What will children be learning in Prep?
The Queensland Early Years Curriculum in conjunction with ACARA focuses on the factors that help children to be successful in school including:
- English, Mathematics, Science and History
- Social and emotional wellbeing
- Active learning processes
- Positive attitudes to learning
Will children learn to read and write in Prep?
The Prep Curriculum will provide for students to read short predictable test, develop their knowledge of concepts about print and sounds of letters. Those who need more of the pre-reading and writing skills will be catered for.
What is inquiry-based learning?
The essence of inquiry-based learning where children and teachers work together to explore, observe, ask questions, discuss observations and seek answers about everyday experiences.
By selecting topics to study that interest them, children build on what they already know and do. Answers are discovered by exploring resources such as books and the internet and talking to visitors tot he school. Children are encouraged to think about what they have learnt and how best to communicate their findings.
What are children doing when they play?
When children play, they make decisions, solve problems, develop thinking skills, collaborate, communicate and develop a positive sense of self. There are many different types of play and these change as children grow older. In Prep, children participate in fantasy, exploratory, directed, educational and free play, as well as physical play and games with rules.
It also means that children will play in different ways at different times of the school day. Play can occur indoors and outdoors. What children learn during play will depend on the question they pose and the way that they investigate. In this way, play develops social and personal learning, language and communications, early mathematical understanding, health and physical ability and active thinking processes.
How will the Prep year help children when they go to Year One?
Prep is designed to provide the foundation that children need to succeed at school by developing:
- A positive approach to learning
- Independence and confidence
- Thinking and problem-solving skills
- Language skills
- Early literacy and numeracy skills
- Health and physical development, including gross and fine motor skills