Foundation –Year Two Investigations

At Dandenong South Primary School the students in Foundation to Year Two follow a play based learning approach based on the Kathy Walker Learning Model. Students in Foundation to Year Two have Investigations three mornings a week. During Investigations, the students participate in a variety of learning experiences that have been specifically designed to develop their social, emotional and cognitive skills. These learning experiences are based on the children’s interests and they also link to other areas of the curriculum such as Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Digital Technologies

Below is a summary of the key elements of Investigations:

• Designed for students in Foundation to Year Two
• Provides authentic learning situations with activities linked to students’ needs, interests and developmental stages
• Includes three focus students, a reporter and a photographer in each session
• Involves a “Tuning In” and “Reflection” time that helps students link their Investigations to other key learning areas throughout the day
• Allows teachers to select and implement learning tasks based on ongoing observations of students
• Requires intentional planning and teaching