This class is taught in English.

The intended learning outcomes for this class are aligned with the Australian and UK early years curricula. They are also consistent with the preschool/ early years curricula for NZ, China, Korea, and most European countries. This class utilises the Michigan Essential Literacy Practices Framework, and the Mathematics Learning Trajectories. 

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Ｉｎｔｅｎｄｅｄ　Ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ　Ｏｕｔｃｏｍｅｓ

1. I can explore the purpose and function of materials, sounds and properties (such as shape, texture, and temperature), and I can manipulate resources to investigate, take apart, assemble, invent and construct the functions of these things. 
2. I can make predictions and generalisations about different environments, and communicate these using language, gestures, numbers, and symbols.
3. I can explore, infer, predict, and hypothesise in order to develop an increased understanding of the environment and my relationship to it. 

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Ｃｒｉｔｉｃａｌ　Ｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ　Ｑｕｅｓｔｉｏｎ(ｓ)
1. What makes something a home?
2. What do you think is the most important part of a nest? 
3. How do animals know what sort of nest to build? 

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Ｓｃｉｅｎｃｅ　Ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｏｎｃｅｐｔｓ
~ Animals are adapted to a particular ecology.
~ Engineering involves designing something to solve a problem. 
~ The structure of something influences its function. 
~ Nests are a way that animals engineer solutions to specific problems in their environment. 

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Ｍａｔｈｅｍａｔｉｃｓ　Ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｏｎｃｅｐｔｓ
~ Counting.
~ Subitising.
~ Comparing number.
~ Adding/ subtracting.
~ Composing numbers.
~ Patterns, structure and algebraic thinking.
~ 2D shapes.
~ Composing 2D shapes.
~ Disembedding shapes.
~ 3D shapes.
~ Composing 3D shapes.
~ Spatial visualisation and imagery.
~ Spatial orientation. 
~ Measurement (length).
~ Measurement (area).
~ Measurement (angle and turn).

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Ｖｏｃａｂｕｌａｒｙ　ａｎｄ　Ｓｐｅｅｃｈ
This class will provide a setting for children to develop and practice their vocabulary and speech relating to the content, concepts, and activities we are exploring. The words we will be using will include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. 

​Vocabulary (or knowledge of words) includes understanding their structure (morphology), use (grammar) and meanings (semantics). It also includes understanding how one word links to other words (word/semantic relationships). Oral and aural vocabulary skills (or, for non-speaking children, visual vocabulary skills) are absolutely crucial to later development of literacy decoding and reading comprehension and fluency. 

Because this is such an important skill gained in early childhood, I use a strong evidence-based and developmentally appropriate approach to vocabulary and speech development. This includes: 

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗩𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
Explicit vocabulary discussion means that, in this class we not only use words, but we may also sometimes talk about them. We might discuss, for example:
~ what does this word mean?
~ what words would communicate what we want? 
~ what other words can we use for this?

While these discussions are explicit, they are not a discrete part of our classes or delivered as a "lesson". Instead, we weave these into our organic discussions while we play, create and tell stories. I do not choose or have a "list" of specific words that children "must" learn. My approach is to respond to children's interests by offering explicit vocabulary discussion that is purposeful, and which helps each child engage with their goals, interests and motivations. This means that children are developing their vocabulary (and self-awareness of it) in a meaningful, relevant and active way. 

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
While it may seem "efficient" to get children to memorise, or rote learn, words - this approach has been shown to have no real value in speech/ language development generally, including vocabulary development. Rather, evidence confirms that the critical requirement for strong vocabulary and speech development is sufficient opportunity for children to engage in meaningful, two-way conversations that are interesting to them. 

To provide this for your child, I maintain very small class sizes and a child-led approach to learning. This ensures that each child has many opportunities to "chat" and "talk" with me and other learners throughout this class about the things that have captured their interest or that they are discovering. I focus on finding opportunities within these conversations to not only introduce new vocabulary, but to also extend and stretch each child's confidence in using and understanding vocabulary in speech. 
 

I hold a Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) and have specialist skills in designing immersive education programs for young children, birth to age 8. I am a former member of Mensa.

Homework Offered
Assessments Offered
I do not use tests or other standardised approaches to assessing children's progress. In this age group, testing it is not developmentally appropriate and in some cases may be psychologically and academically harmful. 

However, as a teacher, I do believe it is important for me to be accountable to both children and parents. I aim to deliver classes that are not just "busy work" or entertainment, but which actively contribute to each child's learning in meaningful and sustainable ways. 

To do this, I use continuous observation of children's activity and conversation. When I make these observations, I am specifically considering the child's development in relation to the learning outcomes of the class (see above). 

I then routinely provide feedback to children. This may consist of: 
~ positive affirmation (e.g. "I really liked the way you communicated your idea with that painting");
~ positive reflection (e.g. "I wonder how you came up with that idea?"); and/ or
~ positive stretching (e.g. "I wonder if you could show that idea in other ways?). 

This is a wholistic approach to assessment. The child's response to my feedback helps me understand of "how far" they have traveled in their learning, and then "what comes next" in their learning. 

I welcome questions and inquiries from parents about their child's learning progress. 
Grades Offered

This class is inspired by the book: "Animal Architects" (by Ingo Arndt). 

The following texts are directly used in the class, with permission from the copyright holders:
🐣 An Egg is Quiet (Chronicle Books), by Diana Hutt Aston & Sylvia Long. ISBN: 9780811844284.
🐣 A Nest is Noisy (Chronicle Books), by Diana Hutt Aston & Sylvia Long. ISBN: 9781452127132.