Foundation/ Grade 1 classes at Bundarra!

At Bundarra Primary School our aim is to develop confident, creative, independent and self-directed thinkers and learners.

We believe that each child is highly competent, capable and resourceful and that not all children learn the same thing in the same way, at the same time and at the same rate.
We provide opportunities for children to become engaged in rich and varied learning experiences that respect and suit their stage of development and promote the growth of the whole child, emotional, social, language, cognitive, spiritual and physical.  Children make connections and develop deep understandings in meaningful contexts that are of interest to them.  They have a sense of belonging and strong motivation to participate.

We integrate Victorian Curriculum with a teaching approach in Foundation grades known as Investigation Time.

Investigation time takes place three times a week or flexibily as students require. Usually at the start of the school year, more time is spent in the Wonder Room to assist students as they progress form Pre-School learners to School learners. Formal teaching of literacy and numeracy takes place every day.

 

There are 10  Learning environments in Investigations.

These are:

Dramatic Play Area – Home corner, puppets, shopping centre etc

Dress Ups – enhance dramatic play

Sensory – sand, water, playdoh

Blocks – construction

Collage – cut, paste, carpentry

Easels – drawing, painting

Reading Area – books of interest, magazines, newspapers, atlases

Writing Table – various writing tools, computers etc.

Science – various science experiments

Interest tables- variety of different activities to support current interests

All these activities are interest based, and authentic and enable the children to develop so many literacy, numeracy, oral language and social skills in an engaging way. The children self select their learning .

During this time the teacher works with focus children, makes observations and further extends children’s skills.

The children reflect on their learning during reflection time and the teacher uses opportunities from Investigation time as catalysts for further learning  and for making connections later in the day during explicit literacy and numeracy times.

All our children have so many authentic and meaningful opportunities to learn how to interact in a positive and appropriate way and when these interactions don’t go well, we can help them to restore relationships in an authentic and meaningful way.

We believe that this approach leads to:

• Higher levels of engagement and motivation
• Higher oral language skills
• Increased writing
• Increased psocial skills
• Decreased behavioural problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Play is how children make sense of this world.  This active investigation time coupled with rigorous planning and expectations of the children has proven to be  a wonderful way to develop the whole child, not just academically, but socially, cognitively, physically and emotionally.

It has enabled us to help children forge stronger relationships with their peers and with us, it has shown us sides to your children we would hardly get to see,  and most importantly it has presented us with a group of children who are happy and engaged and eager to learn. We love our Wonder Room!