In 2024, IGS Early Learners will open its doors for the first time. The centre looks fantastic; new furniture, every toy and learning experience that any child could ever want is jam-packed into our centre. But it is what you can’t see that will make IGS Early Learners stand out. Our focus on Explicit Teaching at Ipswich Grammar School has seen some remarkable achievements by our boys and this same approach will be integrated in the early years.
In the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia “Belonging, Being & Becoming” refers to evidence from Australia and international sources confirming early childhood being a vital period in children’s continuing learning, development and wellbeing. The early years framework recognises children as competent and capable learners and promotes holistic, integrated and interconnected approaches to learning.
Our educational program involves a play-based curriculum that combines learning experiences and also teaching strategies that will engage and develop each child as well as prepare each child for their next phase of schooling.
Explicit Teaching is an extremely effective teaching strategy for beginner learners, as research suggests that in-depth instruction and expectation setting helps affirm concept understandings. The consistent engagement and repeating of the instruction with the child helps them keep on track to achieve the desired learning goals. Furthermore, due to the teacher-involved nature of Explicit Teaching, it also helps engage any type of learner. Explicit Teaching is most effective when introducing children to a new concept, skill, or idea. The approach ensures all children have the same level of understanding through methodological explanation, modelling, guidance and feedback.
By using Explicit Teaching as a tool in our Early Learning Centre we perfectly combine the benefits of the practice outlined in the Early Years framework of providing children with a holistic, integrated and interconnected approach to learning that helps a young person’s cognitive development.
Ultimately, it is the use of these practices that aids children’s rapid cognitive growth and advances their understandings. For IGS Early Learners we are striving to provide each girl and boy within our centre the best learning environment that prepares them ready to be ready to transition into Prep.
Tony Dosen
Deputy Headmaster