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, infer, predict, and hypothesise in order to develop an increased understanding of the environment and my relationship to it. 
2. I can broaden my understanding of the world in which I live.
3. I can develop a sense of belonging and comfort in my environments.
4. I can explore relationships with other living and non-living things, and observe, notice and respond to change. 
5. I can develop my understanding that symbols are a powerful means of communication and that ideas, thoughts and concepts can be represented through them. 

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Ｃｒｉｔｉｃａｌ　Ｔｈｉｎｋｉｎｇ　Ｑｕｅｓｔｉｏｎ(ｓ)
1. Is change a bad thing or a good thing?

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Ｓｃｉｅｎｃｅ　Ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｏｎｃｅｐｔｓ
~ The natural environment is in a state of constant change. 

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Ｍａｔｈｅｍａｔｉｃｓ　Ｃｏｎｔｅｎｔ　ａｎｄ　Ｃｏｎｃｅｐｔｓ
~ Counting.
~ Comparing number.
~ Adding/ subtracting.
~ 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).

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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 am both a trained nurse and credentialed teacher, and a Play Therapist. I have over 30 years experience in working with young children, specialising in designing programs to improve children's developmental, educational/ learning and mental health/ well-being outcomes in both "typical" and complex circumstances. I have received numerous government and industry awards for my work in both teaching and therapeutic practice. 

My background includes working in universal/ public early childhood education settings, as well as in specialist areas including child protection, disability, mental health, family violence, trauma, and disaster/ conflict zones. I have postgraduate qualifications and training. This includes a Graduate Diploma in Disaster/ Trauma Recovery, and a wide range of certifications in early childhood mental health and other educational and therapeutic interventions including trauma-informed practices, and Circle of Security. Although this class is not a therapy intervention, I bring my extensive understanding of child well-being to ensure my classroom practices are trauma-sensitive and neuro-affirming. 

As an Australian, disasters - and particularly bush fires - are in my DNA. By the time I was 10 years old I had lived through seven bushfires, three of which directly threatened our property. As an adult, I have lived in numerous communities where bushfires were an ordinary part of our landscape. In 2003 I was in an area affected by one of the worst bushfires in Australian history, and was directly affected by the 2020 Australian Bushfires. At the same time as having my own lived experience of these (and other!) disasters, I was also working with young children in educational and well-being contexts throughout these times. Through these experiences I developed a strong capacity for meeting the learning needs of young children in these communities. Alongside therapeutic intervention for those children who need it, I developed a strong commitment to the role that teachers play in meeting the curiosity and learning needs of children growing up in areas where bushfires/ wildfires are increasingly common.  

Homework Offered
 ~ Materials for each session will need to be set up prior to the start time. This will typically take 10 minutes outside of class time. Younger children may need some additional help with this task. 

~ After the first session, there will be a small homework activity to prepare some paper for our second session. This will take approximately 10 - 15 minutes.  
0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
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

The following text is used in this class (with permission):
~ Birdie and the Fire (Andrea Murray & Anil Tortop) (ISBN:  9780994600677). Please note that this book is designed and published by the Queensland Department of Health (Mental Health Unit) to be age appropriate and trauma-sensitive. 

The class draws from reports in the 2020 Australian bushfires, where wombats were observed to allow other animals in their underground burrows to shelter from fire. 

This class also draws from the following teaching/ educational approaches: 
~ Eight-Ways Pedagogy (Tyson Yunkaporta)
~ Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-based Classrooms (Tom Brunzell)
~ Circle of Security
~ Early Childhood Bushfire Education Resources (Emerging Minds & Australian National University)
~ Early Childhood Bushfire Education Resources (Be You/ Beyond Blue/ Australian Dept. Health)