Years 3–4 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Years 1–2Foundation
Years 1–2 Years 3–4 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10
Information for parentsTHE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM – FOUNDATION YEAR
THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUMThe Australian Curriculum is designed to develop:
• successfullearners• confidentandcreativeindividuals• activeandinformedyoungpeoplewho
arereadytotaketheirplaceinsociety.
Itsetsthegoalforwhatallstudentsshouldlearnastheyprogressthroughtheirschoollife–wherevertheyliveinAustraliaandwhateverschooltheyattend.
TheAustralianCurriculumwithitseightlearning areas provides a modern curriculum foreverystudentinAustralia.Includedinthecontent of learning areas are seven general capabilitiesintendedtohelpprepareyoungAustralianstolearn,liveandworkinthe21stcentury.Therearethreecross-curriculumpriorities that are also a focus across the learningareas.
The Australian Curriculum isflexiblesothatteachers can plan the learning for all their students,alsotakinginto account their local schoolcommunity.
For more information, see our fact sheet: The Australian Curriculum – an overviewforparents.
THE FIRST YEAR OF SCHOOLIntheirfirstyearofschool, students learn through teaching interactions withothers,experimentation,practiceandplay in the classroom andschoolcommunity. Priorityisgiventoliteracyandnumeracydevelopment as these are the foundations upon whichfurtherlearningisbuilt.OpportunitiestodevelopliteracyandnumeracyarefoundinallsubjectsbutparticularlyinEnglishandMathematics.Learninginaclassroomandbelongingtoaschoolcommunityarekeyto thefirstyearatschool.
Each state and territory has a different name for the first formal year of schooling such as ‘Reception’, ‘Kindergarten’ ‘Pre-Primary’ or ‘Prep’.
Foundation Year Learning Areas
1
Foundation
English
Maths
ScienceHealth & PE
The Arts
Humanities
Languages
Technologies
School choice
Years 3–4 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Years 1–2Foundation
Number, order,
sequence, pattern,
position
Connects events with
days of the week.
Creates a text that includes a picture
EnglishInthefirstyearofschool,studentsview,listentoandenjoytextsthatentertainandinform,
suchaspicturebooksor,rhymes.Theybegintolearntoreadandcreatetexts.
Typically, students will:
communicatewithothersinfamiliarsituations
readstorieswithoneormoresentences,picturesandfamiliarvocabulary
recogniserhymingwords,syllablesandsounds
recognise letters and the most commonsoundsthelettersmake
listento,readandviewpicturebooks,stories,poetry,informationbooks,filmsandperformances
writesomewords recognisesomewordsanddevelop
skillsin‘soundingout’words
createtheirowntextssuchasgivinginformationorallyorinwriting;presentinganarrative,whichmayincludepictures.
Mathematics
Inthefirstyearofschool,studentsdevelopasenseofnumber,order, sequence, pattern and position in relation to familiar settings.
Typically, students will:
connectnumbers,theirnamesandquantitiesupto20 countnumbersinsequencesupto20,continuepatterns
and compare lengths of objects use materials to model problems, sort objects and discuss
answers group and sort shapes and objects connecteventswithdaysoftheweek developanunderstandingoflocationwords,
such as above, outside, left.
2
Years 3–4 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Years 1–2Foundation
HealthandPhysicalEducationStudentslearnthroughactiveplay,andpractisefundamentalmovementskills.Theylearnabouthowtheirbodyisgrowingandchanging,abouttheirstrengths,howtobehealthy,safeandactive,andaboutrespectfulrelationshipswithothers.Typically students will:
use their strengths to help others nametrustedpeopleintheircommunity,whocanhelp
themstaysafeandhealthy describeemotionsofpeoplewhoarehappy,sad,excited,tired,angry,scaredorconfused groupfoodsinto‘eatalways’and‘eatsometimes’ moveindifferentspeedsanddirections,beawareofothersandfollowrules playgamesfromdifferentcultures moveintimewithapartnerwhenmusicisplayed.
Humanities and Social SciencesByexperimenting,practisingandplayinginfamiliar situations, students use their natural curiositytomakesenseoftheirworld,andtodevelophistoryandgeographyknowledgeandskillsaboutpeopleandplaces.Typically, students will:
exploretheirpersonalworld,includingpersonalandfamilyhistories
investigateplacestheyandtheirfamilieslive in and belong to
findoutaboutotherplacesthroughstoriestoldinbooks,orbyfamilymembers and other people,andhowpeoplefeel about places
explorewhyplacesarespecialandhowstudentsand other people can care forplaces.
ScienceThroughexplorationandob
servation,
studentslearnhowscienceworks.
Theyexploretheirworldtofindanswers
toquestions.
Typically, students will:
exploretheneedsoflivingthings
investigate the properties of
everydaymaterials
explorechangesinourworld,for
example,theweather
explorehowthingsmove.
3
Identifies a place that is special to them.
Years 3–4 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Years 1–2Foundation
The Arts
Studentssharetheirexperiencesand
understanding of themselves through
exploringtheartsandartworks.
Typically, students will:
inDance,watchothersdanceand
respectthosearoundthemwhenthey
are dancing
inDrama,useroleplaytoactout
familiar events or stories
in Media Arts, use a camera to record
imagesforotherstoview
inMusic,exploresoundswhen
listening,singingandmakingmusic
in Visual Arts, respond to and create
avarietyofartworksbydrawingand
painting.
TechnologiesThroughexploration,designandproblem-solving,studentslearnhowtechnologieswork.Typically, students will:
in Design and Technologies design and create solutions to
challengesthroughguidedplayandbysafelyusingmaterialsandequipment
in Digital Technologies worksafelyonline,representdataas
pictures,symbolsanddiagrams,andsequencestepstosolvesimpleproblems.
LanguagesStudentsmayhaveanopportun
itytolearnalanguage
otherthanEnglish.
Typically, when learning the language, students will:
imitatesounds,rhythmsandpatternsofalanguage
usesimplewordsandphrases,andnon-verbal
communication strategies in familiar situations
readandwritesimplewordswithvisualsupport.
4
4
To learn more about the Australian Curriculum, visit the ‘Parents’sectionoftheAustralianCurriculumwebsite.Formoreinformationaboutyourchild,talktoyourschool.
Uses a tab
let to
sequence s
teps
Creates artworks by drawing and painting
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