A focus on teaching in the Early Years
Using current national and international research identifying how young children learn best, Pine Rivers Special School are reflecting on their current teaching practices and considering opportunities to deliver the curriculum in new ways through Age Appropriate Pedagogies (AAP).
Age-appropriate pedagogies supports early years teachers to apply a range and balance of teaching approaches and characteristics of quality teaching in their classroom practice. Teachers are supported to align curriculum, age-appropriate pedagogies and assessment to maximise children's engagement in learning and to enhance outcomes.
Children learn best when they are actively engaged in purposeful learning experiences. The Australian Curriculum clearly defines what is to be taught, and teachers use their knowledge of children's interests, strengths and capabilities to identify the most effective way to teach curriculum content.
There isn’t one way of teaching. Teachers make decisions about the best way to teach particular subjects, content or groups of children and will draw on a range of different approaches. As a teaching team we continue to refine our teaching practices in response to the children’s strengths and capabilities, interests and learning achievements.
Age appropriate pedagogies is a priority of the State Government and as it continues to expand to more schools the learnings and experiences of teachers will be shared with all schools. Information about age appropriate pedagogies, including the research foundations can be viewed on the department website at Age appropriate pedagogies.