Teaching Primary Years Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment

The primary years are recognised as a distinct period in a child's development with significant consequences for ongoing educational success. During this critical time, formal schooling and the associated activities introduce children to new and extended social roles where they learn to cooperate and collaborate with their peers and adults. Children also begin to develop a sense of themselves and their competence in a range of domains including social, academic, sport and music.

This edited collection provides specialist guidance in developing curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to meet the needs of primary years children. The text begins by exploring the unique characteristics of this age group including cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. It considers the expectations of teachers, including ethical and legal issues and guidance on how to develop positive learning spaces and collaborative approaches. There is an exploration of the needs of the child including facilitating transition from the early years and into secondary school. The text then considers the curriculum in depth including language and literacy, mathematics and numeracy, science and technology, health and physical education and the humanities. A focus on some of the key challenges in primary education bring the book to its conclusion, including effectively harnessing digital technology, developing age appropriate pedagogies, practising differentiated learning and effective assessment.

Rich with insights from experts in the field and featuring case studies and practical examples throughout, this is a key resource for both pre-service and in-service primary teachers. Other professionals working with primary years students and parents will also benefit from engaging with this book.

1 Primary years education
Donna Pendergast

2 Primary years students
Susanne Garvis

3 Primary school teachers
Donna Pendergast

4 Place and space for primary learners
Eva Nislev

5 Social and emotional wellbeing
Katherine Main

6 Leadership
Susanne Garvis and Liisa Uusimaki

7 Transition
Wendi Beamish and Annalise Taylor

8 English and literacy
Lisbeth Ann Kitson and Beryl Exley

9 Maths and numeracy
Kevin Larkin, Peter Grootenboer, Shelley Dole, Rebekah Strang and Alexandra Laird

10 Technology and coding
Peter Curtis, Darren Campbell and Chris Dann

11 Science
Reece Mills and Donna King

12 History, Geography, Economics and Civics
Brad McLennan and Karen Peel

13 The arts
Georgina Barton

14 Languages
Kerry Taylor-Leech

15 Health and Physical Education
Sue Whatman and Maree Dinan-Thompson

16 Age-appropriate engaging pedagogies
Raymond Brown

17 Integrated learning
Eva Nislev

18 Cooperative learning and collaborative teaching
Katherine Main and Sarah Prestridge

19 Promoting pro-social behaviour
Karen Peel and Brad McLennan

20 Digital learning
Shaun Nykvist, Christopher Blundell and Michelle Mukherjee

21 Personalised learning: Disability and gifted learners
Michelle Ronksley-Pavia

22 Assessment and learning
Katie Weir

References
Acknowledgements
Index