Developmental Curriculum

Students in F-2 participate in daily investigations in which learning experiences are created for students to immerse themselves in through a play-based approach.

The D.C. Approach

The Developmental Curriculum approach focuses on the use of holistic teaching and learning that is developmentally and culturally appropriate for children in the early and middle years.

One of the main ways in which the children are learning is through opportunities for them to engage in investigations of interest to them. The teacher plans these investigations with the children to make it very purposeful and linked to curriculum areas.

There are 8 learning areas set up in each environment to provide students with experiences to build on developmental skills and literacy and numeracy in real and authentic ways, these include:

Tinkering table
Dramatic Play
Collage
Construction
Sensory
Reading Corner
Writers Workshop
Interest table

A typical Developmental session is held during the first hour and a half of the day and involves the following:

Tuning in - revision of previous learning and focus children, reporter and photographer are tuned in to what they will be investigating and expectations set on what skills they might practice during the session.
Investigation time - students choose where they will work and what they will work on.
Reflection - the teacher identifies and highlights skills that focus children, reporter and photographer have been using during the session to the whole class and uses this to time to springboard into lessons happening later in the day.
Reset the environment - students have the responsibility to put the environment back to how it was ready for the next day.

The different skills and experiences that have been shared during the morning DC session are then highlighted again later in the day during literacy, numeracy, humanities and personal and social learning sessions