learning in the foundation phase

Let's not forget that learning in this phase should be about fun. It's all about learning through play and keeping rules to a minimum and within the learner’s level of understanding.

Education at this level has its focus on guiding the child (at their own rate) through various stages of develoment to reach self-actualisation. Perceptual development (see here for an explanatory list of definitions) and sensory growth are of critical importance to the young learner and the environment should be structured in such a way as to give them maximum exposure to opportunities for all round development and to encourage continuous progress to achieving realistic goals and objectives.

Learning takes place first and foremost through the physical and as far as possible the young learner should experience learning physically with their bodies and through movement. From here, learning should then have its focus on the 3D level and finally as the learner shows understanding do they attempt the 2D and thereafter paper work.

These early stages of learning have been divided into 3 stages catering for children of 3 years 4 years and 5 years. For ease of identification the ages have been labelled as currently used in many schools – Grade 000, Grade 00 and Grade 0 who will then proceed to the Grade R sector of our schooling system

outcomes-based learning

The broader, national OBE (outcomes-based education) syllabus is geared to achieve certain critical and developmental outcomes. These are summarised as follows:

Critical outcomes

Solve problems and make decisions
Work effectively within a team
Organise & manage self and activities
Collect, analyse, organise, evaluate information
Communicate using visual, symbolic, and/or language
Science & technology: responsibility to environment & health
See world as a set of related systems

Developmental outcomes

Reflect on strategies to learn more effectively
Responsible citizenship ~ local, national & global
Cultural & aesthetic sensitivity in social contexts
Education & career
Entrepreneurial development

the learning areas

These critical outcomes are the end result of the inter-related progression along eight branches of learning, or learning areas. These comprise:

language

maths

life orientation

arts & culture

natural sciences

social sciences

entrepreneurial & management skills

technology

These eight learning areas are each specifically structured with content and outcomes appropriate to the learner's stage of development. Our very own, Denise Schimper, authored the curriculum for outcomes based education in the ECD ("Early childhood Development") phase to fit into the National Curriculum. Her text books, "The Bluebird Series" and "Spot On" have been accepted by the Education Department and are in wide use.