The launch of Pre-Prep is an exciting opportunity to improve outcomes for Victorian children, and for teaching teams to learn and develop their practice. The below questions may assist your service to work out the best program model to deliver more hours to children from priority cohorts.
How can the program support continuity of learning and effective transitions? Will some new routines need to be designed?
- How will the teaching team work together to design and deliver consistent educational programs and teaching strategies that meet a child’s learning needs across multiple groups?
- How will the teaching team share information about children’s learning and development where they are attending multiple groups?
- How can we make sure the child’s program includes a balance between calm, restful experiences and more active experiences, both indoors and outdoors?
How can we sustain relationships with children and teachers and educators they are likely to come across in delivering the program?
- How will you ensure a sense of belonging, and seek to understand a child and family’s experience?
- How will your approach be sensitive and responsive to families whose engagement may be impacted by distress related to stressful or traumatic experiences or by a sense of judgement from others?
- What supports/considerations need to be made to ensure a sense of belonging for the child if they are accessing their program through different groups?
How can we work with families to support the development and wellbeing of their child?
- How will teachers develop and maintain relationships with families and how will families be provided with opportunities to contribute to decisions?
How can the program support the individual and learning needs and preferences of the child? How can children’s strengths be extended, and which areas might benefit from the additional focus or support that more time allows?
- Which tools will be used to guide assessment for learning, e.g., Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool? How will you compare and moderate your assessment observations alongside those of colleagues?
- What supports/considerations need to be made to ensure shared educational program design and reflection?
How will your program foster positive social relationships? How will priority cohort children be supported to develop social skills and form friendships with a range of other children?
- How will your service support children to get to know children in a group for fewer days than other children in the group?
You can find more reflective questions in the ‘Your Guide To’ information sheets on multi-age groups, rotational models, team teaching and teaching longer days.
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