The Prep Year curriculum Learning oral language, mathematics, social skills and problem solving through play

The prep curriculum is based on international studies of the most effective ways of helping young children learn. An annotated bibliography is available on QSA’s website, www.qsa.qld.edu.au. Some of the research consulted (in bibliography): Longitudinal studies: Scweinhart L., & Weikart, D. 1997, ‘The High/Scope Preschool Curriculum Comparison Study Through Age 23’, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, pp. 117-143. International reviews of ECE curriculum: Bertram, T. & Pascal, C. 2002, Early Years Education: An International Perspective, National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales. Brain research: McCain, Hon. M., & Mustard, F. 1999, ‘Chapter 1: Neuroscience and Early Child Development’, Reversing the real brain drain: Early years study. Children’s Secretariat, Toronto, ON, Canada. Effective transitions: Dockett, S. & Perry, R. 2001, ‘Starting School: Effective Transitions’, Early Childhood Research and Practice, Vol. 3 No. 2 Perspectives on learning and teaching: numerous references in the bibliography

What does the research tell us about effective programs for young children?

Effective programs Use play-based and enquiry-based learning and teaching. Involve children in active, multi-sensory learning experiences. Involve children in collaborative learning. Develop self-management skills and independence. Develop early literacy and numeracy understandings. Develop children’s positive dispositions to themselves and learning. Monitor children’s learning. Provide continuity between settings. The bibliography gives details of some of the research consulted regarding valued curriculum in the early years across numerous countries. These are the common components of most of the countries reviewed.

Early years programs … should focus on children: making decisions solving problems developing thinking processes developing effective communication developing collaboration strategies developing positive dispositions towards learning developing a positive sense of self.

What are the factors associated with later success in school? social and emotional competence health and physical wellbeing language development and communication early mathematical understandings active learning processes positive disposition to learning.

Differences from preschool children at least six months older full-day, five-days-a-week program curriculum built around identified factors for success in schooling identified learning expectations that lead to the Year 1 curriculum expanded learning situations include investigations, real-life situations, play, routines and focused learning and teaching situations children’s progress monitored using an early learning record with phases of learning that lead into the syllabuses used in Years 1 and 2 All photos used in this presentation are of prep children in 2003.

What will your child learn in the Prep Year? The learning experiences in the Prep Year will help your child to: take on responsibilities become more independent respect other people cooperate with others make sensible choices about their health and safety develop their physical skills develop their oral language …

What will your child learn in the Prep Year? develop their early literacy understandings develop their early mathematical understandings learn how to be thinkers and problem solvers use their imagination and creativity learn about their environment.

What might you see your child doing in the Prep Year? Your child will participate in a range of learning situations.

Your child will learn through … The five contexts for learning underpin the program in the early years. The research proves that young children must be actively learning through all senses. Play occurs both indoors and outdoors: children use and extend oral language, literacy and numeracy, and learn to symbolise experiences and develop imagination. Real-life situations: e.g. gardening, cooking, visiting art galleries or talking with community helpers. Investigations: may involve actively exploring scientific, artistic, mathematical ideas or social and natural environments. Children learn to pursue a line of enquiry, represent ideas in a range of ways, learn about the world. Routines and transitions: routines such as meal times, when supported by adults, provide important opportunities for learning (e.g. social skills and oral communication). Transition games, songs and other activities provide valuable learning opportunities as children move from one activity/context to another. Focused learning and teaching: often occur during “teachable moments” within play, real-life situations and investigations. Focused learning and teaching may also occur in small and whole-groups situations for shorter periods of time. Such focused learning and teaching needs to actively engage children in interacting with people, objects and representations. It is unlikely to involve more passive, pencil and paper tasks. Children also need to be actively involved in deciding on the direction and focus of their learning.

You will see your child … investigating interests making choices planning with their teacher about the things they might do, and carrying out their plans talking with teachers and other children designing and making things singing, dancing and painting listening to stories playing games indoors and outdoors climbing, balancing, jumping

You will see your child … planning and sharing in make-believe play using computers to draw pictures, make signs, play games and find out about the world taking part in everyday experiences like gardening, cooking and tidying up writing and copying signs during their play learning about size, shape, weight and measurement as they construct things indoors and outdoors.

How will this help your child in Year 1? The prep curriculum is designed to form a foundation for, and to lead into, the Year 1 curriculum. Plan for, monitor and make judgments: ongoing Build an overall picture of a child’s learning and development as they make the transition to Year 1. Providing focuses for describing children’s learning: using learning statements A process to understand children: building individual folio A way of summarising learning: using an early learning record A way of judging learning using a continuum to describe whether a child is becoming aware exploring connecting applying. Takes into account: contexts, levels and types of support, complexity of task, increasing levels of independence

Factors related to success in school (the early learning areas) Specific focus in the early learning areas Links to KLA syllabuses Social & personal learning Social learning Self-identity Independence SOSE HPE Health & physical learning Making healthy choices Gross-motor Fine-motor Language learning & communication Oral language Early literacy English Early mathematical understandings Early numeracy Mathematics Active learning processes Thinking Investigating Imagining & responding Science Technology The Arts This table shows the links between the indicators of preparedness for school, the particular focus on them in the curriculum guidelines and the early years learning areas. The learning areas encapsulate the factors identified as preparing children for success at school. They are also designed to link to the KLA syllabuses.

How will teachers monitor your child’s learning? Evidence of your child’s learning will be collected throughout the year and kept in an individual folio. This evidence will come from observations, talking with your child and adults, and collecting examples of the things your child does. Your child’s progress in relation to the early learning areas will be recorded in your child’s early learning record. There are three components to the Early Learning and Development Framework: learning statements: the summary statements shown in the centre of each early learning area overview individual folio: a dynamic record of examples of a child’s learning and development that contains annotated evidence of learning (children’s products, records of conversations, observations, electronic texts, photographs, or other forms of information); information is gathered with all partners and may reflect home, community and educational settings early learning record: allows teachers to document judgments made about a child’s learning in relation to the learning statements to provide an overall picture of a child’s learning and development across a range of contexts.

It helps teachers to plan for your child’s continuing learning. The information from monitoring your child’s learning is used in several ways It helps teachers to plan for your child’s continuing learning. It is used in conversations with your child about his or her learning. It builds an overall picture of your child’s learning and development as they make the transition to Year 1. It is shared with you during the year so that you have a picture of your child’s learning progress. The Early Learning and Development Framework is designed to support teachers to: plan for, monitor and make judgments about children’s learning in partnership with others. Therefore it supports the ongoing monitoring and assessment of learning. It also helps teachers to: build an overall picture of a child’s learning and development as they make the transition to Year 1. This can help the Year 1 teacher as they make decisions that will support the child’s ongoing learning. The version of the Early Learning and Development Framework discussed in the following slides is a draft, which will continue to change in response to feedback from trial schools.

More information about the early years curriculum and a copy of the Early Years Curriculum Guidelines can be found at QSA’s website: www.qsa.qld.edu.au