Building the Curriculum 2: Active learning in the early years
The experiences and outcomes have been written in ways which will help staff to adopt engaging, enterprising and active learning approaches in a variety of contexts to promote effective learning and enable personalisation and choice.
The opportunities in the framework described in Building the Curriculum 3 for developing interdisciplinary learning can encourage more relevant, more engaging and more enterprising learning and teaching.
Curriculum planners at all stages should regularly consider the opportunities presented by the experiences and outcomes to develop active learning throughout, from 3 to 18.
Planning should encourage participation by, as well as being responsive to, the learner, who can and should influence and contribute to the process. This is particularly important for those children and young people who need additional support for their learning.
Building the Curriculum 2: Active learning in the early years
Building the Curriculum 2 was published in 2007, and described the experiences and outcomes for children’s learning in ways that supported a more active approach to learning and teaching in early primary school. The practices outlined in Building the Curriculum 2 can apply to other stages of learning. This section of the website updates the information in this document.
PDF file: Building the Curriculum 2 - Active Learning in the Early Years (674KB)
Active learning at the early level
For the first time, the pre-school sector and the early years of primary are together as one level.
What is active learning?
Active learning is learning which engages and challenges children’s thinking using real-life and imaginary situations.
Active learning in practice
Detailed principles and reflective questions to support staff in developing their practice.
Involving parents
It is important that staff recognise the interests and experiences children bring from home and use these as a starting point to extend learning.
Professional development
At the heart of an active learning approach is the creative, adaptable professional who can develop the ideas that arise when children are immersed in their learning.