Transition to School The Value of Play 19 th August, 2009

August Council’s Children’s Services Section  Penshurst Long Day Care Centre – 40 children  Jack High Child Care Centre – 59 children  Hurstville Preschool and Occasional Care Centre – 23 children  Hurstville Family Day Care Scheme – 100 children

August Family Grouping/mixed age model  All services operate on a family grouped model.  Children are grouped together throughout the day in mixed ages  Benefits of family grouping to children’s learning include:  Smooth transitions, children can be safe and secure with siblings, relatives and friends.  Children develop positive relationships with all staff (Circle of Security)  Provides opportunities for lots of spontaneous and planned individual and small learning group experiences. Children learn best in small groups.  Provides opportunities for scaffolding; where children of different ages and abilities learn from each other. This is a powerful learning strategy in the early years. (and also happens in schools – age gaps and differing ability levels)  Provides opportunities for children to develop empathy, problem solving and tolerance; which is critical to children’s learning and development  Staff get to know all children and families, and understand their backgrounds and interests. This can then be reflected in learning experiences. Children (just like adults) learn best when they are interested.

August Family Grouping  This model may be different to other services you have seen or been to with older children, or how you understand children’s services may operate.  Our practices are innovative and aligned with new directions; in fact we are ahead of many new developments in the early childhood field that are now beginning to be implemented. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is committed to pursuing substantial reforms in the areas of education, skills and early childhood development.  This reform agenda has a number of elements, including a National Early Years Learning Framework that reflects many of the concepts of early childhood learning that guide our services programs.  Our practices are also guided by NSW Children's Services Regulations, National Child Care Accreditation Council Standards, and the latest research and understanding of quality early childhood learning environments.  We employ experienced and qualified staff, over and above what is required under the regulations’ to ensure that we can deliver the best possible outcomes for children and families.  Our staff have been preparing children for school for many years, and have the benefit of professional development opportunities and access to the latest research to ensure that we effectively prepare your children for formal schooling.

August Preparing children for ‘big school’  School is not like it used to be, not when you went to school and not when your older children might have gone to school.  There has been a gradual shift in schools towards what we as Educators understand to ‘best early childhood practice’, in the first three years of school.  When children start school they move from a play-based environment to a more formal learning environment. There are many more people and relationships for children to navigate and the physical surroundings are often quite different. Transition to School programs need to recognise the nature of these differences and build in experiences and understandings to accommodate them.  There are a number of key principles that a strong body of research tells us are very important for a successful transition to school. They include to:  establish positive relationships between the children, parents, and educators;  facilitate each child's development as a capable learner;  differentiate between "orientation-to-school" and "transition-to-school" programs;

August Preparing children for ‘big school’  take into account contextual aspects of community and of individual families and children within that community.  Plan experiences that enhance children’s social development (games, turn taking, negotiating, problem solving – family grouping!)  Plan experiences that encourage children’s emotional development (understanding of the needs of other’s, understanding and valuing of difference – family grouping!)  Plan experiences that encourage children’s self help skills (toileting, independent eating, hats on, shoes and socks on/off, looking after their own belongings.  Plan experiences that encourage children’s literacy (reading for meaning, listening, talking, negotiating, problem solving – family grouping!)

August How do we do this?  Talking to children about school, encouraging them to ask questions or share concerns  Arranging contact with older school children, visits to schools, schools to visit centre (good strategy for parents too)  Inviting school students to visit the centre to talk about what school is like with the children  Reading stories/ watching videos about school  Include school props such as uniforms, bags, lunch boxes and chalk boards in dramatic play areas  Provide reading and writing materials as part of the daily play based program (e.g. menus in the restaurant)

August A last word about the ABC’s and the 1,2,3’s  Literacy – The NSW DET English syllabus states that teaching English must include:  Home language strategies  Talking and listening experiences  Reading activities (listening and learning about reading)  And writing activities (independent attempts and through modeling)  This is all done in our early childhood services through play – play time soon!

August A last word about the ABC’s and the 1,2,3’s  Mathematics - The NSW DET Mathematics syllabus states that teaching Maths must include:  Working mathematically (questioning, experimenting, reasoning, etc)  Number (begin to understand that numbers have meaning and can be recorded in informal ways – tallies, etc.)  Patterns (develop an understanding of number patterns and the relationship between numbers)  Measurement (develop an understanding of different forms of measurement)  Space (develop an understanding of multi dimensional space and position)  The DET recognises the importance of learning through experience and play through their Count Me in Too program.  All of the above concepts are addressed in our early childhood services through play – play time later!