Under-fives at Big School
See how one early learning service is making school very familiar for its under-fives.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Going to big school can be a scary prospect for early learners.
There are loud bells, serious uniforms, imposing buildings and hundreds of strangers, but a great school transition program can replace this fear with familiarity, and build confidence, resilience and excitement in the last year of early learning.
One service that does this really well is Goodstart Early Learning Labrador – Gordon Street on the Gold Coast.
This sparkly centre has a rock solid relationship with Labrador State School, and they run a kindergarten integration program that takes early learners into the school – not one or twice a year, but twice a month!
This program has been running since 2015, and although the pandemic put a stop to school visits for a while, Goodstart Labrador’s kindy kids are now back on school grounds and loving it!
To learn more, we spoke with Centre Director, Karlene Catchpole, who tells us that all 13 children in the kindergarten class trot off to school each fortnight with their educators.
They visit the school for an hour each time, and spend one of their weeks in the library, learning about literacy and ‘quiet time’, and the other week in the classroom, bonding with their Year Five buddies.
The buddy system is particularly popular and Karlene says, “At the moment, each of our children have two, or maybe three, Year Five buddies.”
“We started the year with a meet and greet, and although a couple of kindergarten children were hesitant at first, everyone now loves the buddy system, and the older students are someone they can know, and go to, when they start Prep.”
Children without older siblings, or any siblings, are particularly enamoured with their buddies, and the older students are excited to take a little buddy under their wing.
As part of the kindergarten integration program, the early learners also take real classes.
They’re studying Music and Sport each term, which means they get to play the piano and other instruments in the music room, and hit the school oval for group games, like tunnel ball and over under.
Karlene says the children also really connect with David Hawkins, their Year 5 teacher.
She explains that, “Mr Hawkins has young children himself, so he’s able to relate to them and knows what under-fives will find fun and exciting.”
In the Year Five classroom, they conduct regular STEM experiments with their buddies, and Karlene says the kindergarten children really gravitate towards these activities, because they’re based on items they understand, like a school shoe balanced as high as possible in the air!
The early learners are also invited to special school events and incursions throughout the year.
The school’s Deputy Principal for Prep to Year Two, Cheryl Rowe, includes the kindergarten group wherever possible, and Karlene says, “We go along to anything that’s Prep-appropriate, including Under Eights’ Day, family fun days and any relevant incursions the school might offer.”
“We did the Colour Run last year, which was really fun, and at Under Eights’ Day, our children always enjoy doing the morning activities, inspecting the fire truck, meeting police officers and befriending barnyard animals.”
Towards the end of the year, their parents are invited to information evenings at the school, and the kindergarten group visits a Prep classroom to get a feel for next year’s learning.
There are also opportunities for school representatives to visit Goodstart Labrador – Gordon Street.
Karlene is hoping the Year Five buddies can visit her kindergarten classroom next term, like in the pre-Covid days, and she’ll invite a Prep teacher to visit the centre in Term Four.
All in all, the kindergarten integration program is a really positive thing.
It rounds out the school readiness practise that children do in their kindergarten room, and gives them a real insight into what big school will involve.
Karlene explains that the regular school visits build children’s self-assurance and, “Although some children will always be nervous about starting school, our program helps them to be competent and confident when they walk into their new school grounds.”
“Even if they go to a different school, they know how to identify key places, like the toilets, library, playground and office. They also know where they can go, where they can’t go, and what’s expected of them as they move around the school.”
The program teaches children school readiness ‘building stones,’ like being able to listen, follow instructions and stay in safe perimeters, and all children benefit from these life lessons, including those with additional needs.
Karlene says three children with additional needs graduated from the program last year, and although they were a little hesitant about starting school, they’ve now made firm friends and are embracing the next stage of their education.
On a personal level, this is all very gratifying for Karlene.
She’s been working in early learning for 27 amazing years, and never grows tired of making a positive difference in children’s lives.
Karlene tells us that middle-graders she taught in kindergarten regularly say “Hello” when she runs into them at school, and it’s always a thrill to see her Goodstart graduates embracing their potential and moving forward with a love of learning.