The research of Psychologist Nathan Wallis is having a huge impact on the type of teaching and learning at St Teresa's in Riccarton.

Over the last three and a half years, we have been implementing a Play-based system. We had strong feelings that we were not meeting their needs when overloading students cognitively in a structured environment. Students were coming to school physically and cognitively not prepared to engage with the formal curriculum. Play-based learning is what Personalised learning looks like for 5 and 7-year olds. Developing every person’s potential by providing an environment that no longer generate failures simply because some individuals can’t conform to, and succeed in, a one-size-fits-all system.

Opportunities to listen to and work with Nathan Wallis provided us with much provocation. His explanation of when the brain is ready for cognitive learning has caused us to rethink how and when we teach children to read and write and to question our maths programme. We were fully aware of students who were at the age of 5 failing according to the standards set in our curriculum. Our solution or remedy to this was to intensify their programme, give them more teacher time on structured learning tasks. We reduced the time they had for free play in the hope of ‘catching’ them up. On reflection of what Nathan said we now question this action. We strongly believe that we were overloading them cognitively before they are ready, we were generating failures.

Adding to this we have learnt the importance of allowing students at this young age the opportunity to fully develop their first three brains-survival, movement and lastly emotional brain. By forming secure relationships over a number of years, allowing our students to be physically active and giving them the freedom to play we are meeting the needs of the whole child. When our students show signs that they are ready for cognitive learning we ensure their learning needs are met and well supported.

References:

• Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
• Brownlee, P & Crisp, K. (2016). The Sacred Urge to Play: Unfolding your child’s intelligence, imagination, creativity and joy for life. Thames, New Zealand: Good Egg Books.
• Child behavioural expert Nathan Wallis drops parenting bombshell. [Video blog interview]. (2018, May 14). Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.facebook.com/SelwynTV/videos/894124250766207/ 

Jackie Andrews is a within school leader at St Teresa's School in Riccarton