Understanding what's in the new early years curriculum will help your school to be well prepared for its rollout.

The second drafts of the K-2 Syllabus documents for English and Mathematics are currently available for public consultation, with their full release slated for November 2021.

The new syllabuses will incorporate much-anticipated changes to make the delivery of curriculum in the early years more effective for students, provide greater support to teachers, and, with their user-friendly digital publication, they will be easier to access.

The new curriculums provide scope for teachers to cater flexibly for the diverse range of learners in their schools.

“The purpose of these two documents is not only to ensure that we build stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy for our students, but that we also provide teachers with really clear guidelines around how best to do that.”

Understanding some of the changes to the syllabuses will support schools to begin planning for full mandatory implementation at the beginning of 2023. This will include allocating time and budgets for professional learning.

Sue Pike, AISNSW Teaching and Learning Consultant, says the K-2 syllabuses are grounded in evidence-based research on what is effective in teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy to lift the foundation skills of young students.

“The reason why English and Maths K-2 syllabuses are coming out first is that one of the NSW Government’s absolute priorities is to ensure we build stronger foundations in these two critical areas for future learning,” Sue says.

Sue Pike, AISNSW Teaching and Learning Consultant.

“The purpose of these two documents is not only to ensure that we build stronger foundations in literacy and numeracy for our students, but that we also provide teachers with really clear guidelines around how best to do that.”

Both syllabuses have been overhauled to provide curriculum outcomes and content that are clearer for teachers to understand and also to assess student achievement. The content has also been structured in such a way that it is sequential, supporting teachers to know how skills build upon each other and where to take students next as they master prior knowledge and skills.

“NESA has really unpacked in great detail the steps that teachers can go through to make sure that each component is addressed effectively,” Sue says.

Additionally, by highlighting the importance of conceptual understanding, which requires deeper and higher-order thinking, as well as focusing on specific knowledge and skills necessary in this early years, there is scope for teachers to cater flexibly to the diverse range of learners in their schools and classrooms.

Schools can begin considering how will they allocate time and support to really help the teachers understand the new syllabuses.

What’s coming in the K-2 English Syllabus

In the English Syllabus, there is a much deeper focus on the six elements of effective reading instruction. Each of these six components as listed below will have a dedicated outcome rather than being embedded within the curriculum as it currently stands.

Six components of effective reading instruction

  • Oral language
  • Vocabulary
  • Phonological awareness
  • Phonics
  • Reading fluency
  • Reading comprehension

“NESA has really unpacked in great detail the steps that teachers can go through to make sure that each component is addressed effectively,” Sue says.

At the same time, there is also a greater emphasis on the textual concepts that underpin English as a subject. English and literacy are not the same; literacy refers to the functionality of language (such as building skills in decoding, comprehension, spelling and handwriting), whereas English is about how we use language in powerful ways to entertain, inform and persuade others in different modes and forms according to purpose and audience.

“Exploring English through concepts such as character, narrative and perspective will invite students to think deeply about the ways in which they are being influenced as they explore texts composed by others as well as how they can do this when they create their own texts,” says Sue.

Both syllabuses have been overhauled to provide curriculum outcomes and content that are clearer for teachers to understand.

What’s coming in the K-2 Mathematics Syllabus

In the Mathematics syllabus, the aim is to move students beyond just developing procedural skills and knowledge to having a deeper conceptual understanding of how the various strands and sub-strands of the subject are linked.

Teaching will focus on students learning to make connections between mathematical concepts. Substrands will be renamed to represent their conceptual underpinnings, for example Multiplication, Division, and some elements of fractions, together with pattern and algebra, will become ‘Forming Groups’.

“Ensuring students thrive in their early years of learning is paramount. We know that the foundation years set students up for the rest of their educative lives and the new curriculum in Maths and English reflects this recognition.”

“The syllabus authors have looked extensively at the background research to help inform what we know about learning in Maths. We want our students not just to be good at Maths but to be able to think like mathematicians and there is a huge difference between those two things,” Sue says.

The new syllabus will also include a greater emphasis on ‘real-world’ application. There will also be a strong focus on reasoning as a key component of thinking and working mathematically.

Ensuring students thrive in their early years of learning is paramount.

“Research overwhelmingly tells us that students who are able to think mathematically have learnt how to reason about Maths, and by that I mean, for example, they’re able to describe the strategies they’re using to get to an answer; they’re able to reason why one strategy might be more effective than another strategy,” Sue says.

“Ensuring students thrive in their early years of learning is paramount. We know that the foundation years set students up for the rest of their educative lives and the new curriculum in Maths and English reflects this recognition.”

K-2 Syllabus Implementation Timing and Preparation

The release of the English and Mathematics K-2 syllabuses is scheduled for November 2021. Schools will be given the whole of 2022 for familiarisation with full implementation commencing in 2023.

Over 2022, teachers will engage more deeply with the syllabuses and focus on the implications for current practice, Sue says.

Schools can access the early years AISNSW Literacy, Numeracy, Spelling and Writing projects now.

“There is a lot to do but the process is being guided and AISNSW will support schools in everything they need to ensure a successful transition and teacher confidence.”

“Schools can start to think about things like how they are going to arrange professional learning next year - how will they allocate time and support to really help the teachers understand the new syllabuses and make those shifts that they need to make in their practice in the classroom.

“They’re going to need time to redesign units of learning and engage in some of the content and to redevelop scope and sequences,” Sue says.

“There is a lot to do and AISNSW is available to assist schools in enabling a successful transition and provide support to teachers.”

Current programs that align with the new syllabuses are already being run at AISNSW with a new raft of professional learning being prepared for 2022. The Curriculum Reform Portal has all the information schools require to guide them in the process and professional learning that can be commenced now.

Photo credit: With thanks to Al Noori Muslim School, Montgrove College, Santa Sabina College, William Clarke College.

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