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