Author: Megan O’Connell, Principal Consultant, Megan O’Connell Consulting
Learning from the early years to support transformative outcomes for young people in education, and for life
From the moment a child is born, we nurture their development.
We cuddle them, feed them, soothe them, talk to them and play with them.
We observe them and note their progression.
Are they noticing sounds and gestures? Do they respond to words? Do they vocalise? Are they now doing something they could not do before?
Our aims for children, as families, communities and early childhood settings, are aligned and seem pretty simple. We want children to be happy and healthy, to be connected and to be developing. We measure this in a variety of ways so we can provide supports as needed.
Over time this narrows in schools to a focus on individual learning and core subjects.
As parents and a community we still care about the other things but they take a backseat to subject based learning.
As a result we lose focus on connection and social and emotional wellbeing, cast it aside in the latter years of secondary in order to pursue academic heights.
Is there another way?
What would it look like if key approaches taken in the early years carried through to the later years? What could we learn, and what difference might it make?
Valuing a breadth of learning outcome
What we want for teens is the same as what we want for our young children, although it looks different at different phases.
We want them to eat and to sleep, to find joy in activities, to develop their unique strengths and abilities.
We want them to have confidence in themselves. We want them to know how to learn, and to like learning, to be loved and to feel connected and safe. These are the key conditions children and young people need to flourish (Moore, 2024).
Imagine if the learning outcomes measured in the early years persist throughout school – if we support children to build their social connection, emotional wellbeing, physical health, communication and knowledge.
We could even measure these to value a breadth of outcomes that support all children to develop and thrive.
A team approach to supporting child and adolescent wellbeing
The early years include a core focus on peer relationships, with children learning to communicate, share, resolve disputes and manage big emotions. Children learn these skills at different paces.
Adolescence is a time for social re-wiring with hormonal changes driving the need for connection with peers. Big emotions are at play, and with these the opportunity to wire new skills in managing relationships and connecting with others that will carry into adulthood.
Imagine a focus on this period to build and sustain social relationships. It might look like well scaffolded team based learning programs, with increasing levels of risk and challenge during pivotal adolescent years.
Strong relationships with peers would provide protective factors for young people, helping them to stay connected and mentally well and ensuring they have others that know them and look out for them in times of need.
Given chronic levels of loneliness and isolation facing young people, there’s much to be gained by building young people’s time and capacity to connect with others. This includes supporting school engagement by increasing young people’s sense of belonging.
Young people would be supported to develop and apply tools to manage stress levels and to build resilience.
A focus on mental health across schools would provide teens with a sophisticated understanding of mental health and wellbeing. They would know when they need to seek help and have trusted adults they can turn to.
Like the multi-disciplinary approach of the early years, this task cannot fall to teachers alone. A wellbeing approach to schooling could see co-located counsellors, psychologists and allied health professionals to support children and young people in a non-stigmatising, accessible and universal manner.
Removing the divide between learning and life
From the earliest years children’s learning is a blend of adult and child led – from nature based play to nursery rhymes and story time, parents and educators set up learning experiences and play a variety of roles from carer to instructor to coach.
Play-based learning grows children’s interests and persistence as they complete increasingly challenging puzzles, master complex physical games and make marks that grow in detail over time. Children learn what they like to do through exposure and experience. Engagement is high as children are learning whilst deeply invested in activities they have helped create.
Children are free to be explorers, to learn through cause and effect with suitable guard rails for their safety. They fail and try again, doing things differently and persisting.
The divide between learning and life is non-existent – interests outside the classroom are harnessed to further children’s learning. The children who love science relish turning the celery blue, whilst footy season is a time for children to build their fine motor skills by painting team colours on guernseys.
In a school environment this might mean learning based on readiness through vertical curriculums, so children can progress in areas of strength and consolidate learning in other areas.
Young people could learn within and outside a school building, in workplaces, in sporting teams and the community, and gain credit for their enterprise.
Like in kindergarten, guest speakers, incursions and excursions real and virtual open young people’s minds to the myriad of future work possibilities.
This requires some bold thinking and agreement to carve out space in the curriculum and truly embed student agency.
Sticking with the current system isn’t safe
The skills and capabilities nurtured in the early years are pivotal and provide a holistic approach to human development that needs to continue throughout education.
A new approach is needed to ensure our young people finish school knowing and believing in themselves, connected to others and inspired for the future.
