Shellee

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Welcome to Promoting Literacy and Numeracy in the Preschool. My name is Shellee Whiffin, and I am the Early Years Coordinator in Early Learning.

This professional learning session examines evidence-based approaches that promote and extend literacy and numeracy learning in the preschool, meeting the needs of every child using the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).

Before we begin, I'd like to acknowledge that this recording is being made on the Gadigal land of the Eora Nation and acknowledge the Aboriginal lands you are on today. At the department, we recognise the ongoing custodians of the land and waterways where we work and live. I pay respects to elders past and present as ongoing teachers of knowledge, songlines and stories. Together, we strive to ensure every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learner in New South Wales achieves their potential through education.

This professional learning builds on information and guidance for educators in the preschool setting to understand the importance of developing early literacy and numeracy skills in young children. It unpacks the EYLF expectations and pedagogical practices for literacy and numeracy learning in the preschool by supporting you to: understand and consider how the EYLF and New South Wales syllabus form a continuum of learning, know and understand the importance of resisting push-down pedagogy in preschool curriculum, and examine quality literacy and numeracy practices to support teaching and learning aligned to the EYLF.

The success criteria is to discuss and describe the importance of continuity of learning, describe and identify push-down pedagogy, and to discuss and identify literacy and numeracy practices aligned to the EYLF; NESA accredited professional development standard descriptors 2.1.2 apply knowledge of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area to develop engaging teaching activities, as well as 2.3.2, design and implement learning and teaching programs using knowledge of curriculum assessment and reporting requirements.

This session builds on information and guidance for educators in the preschool setting to understand the importance of developing early literacy and numeracy skills in young children. Each session addresses a different aspect, with the first session unpacking the continuum of learning from preschool into Kindergarten and similarities and differences of the curriculums. The second session will look at the laws and regulations around the EYLF and unpack what we mean by push-down curriculum. And our third session investigates quality literacy and numeracy for our preschool children.

Session 1 – Continuum of learning: Teaching and learning from preschool to Kindergarten. Continuity of learning is foundational to the EYLF and the many other documents that guide the practice of early childhood and schoolteachers. These documents tell us that when learning experiences build on children's prior and current experiences, children feel secure, confident and connected in their new setting. That can be found in the EYLF, page 19.

When Kindergarten teachers know children's strengths and interests and the learning environments that they've come from, they can provide opportunities that enable them to feel comfortable and successful. Teachers can use this knowledge to provide learning opportunities and experiences that are familiar and reflective of the student's Early Learning journey. While the Early Years Learning Framework and school curriculum are structured differently, they use different terminology and have different emphasis, both include learning outcomes as a key element. Similarities come in the form of outcomes, use of the teaching and learning cycle, and include assessment as, of and for learning. The big call out in differences between the EYLF and the K–6 curriculum is the approach.

The EYLF calls out child-centred and investigative or play-based intentionality, while the syllabus is skills and content centred, and is ordered and sequenced in stages.

We have a great microlearning that will assist you to understand the continuum of learning between preschool and Kindergarten. It is the third part of a 4-part series. If you enjoy the learning, then make it a professional learning priority to complete the other 3 microlearnings over the year. In order to access the professional learning, go to the MyPL page, search and enrol for Curriculum links – Early childhood, and then launch Module 3 – Understanding the continuum of learning between preschool and Kindergarten. Enjoy and I will see you in Session 2.

Welcome to Session 2. Strengthening continuity of learning is not about implementing a push-down curriculum.

But what is push-down curriculum? In part 2 of this professional learning session, we will examine the evidence in relation to push-down curriculum to understand why this approach is not supportive of the EYLF. Firstly, knowing the legislative and quality requirements of the preschool program supports preschool leaders, teachers and educators to drive a preschool program that meets the conditions of preschool. Section 168 of the National Law requires the preschool program to be delivered in accordance with the approved learning framework, the EYLF. This is supported by Regulation 73 and 74 of the National Regulation, which states that the preschool program must contribute to the learning outcomes of the approved learning framework for each child. It must include assessments of developmental needs, interests, experiences, children's participation in the program and their progress against the outcomes.

By not meeting these legislative and quality requirements, preschools are considered to be in breach of operating an education and care service by the New South Wales Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority. Morally, we are not giving our children or our preschool children the learning that is evidence-informed as the best approach for their development. Financially, the penalty for this breach of legislation 168 is $4500 for the individual and $22,900 in other cases. This information can be found on the Education and Care Services National Law website. Push-down curriculum is the term used to describe early years settings adopting practices that are more related to primary schools. This may include, but is not limited to, teacher-directed pedagogies, increased attention given to academic content, limited opportunities for play-based learning, and delivery of structured pre-developed academic programs in the belief that this will support school readiness.

Research is showing that this is counterintuitive. The more age and child-appropriate pedagogical practices are, the greater the benefits for children's social and cognitive development. It is important to know that when preschool curriculums are informed by a push-down approach, they are not meeting the legislation and quality requirements. This can be seen as a breach of legislation 168.

