Early level
Many practitioners have been using Building the Curriculum 2: Active Learning in the Early Years to review learning in their centres and ensure that the features of an active learning environment are in place.
These features include:
- The children are fully engaged in their learning, which is interactive, purposeful and defined within the outcomes and experiences.
- The learning environment is relaxed and supportive with opportunity for observation, interaction and further exploration of interests and activities.
- The learning environment is imaginatively resourced and stimulating, with opportunity for engagement in exploratory and spontaneous play.
- The imaginative use of space and resources which creates opportunity for children to work independently or collaboratively.
In planning the curriculum, practitioners are able to build upon the holistic approach to curriculum design established in A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 to 5 and The Child at the Centre: Self-Evaluation in the Early Years.
They can use the experiences and outcomes at the early level to plan coherently for progression in learning across the curriculum, combining experiences and outcomes across curriculum areas in a variety of contexts, with one frequently reinforcing another.
Curriculum for Excellence provides opportunities to ensure successful transitions through shared expectations of learning across the early stages of pre-school and P1.
It is essential that the active approaches to learning continue from pre-school into P1 and beyond. A collaborative approach is needed to ensure progression within and across levels, particularly at transition and learning will be enhanced through regular professional dialogue across partnerships, sharing knowledge, information, ideas and expertise.