A chasm has opened up between early childhood learning and the first years of compulsory schooling. Kids go from playing to being tested in the blink of an eye, and their learning is poorer for it.
Grammatical nous has been found to give students a broader understanding of their own language and a key to learning others. The problem is, teachers aren’t being equipped to teach it.
What started out as a community project with local schoolchildren has garnered an official endorsement and countless memes. It has also sparked a national conversation
Cath Pearn, Australian Council for Educational Research
For years you may have been adding and subtracting numbers in your head in a certain way, but these strategies were never formally taught at school. Now they are, and they all have names.
Students in Year 3 had slightly higher results in NAPLAN if they were held back. By Year 9 students who were held back did no better on NAPLAN tests than those sent when first eligible.
If you suspect your child – whether they are in early childhood education and care, primary or secondary school – has a questionable friend, here are some tips on how to deal with it.
One-quarter of children who start school aren’t developmentally ready. Play-based learning in the early years of school can help with the transition, as well as providing a host of other benefits.