Curriculum
The Early Years Learning Framework:
- Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
- Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
- Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
National Quality Framework:
- Quality Area 1- Educational program and practice
- Quality Area 2- Children’s Health and Safety
- Quality Area 3- Physical Environment
- Quality Area 4- Staffing Arrangements
- Quality Area 5- Relationships with children
- Quality Area 6- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Other Link/s:
"God loves every person infinitely. ‘Life and physical health are gifts entrusted to us by God and it is everyone’s responsibility to not only take care of oneself but also look to the needs of others."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church – CCC2288
Families
Read
Every child will experience their own unique journey when starting school. Along the way, children will learn to adapt to new rules, experience new ways of learning and manage the different expectations of a school day.
A positive start to school has been linked to positive school outcomes in both academic achievement and social competence. Initial success at school has been shown to set off a ‘virtuous cycle’ of achievement and learning, influencing later experiences and having a long-term social and academic impact.
Feeling successful in their transition to school equips children to better adjust to further emotional and cognitive demands, both in their school life and beyond. A child’s transition to school experience has also been directly linked to their future success at school and their own sense of self. Children with a strong sense of identity look for and are open to new challenges. They ask questions and try new things and they know they can contribute to the world around them.
Early intervention services are available to support a successful transition for children with diverse learning needs during their years prior to ‘big school’. Early intervention is family centred and support services will work in partnership with you to achieve the best results for your child. One way you can access early supports for your child is through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Explore
- Attend any planned, organised opportunities for you and your child to visit the primary school your child is enrolled, e.g. orientation day/s.
- Do some ‘dry runs’ of walking from your home to your child’s new primary school so they get familiar with the route and the routine of doing it each day once they begin Kindergarten.
- Visit the primary school’s website to explore past newsletters, photo galleries and other information to familiarise yourselves.
- Before the end of the previous school year, attend any opportunities of events at the primary school, e.g. school fete.
- Have fun some days with your child as they dress up in the school uniform they will be wearing the following year when they begin attending their new school.
- Help them get into a routine of packing and unpacking their lunch box.
- Develop a social story: a written narrative with accompanying pictures, made to illustrate certain situations, problems and challenges, and how children can deal with them.
- Prepare visuals for what their schedule could be like (unless you know what it will be). This will help them to be ready for what is next. If a child knows what is happening for the day, then they can be ready for it.
- Going to a nearby park to play with other children and families who are attending the same school the following year.
- Make time to talk, read and relax before and after school starts and over the first few weeks of school.
- Talk about how your child is feeling and try to adjust routines at home to match their energy levels.
Teachers
Reflect
Reflect on your knowledge and practice.
Do not be afraid to ask questions, engage in further reading and use support measures to do with your own teaching to ultimately support a child with diverse learning needs when they begin to experience transition to ‘big school’.
Take into consideration the outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and National Quality Framework (NQF).
Reflective questions for children with diverse learning needs:
- Where have these children come from?
- What are their diverse learning needs?
- What support have they or are they receiving at the moment?
- Where are you taking them?
- What do you expect from them?
- How can you make them feel included and supported, including supporting their families to ensure a successful transition?
Think about the pedagogy in your teaching and learning environment that enables a successful journey for a child with diverse learning needs as they transition from pre-school to ‘big school’.
Think about how parents and families might be feeling and thinking as their child travels along the journey transitioning into kindergarten.
Think about what support you can provide for them initially and what ongoing support they will need.
This is an opportunity to create a foundation of long-term success for early learners and to build strong educational partnerships between schools, parents and families.
Engage
Engage in a learning dialogue with parents and carers:
- Is there anything in the video that caused you to think different about children with diverse learning needs?
- How can you include and best cater for students with diverse learning needs initially and ongoing as they transition into primary school?
- How can you get to know a family’s child socially, emotionally and cognitively by asking the family particular questions? What questions could you ask of them about their child? Could you ask questions to the child to understand them too?
- Are there any practices for the support of children with diverse learning needs that families are successfully using that you can apply to your learning environment?
Some ideas for activities to support children with diverse learning needs to ensure successful transition:
- Develop a social story: a written narrative with accompanying pictures, made to illustrate certain situations, problems and challenges, and how children can deal with them.
- Have visuals around the classroom to help students know what things are, names of staff and other members of the school, where things go, and what is happening, i.e. timetable.
- Circle time: opportunity for students to discuss and share how they are feeling about the start of their journey in kindergarten.
- Read stories where the main character/s overcome adversity and/or move to a new place. This is an opportunity for students to relate to the character and draw connections with what is happening with the text.
- Play games where students get to know each other, i.e families, backgrounds, likes, hobbies and interests.
- Make art and craft so students can proudly take them home and share them with their families.
- Jointly construct a simple list of expectations so students understand what is expected of them and have clear boundaries.