Walker Learning at Antonio

The Walker Approach is the result of many years of research and practice in early childhood
development, educational psychology and teaching and learning. We are privileged to be mentored
by Kathy Walker and her associates to help us in planning for and implementing a dynamic, rich,
relevant and highly engaging junior primary curriculum. The approach is already successfully
implemented in a number of schools across Australia with Antonio being the first Catholic school in South Australia to access and implement these teaching and learning principles.

As an overview, the children spend the morning working on their own personal projects and
investigations within various learning centres e.g role play, collage, construction, sensory area,
reading/writing areas. Teachers work as facilitators, recording detailed notes on focus children,
observing individual developments, and providing scaffolding and support for children to challenge
and extend themselves through their chosen investigations.

Focus areas in literacy and numeracy are incorporated into the morning sessions, so that students
have a real and immediate point of reference when we come to explore these concepts in a more
formal, explicit setting. Each morning, children are given specific roles and responsibilities to record,
observe and report upon their findings. These recordings are then shared through whole-group
discussion after the investigations, when students have a chance to reflect on and further develop
their learning and experiences.

The Walker Approach is a most exciting and innovative learning program with huge benefits for
children’s’ learning and development. We are proud to provide such an inclusive and wholesome
learning approach and look forward to sharing our classroom investigations. We offer Parent
Information Sessions run by our staff and Walker Learning associates. In the meantime we
recommend you have a look at the Walker Learning website www.walkerlearning.com.au or ask
Junior primary or Leadership staff for more information about the approach.

“Education is not a race to be won.
It is a journey where every step, every day counts and the end point actually never arrives.
Education is not measured by numbers on a page or a graph.”
(Kathy Walker 2008)