Push-down curriculum generally occurs in relation to literacy and numeracy. Leaders, teachers and educators may believe by adopting a push-down approach to curriculum, it will benefit children and will adopt approaches similar to those we are about to explore.

You may be familiar with some of these myths. Myth 1 – introducing Kindergarten content in the preschool curriculum extends children learning. Well, that's busted. Research tells us we see increased stress in children, teachers, and families. We also see a weakening of the foundational capacities of learning that children should develop in the early years. Carlsson-Paige et al. (2015), reported learning to be a good learner, curiosity and natural investigation is lost to drill and practice.

Myth 2 – using the Early Stage 1 syllabus to inform the preschool curriculum in Term 4 supports children's transition to school. Busted. When educators adopt an evidence-based approach to transitions, they know quality lies not in preparing the child with syllabus outcomes, but instead familiarising the child to the school environment, to people, routines and practices; setting our children up for success.

Myth 3 – implementing explicit programs in preschool will make children better readers and mathematicians. Busted. Research tells us academic type pedagogy and programs have had the greatest effect on children's social interactions and self-regulation. In Bassett's research of 2015, more children are being labelled with learning difficulties or problems because they can't achieve in the explicit academic program when they are not ready to engage with that style of learning. Hence, we need age-appropriate pedagogies.

The push for more formalised teaching of learning areas such as literacy and numeracy involved educator directed skill-based activities are issues that affected the erosion of play-based learning. That comes from Barblett et al. (2016).

All busted. Myth 1, the research supports the EYLF implementation for preschool children. Myth 2, transition to school outcomes and expectations are to familiarise and support their child to gain support and confidence in beginning their learning. And Myth 3, explicit programs are written for the K–6 curriculum and don't support the EYLF pedagogy required for student-led and play-based learning.

There is a large body of both Australian and international contemporary evidence that suggests push-down curriculum does not support quality teaching and learning in the early years. Research in this space calls out the negative aspects of a push-down curriculum focus, and supports the information within the EYLF and its connectedness to age-appropriate pedagogies.

Barblett et al. tells us evidence suggests play as a pedagogical tool is disappearing from programs for 4 and 5-year-old children in favour of early academics through a push-down curriculum. Docket and Perry report research highlights some of the challenges of collaboration in integrating preschool with school, and the caution of educators about the push-down of school curriculum into preschool context. Kay tells us teaching mathematics, reading, and writing as a way of readying children for school raises concerns over the formalisation of pedagogy and curriculum for 4 and 5-year-old children in preparation for the transition to formal curriculum. And in the OEDC highlights, the literature suggests that there is a certain downward push from formal schooling towards ECEC, particularly in terms of the last year of ECEC.

As educators, we want the best for our children and students. The research and the curriculum supports the teaching and learning to look different. The EYLF supports child-centered approaches so that educators can assist children to count the dinosaurs in their imaginative play, or to write the list of orders at the make-believe sand pie shop, or read the names of the new ducklings that have hatched.

Before we move to the next part of the presentation and examine what high quality preschool curriculum looks like, it is important to pause and reflect on the information about push-down curriculum. There is extensive research examining the implications of a push-down style curriculum in the early years.

This is an opportunity to pause the recording and refer to the research snapshot and reflective questions in the promoting literacy and numeracy workbook. This reading offers you the opportunity to engage with the research and the implications for your own practice.

Welcome to Session 3. We have examined the continuity of learning and the evidence base for resisting push-down curriculum.

Let's unpack what a high-quality preschool curriculum looks like to promote literacy and numeracy in the early years. When planning for high quality literacy and numeracy learning in the preschool, research tells us educators must adopt age-appropriate pedagogical practices. The mandated framework informs the preschool curriculum, the EYLF unpacks early childhood pedagogy, what its importance is, and what it looks like for our young learners. The EYLF identifies age-appropriate pedagogies as evidence-based teaching strategies that are developmentally appropriate for the age, developmental, and abilities of the child. This includes the effectiveness of play-based learning to support children to achieve learning outcomes.

As an age-appropriate pedagogy, play-based learning allows for the expression of personality and uniqueness, promotes learning in all developmental domains, engages children in active hands-on learning, enhances thinking skills, provides children with self-directed opportunities to make connections between prior learning and new experiences, is supportive, inclusive and familiar to children. This means that if children are engaged in play in their classrooms, playgrounds, learning environments, teachers and educators are getting it right. It also means that if children are not engaged in extended periods of play, both free play and intentional play, then these early years programs are not meeting the requirements.

The EYLF learning outcomes are broad and observable. They acknowledge children learn in a variety of ways and vary in their capabilities and pace of learning. Over time, children engage with increasingly complex ideas and learning experiences, which are transferable to other situations.

