Numeracy in Early Childhood (EDUC90899)

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates should be able to:

Graduate Standards refers to the Graduate-level Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.

• Critically reflect on research into how students learn and understand the concepts, substance, structure and implications for effective teaching practice, including the creation of effective learning environments (Graduate Standards 1.2, 1.5, 2.1, 3.2, 3.6)
• Understand how to design lesson plans and learning sequences, using knowledge of student learning, curriculum, assessment, reporting as well as effective teaching resources (Graduate Standards 1.2, 1.5, 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 3.6)
• Understand how to set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics (Graduate Standards 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6)
• Select appropriate strategies to differentiate teaching to meet specific needs of students, including digital technologies, literacy, numeracy and 21 st Century skills in order to engage and empower students in their learning (Graduate Standards 1.2, 1.5, 2.5, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4)
• Evaluate teaching programs to improve learning and to determine the effectiveness of strategies and resources (Graduate Standards 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1)
• Identify assessment strategies including formal and informal diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess and to support students’ learning (Graduate Standards 2.3, 3.4, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4)
• Demonstrate understanding of the progression points in mathematics learning trajectories and their intersection with the National Quality Standards, the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, and state and national school mathematics curricula for mathematics in the early years of school (Graduate Standards 2.1, 2.3)
• Demonstrate pedagogical content knowledge, seeking out additional information to supplement their own knowledge (Graduate Standards 2.1, 2.5, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4)
• Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies, including the implementation of ICT that can be used to engage children in learning and improve learning outcomes (Graduate Standards 2.6, 3.4)
• Evaluate teaching impact on children’s learning through ongoing formative assessment and differentiate learning experiences to impact constructively on children’s learning outcomes (Graduate Standard 1.5)

Generic skills

This subject will develop the following set of key transferable skills:

• Clinical reasoning and thinking
• Problem solving
• Evidence based decision making
• Creativity and innovation
• Teamwork and professional collaboration
• Learning to learn and metacognition
• Responsiveness to a changing knowledge base
• Reflection for continuous improvement
• Linking theory and practice
• Inquiry and research
• Active and participatory citizenship.