- 520 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
The primary years are recognised as a distinct period in a child's development with significant consequences for ongoing educational success. During this critical time, formal schooling and the associated activities introduce children to new and extended social roles where they learn to cooperate and collaborate with their peers and adults. Children also begin to develop a sense of themselves and their competence in a range of domains including social, academic, sport and music. This edited collection provides specialist guidance in developing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to meet the needs of primary years children. The text begins by exploring the unique characteristics of this age group including cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. It considers the expectations of teachers, including ethical and legal issues and guidance on how to develop positive learning spaces and collaborative approaches. There is an exploration of the needs of the child including facilitating transition from the early years and into secondary school. The text then considers the curriculum in depth including language and literacy, mathematics and numeracy, science and technology, health and physical education and the humanities. A focus on some of the key challenges in primary education bring the book to its conclusion, including effectively harnessing digital technology, developing age appropriate pedagogies, practising differentiated learning and effective assessment. Rich with insights from experts in the field and featuring case studies and practical examples throughout, this is a key resource for both pre-service and in-service primary teachers. Other professionals working with primary years students and parents will also benefit from engaging with this book.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Chapter One
Primary years education
- investigate the role and importance of primary years education in society
- examine the features of primary years education in the Australian context
- reflect on the effectiveness of primary years education in Australia.
The primary years
- What were the features of the schools you attended or the learning environment in which you completed your primary years? Consider the location, number of students in the school, class sizes and teacher characteristics.
- What is your favourite memory of your primary years?
- What did you like least? What did you like most?
- In what ways has your unique experience shaped you?
- What would you change if you could? Why?
Primary years education as a human right
- Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
- Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
- Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children (United Nations, 1948).
- Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence.
- All young Australians become:
- â successful learners
- â confident and creative individuals, and
- â active and informed citizens (2008, p. 7).
- developing stronger partnerships
- supporting quality teaching and school Leadership
- strengthening early childhood education
- enhancing middle years development
- supporting senior years of schooling and youth transitions
- promoting world-class curriculum and assessment
- Most (89 per cent) of the 60 million ten-year-old girls around the world live in countries with high levels of poverty.
- More than 35 million live in countries considered to be very unequal in terms of gender.
- Ten per cent of girls between the ages of five and fourteen do more than 28 hours of household chores each weekâtwice the load carried by boys.
- Many girls are married soon after turning ten, and expected to assume domestic responsibilities.
- One in three girls experience domestic violence.
- Girls aged between ten and nineteen are more likely to die from AIDS than any other cause.
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death.
- Sixteen million girls between the ages of six and eleven will never start school.
- Each additional year that a girl remains in school translates to 10 per cent more wages later in life.
- Investments in the health, education and empowerment of ten-year-old girls can triple a girlâs lifetime income (developed from Zerzan, 2016).
- Using these ten facts about girls, investigate the degree to which this is a reflection of ten-year-old girls in Australia. Consider this across a range of demographic featuresâfor example, comparing girls with boys and Aboriginal with non-Aboriginal girls.
- How do Australian ten-year-old girls compare with their counterparts around the world?
- improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and disadvantaged young Australians, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and
- strengthening accountability and transparency (MCEETYA, 2008).
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Figures, tables and provocations
- Abbreviations
- Preface
- Contributors
- Chapter 1 Primary years education
- Chapter 2 Primary years students
- Chapter 3 Primary school teachers
- Chapter 4 Place and space for primary learners
- Chapter 5 Social and emotional wellbeing
- Chapter 6 Leadership
- Chapter 7 Transition
- Chapter 8 English and literacy
- Chapter 9 Maths and numeracy
- Chapter 10 Technology and coding
- Chapter 11 Science
- Chapter 12 History, Geography, Economics and Civics
- Chapter 13 The arts
- Chapter 14 Languages
- Chapter 15 Health and Physical Education
- Chapter 16 Age-appropriate engaging pedagogies
- Chapter 17 Integrated learning
- Chapter 18 Cooperative learning and collaborative teaching
- Chapter 19 Promoting pro-social behaviour
- Chapter 20 Digital learning
- Chapter 21 Personalised learning: Disability and gifted learners
- Chapter 22 Assessment and learning
- Index