In the EYLF, the outcomes describe literacy and numeracy capabilities are important aspects of communication and are vital for successful learning across the curriculum. Being literate is their capacity, confidence and disposition to use language in all its forms, through written, oral, visual, and auditory. Being numerate is the capacity, confidence and disposition to use mathematics in daily life. Using the EYLF to guide preschool literacy and numeracy curriculum primarily requires educators to focus on learning outcome 5. However, the outcomes of the EYLF are interconnected, and it is important to remember that all 5 outcomes contribute to children's learning, development and wellbeing. For example, outcome 1 promotes children's confidence to be a learner; outcome 2 highlights the importance of worldwide perspectives and promotes learning, including literacy and numeracy as contextual; outcome 3 promotes children becoming strong in their wellbeing as a learner And outcome 4 focuses on the dispositions children require to be a successful learner. In the EYLF, being literate is defined as the capacity, confidence, and disposition to use language in all its forms, through written, oral, visual, and auditory.

Literacy incorporates a range of models of communication, including music, movement, dance, storytelling, visual arts, drama, talking and listening, viewing, composing, and reading text, and writing. Being numeric is defined as having the capacity, confidence, and disposition to use mathematics in daily life. Numeracy explores powerful mathematical ideas and understandings of numbers, counting, patterns, measurement, time, spatial awareness, and chance, and data. Mathematics and numeracy also include mathematical thinking and reasoning.

While doing this, it is important to remember that interconnectedness of all elements of the EYLF to inform curriculum decision making. So while the focus of your planning may be outcome 5, it is important to consider how are the principles of the EYLF informing my curriculum decision making. How are the practices of the EYLF supporting me to plan high quality learning experiences? Promoting literacy in our preschool space is not difficult, but how do we make sure it is quality? How do you play games that promote listening and following instructions? How do you model language, introduce new vocab, and encourage children to express themselves? How do you engage children in play, and words, and sounds? How do you provide resources that enable children to express meaning through visual arts, dance, drama, and music? How do you read books and engage children in discussions about texts? How do you respond to children's images, symbols, and techniques they have used to convey meaning?

This is just a small sample of play-based literacy learning opportunities that support children and are aligned to the EYLF. This could be used as a pedagogical tool to be drawn upon when you are engaging in curriculum decision making. Understanding your intentionality, such as the language or strategies you use, can help you to select those most appropriate for achieving learning and teaching goals. Use songs and rhyme to support children to notice the sounds in words. Experiment with sentences, syllables, or sounds to help children recognise the building blocks of speech. Support children's vocabulary by repeating and defining new words that you read in a book. Follow this up by providing extension activities to further explore a new word. Make story maps and symbols as a prompt for retelling. Introduce children to diverse symbols and writing that reflects their home language, cultures, and experiences. Provide writing materials for children to have a go at their own labels, recounts, and name writing. Encourage children to engage in art, drawing, Play-Doh, puppets, role play, and dramatic play. And find items around the environment, and explore what is written on them and what the meaning is.

Mathematics involves understanding about numbers and quantity, operations, patterns, space, measurement, and shapes. Numeracy is the application of these mathematical concepts. We can recognise that letters are different to numbers. We can explore objects that move and talk, about fast and slow or slower. For example, with toy cars, balls, marbles, spinning tops, water wheels, or notice and predict the patterns of regular routine in the passing of time. Use everyday language related to money, in place situations. For example, using buy, sell dollars, cents, and change. Explicitly talk about mathematical concepts, for example, talking about shapes when constructing, painting, modelling with Play-Doh, and using shape cutters, or sharing books. Talk about cultural knowledge and perspective. For example, cultural concepts of time could be related to events, seasons, behaviours, or particular fauna or flora, rather than being fixed and measurable in a linear fashion. Numeracy practices may look different in different contexts. Draw attention to numerals in the environment, and use everyday objects and opportunities to count verbally and for one for one. Read books with mathematical concepts, exploring patterning or focusing on shapes in art making. When talking about daily routines, discuss a variety of possibilities and times they may occur.

Model maths vocabulary to children during play, such as more than, fewer, less, and spatial terms, such as first, below, higher, up. Invite children to collect natural items from the playground and ask how the items might be sorted. Challenge children to follow simple maps on a treasure map or make their own. Plan for children to explore objects that move, such as cars, balls, or marbles, and engage in conversations about fast, slow, or slower. Explicitly talking about shapes when exploring and describing examples of artwork, including those from other cultures. And as children increasingly communicate and apply their thinking, build a picture dictionary of mathematical terms. The EYLF identifies the importance of educators examining the effectiveness of their planning and implementation of curriculum for children's learning.

This is an opportunity to pause this recording and refer to the prompts within your promoting literacy and numeracy workbook. There are steps that you can take to ensure you continue to use the EYLF to guide the preschool curriculum.

These include joining the Early Learning and schools Statewide Staffroom, review the links to additional learning resources and activities provided in your workbook, and allocate time to the next preschool team meeting to share and discuss your reflection activity answers with your colleagues.

Here at Early Learning, we value your feedback.

Please complete the evaluation survey to help us provide further support. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this professional learning.

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