Successful Foundations is a project which supports the positive transition to school of Kindergarten children and their families through a system wide implementation of the Early Learning Policy for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. As Kindergarten classrooms come to life over the next few weeks, Early Learning Experts Bridie Stanger and Taylor Stokes share their insights into this innovative project and how it supports our youngest learners as they take their first steps in school.
Provocations
Provocations are important components of Successful Foundations, and therefore an important component of play. Provocations remain a part of teaching and learning after Successful Foundations ends. Provocations stimulate a response or an action. Teachers provide the resources and ‘loose parts’, making thoughtful and deliberate decision and children are trusted to develop their thinking skills and understandings. This enables children to develop skills of creativity, inventiveness and flexibility in thinking planning and reflecting.
Successful Foundations involves the implementation of provocations to support the transition to school. Our teachers implement a range of open-ended and carefully designed provocations for play that can be documented, analysed, shared and used to inform subsequent planning for learning. The emphasis on play, with intentional and meaningful ‘loose parts’, offers children opportunities to demonstrate what they know in non-threatening situations and is intended to provide each child with a positive and affirming first experience of school regardless of prior experience. Successful Foundations reinforces a commitment to ‘the school being ready for the child’ rather than the expectation that the ‘child should be ready for school’ (Dockett & Perry, 2014).
The five provocations within Successful Foundations are:
- Dramatic play which involves children in imaginative social play with familiar resources and supports self-identity and emerging social relationships and group membership.
- Blocks and boxes which supports children to participate in creative constructive play, making, building and using individual and collaborative problem solving and fine motor skills.
- Maps in my world which enables children to explore their local environment and to represent their understandings through drawing, writing and symbolic representation.
- Sharing stories which engages children in speaking, listening, responding to, composing and presenting stories using a range of materials.
- Being outdoors which provides children with time to be a friend to others and all living creatures, and to experience awe and wonder through open-ended physical and sensory engagement outdoors.
Whether within Successful Foundations, or accessing Early Stage One curriculum in Kindergarten; provocations engage children as creative, collaborative and imaginative problem solvers, making learning personally meaningful. Provocations both support and require the teacher to make decisions about school context, resources and the needs, interests and capabilities of the children. Children delight us every day with their wonderings, thinking, capabilities and interests. How fortunate we all are to be part of their lives.
Successful Foundations reinforces the commitment from our schools to being ready to support your child.
