Teaching Respect and Belonging
Each year, Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week give us a meaningful opportunity to pause and reflect with the children at Greystanes Preschool — exploring respect, inclusion, and what it means to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. It's a conversation we approach gently and genuinely, in a way young children can understand and connect with.
Why We Start These Conversations Early
It might seem like a big topic for preschool-aged children, but the preschool years are exactly the right time to begin building respect and understanding. Children at this age are forming their first ideas about fairness, belonging, and community — and how we introduce these ideas early shapes the attitudes they carry into the rest of their lives.
Exploring reconciliation at preschool helps children begin to understand:
Respect — for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, history, and culture
Inclusion — the importance of making everyone feel they belong
Belonging — recognising and valuing different connections to community and Country
Caring for one another — a value that flows into everyday friendships and play
How We Approach This Learning
Rather than a single lecture or worksheet, this learning comes alive through stories, discussions, artwork, and group experiences designed for young children. Educators read age-appropriate stories, lead gentle group discussions about fairness and kindness, and support children to express their understanding through art. These experiences are designed to plant the seeds of respect and curiosity, rather than deliver a complete history lesson — that depth of understanding grows over many years, and preschool is simply where it begins.
More Than a Single Week
While Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week give us a clear moment to focus on this learning, the values behind it — respect, inclusion, and caring for one another — are ones we try to reinforce all year round. Helping children build genuine empathy and an inclusive mindset isn't something that switches on for one week and off again; it's part of the everyday culture we aim to build in our rooms.
Supporting the Conversation at Home
Families often ask how to continue these conversations outside of preschool. Simple steps can make a real difference: reading children's books written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, talking openly and honestly about fairness and inclusion in everyday life, or taking part in local community events that recognise and celebrate First Nations culture. Children absorb the values modelled at home just as much as what they learn at preschool.
Building a Foundation for Lifelong Respect
Our hope is that the understanding children begin building during these conversations grows with them — shaping how they treat others, include their peers, and understand fairness for years to come. If you'd like to know more about how we approach this important learning at Greystanes Preschool, get in touch with our team — we're always happy to talk it through.
