Curriculum | Learnful School

Learnful Learner's
4yrs & 5yrs program

What will my child learn at Learnful?

4&5yrs Learnful Learners Curriculum

The Learnful Learners curriculum has been thoughtfully designed by an experienced Prep teacher and focuses on developing the key skills children need for a confident transition into school and the Prep Australian Curriculum.

This program has been specifically created for children in the year before they begin Prep. Each weekly session combines structured learning experiences and play-based activities to develop our Prep Readiness Toolkit of critical skills, including:

• social and emotional skills
• communication and language skills
• thinking and problem-solving skills
• resilience and independence
• fine and gross motor development
• foundational literacy and numeracy

Children also participate in engaging Unit of Work “mini lessons”, where they explore topics connected to the key learning areas of the Prep Australian Curriculum, including English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education, The Arts, Technologies and Languages.

While these units introduce children to early curriculum concepts, the most important part of the Learnful program is the development of the real-life skills children need to succeed in a Prep classroom. Through our Prep-like classroom environment, routines and daily learning experiences, children practise skills such as listening to instructions, participating in group discussions, transitioning between activities, managing their belongings, working independently and building positive relationships with teachers and peers.

This intentional approach bridges the gap between Kindy and Prep, helping children walk into their classroom with excitement, confidence and a strong sense of readiness.

Individualised Learning and Feedback

During your child’s first sessions at Learnful, their teacher will observe their development, ability level and learning style. This allows us to plan experiences that build on their current skills while supporting their individual interests and learning goals.

You will see your child’s progress through the new skills and confidence they develop throughout the year. We also provide termly feedback on your child’s development and school readiness, helping parents make informed decisions about when their child is ready to begin school.

These regular updates allow families to observe, celebrate and support their child’s growth over time.

Our Curriculum

The real skills that help children thrive at Prep

Learnful School Readiness Brisbane - Social Image

Social & Emotional Skills

• Listening and following teacher instructions during group learning
• Using safe hands and feet in a classroom environment
• Taking turns, sharing and playing cooperatively with peers
• Recognising and managing emotions through role play and guided discussions
• Ways to navigate social situations with peers
• Conversation starters and social confidence
• Making eye contact while speaking
• Confidently asking a teacher for help when needed
• Making friends and interacting positively with other children
• Building positive relationships with teachers
• Responding to diversity with respect
• Separating confidently from parents and settling into the classroom
• Partnered and team activities – working towards a shared goal

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Independence & resilience skills

• Getting dressed independently (zips, shoes and jackets)
• Going to the toilet independently and managing hygiene
• Washing and drying hands correctly
• Packing away toys and classroom materials after activities
• Managing personal belongings such as backpacks, lunchboxes and drink bottles
• Opening and closing their own lunchbox and drink bottle
• Packing their hat and belongings into their own bag
• Transitioning independently between activities such as mat time, table work and play
• Participating in classroom helper jobs and responsibilities
• Following classroom routines throughout the session
• Building resilience and perseverance when tasks feel challenging
• Developing a “I can't do it.....yet!” attitude and confidence to try new things
• Learning calming strategies to manage big emotions

Learnful School Readiness Brisbane - Motor Skills Image

Fine and Gross Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills

• Developing pencil grip and control for early writing and name writing
• Developing pencil control through drawing and early mark making
• Learning to use scissors safely for cutting activities
• Using glue sticks correctly for classroom craft tasks
• Strengthening hands and finger muscles needed for writing tasks
• Strengthening hand muscles through squeezing and manipulative play
• Using pegboards and fine motor tools to build finger strength
• Play-Doh activities to strengthen hands and finger coordination
• Painting and creative art experiences
• Threading beads and objects to develop hand–eye coordination
• Paper tearing, folding and scrunching to build fine motor control

Gross Motor Skills

• Running, jumping and climbing to develop coordination
• Rolling and hopping to build balance and body control
• Pulling and pushing activities to strengthen large muscle groups
• Balancing and walking on tiptoes to develop stability
• Skipping and hopping on one foot to improve coordination
• Kicking and catching balls to build hand–eye coordination
• Movement activities that develop body awareness and confidence

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Communication & language skills

• Understanding and answering questions during learning activities
• Participating in conversations, games and role play
• Understanding positional language such as on, in, under, over and beside
• Listening to and following two- and three-step instructions
• Retelling a simple story or event in their own words
• Speaking in clear sentences to share ideas and experiences
• Communicating needs and asking for help when needed
• Using language to interact with peers and teachers
• Participating in group discussions and sharing ideas during mat time
• Developing confidence speaking in a group setting
• Pronouncing words clearly when speaking

Learnful School Readiness Brisbane - Cognitive Skills Image

Thinking & Problem-Solving Skills

• Asking questions before, during and after listening to stories
• Listening carefully to stories and retelling key events
• Solving simple problems independently
• Working together to solve problems and achieve shared goals
• Making simple decisions and explaining choices
• Using reasoning to solve everyday problems
• Understanding cause and effect
• Persisting with challenges and trying different strategies to solve problems
• Recognising and identifying their own name
• Writing their own name with increasing confidence
• Copying simple shapes and patterns
• Following multi-step thinking and problem-solving tasks

Literacy & Numeracy skills

Literacy

Developing phonological awareness, including individual letter sound correspondence, rhyming words, blending and segmenting, counting syllables and sound repetition.
Learning the alphabet and about words and letters
Matching lower and upper case letters
Beginning sounds and CVC words, sounding out words
Letter formation
Vocabulary exposure
Talking about books and stories
Predicting what might happen in a story
Retelling stories
Early reading strategies
Holding a pencil with a correct grip
Fine motor skills that support writing
Introduction to handwriting