Reaching remote Pilbara locations including outback stations, Port Hedland School of the Air offers a specialised online Early Learning Program to families who cannot regularly attend face to face session in town. Joining the Partnership in January 2022, teacher and parent Mialanda Love is the Early Learning Coordinator for the School of the Air. Using multiple forms of online media, Mialanda creates fun and engaging experiences for registered families to enjoy from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Using the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) mode of instruction, Mialanda provides activities that challenge and develop children’s physical, cognitive and emotional skills, whilst providing them the building blocks for school readiness.
Part of the school’s instructional pedagogy includes supplying learning kits to families that include all the resources and instructions to complement their weekly online learning experiences. Mialanda’s mantra of ‘play over perfection’ is evident in her weekly Facebook videos she shares with her families across the Pilbara. Together they read stories, sing songs, dance and share their experiences. Despite distance between each family, they feel connected to the community in which they live and learn in. The BHP Pilbara Education Partnership is committed to encouraging remote families to connect and learn in this way to engage their children to be effective learners in the pivotal early years before they start school.
