a primary educator approach does best is to benefit the children.

Secure attachments
We’ve mentioned secure attachments a couple of times already and that’s because they are really important. When children feel secure in the relationships they have with the people around them, they can explore and discover with a feeling of safety.

Secure attachments also help children to develop resilience, regulate their emotions and manage stress.

Confidence
When children have the consistency of one primary educator with whom they have built a secure attachment, it gives them the confidence to try new things and to take measured risks.
The key educator approach also helps children to develop a strong sense of who they are. When they have that one person who they feel truly comfortable with, they feel they can be themselves.

Advocacy
Consider the alternative to a primary educator approach. Of course, your child is cared for, but there isn’t one single person who is responsible for really getting to know your child, their preferences and passions. Rather, it’s a collective approach.

In a primary educator model, if there is something wrong - your child is unwell or experiencing an issue with another child or even a task - the primary educator will notice. And they will be an advocate for your child to help improve the situation.

Fundamentally, this is about respecting your child and giving them a voice.

kid is learning in front of the tv

Tailored learning
The key educator approach recognises that all children are different. They each have different interests, personalities, routines and families.

By recognising this and assigning a primary educator to each child, it creates opportunities to tailor learning to individual children. For example, if the children are learning about insects, your child’s educator might help your child learn by showing them pictures of insects because they are a visual learner. Or if your child learns more through experiences, they may go hunting outside to see what insects they can find.

Imagine those examples on a much larger scale, catering to your child’s unique learning style each and every day.