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 educationDonna Pendergast2 Primary years studentsSusanne Garvis3 Primary school teachersDonna Pendergast4 Place and space for primary learnersEva Nislev5 Social and emotional wellbeingKatherine Main6 LeadershipSusanne Garvis and Liisa Uusimaki7 TransitionWendi Beamish and Annalise Taylor8 English and literacyLisbeth Ann Kitson and Beryl Exley9 Maths and numeracyKevin Larkin, Peter Grootenboer, Shelley Dole, Rebekah Strang and Alexandra Laird10 Technology and codingPeter Curtis, Darren Campbell and Chris Dann11 ScienceReece Mills and Donna King12 History, Geography, Economics and CivicsBrad McLennan and Karen Peel13 The artsGeorgina Barton14 LanguagesKerry Taylor-Leech15 Health and Physical EducationSue Whatman and Maree Dinan-Thompson16 Age-appropriate engaging pedagogiesRaymond Brown17 Integrated learningEva Nislev18 Cooperative learning and collaborative teachingKatherine Main and Sarah Prestridge19 Promoting pro-social behaviourKaren Peel and Brad McLennan20 Digital learningShaun Nykvist, Christopher Blundell and Michelle Mukherjee21 Personalised learning: Disability and gifted learnersMichelle Ronksley-Pavia22 Assessment and learningKatie WeirReferencesAcknowledgementsIndex

Professor Donna Pendergast is Dean and Head of the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. Dr Katherine Main is a senior lecturer in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University.