# Conclusion

Figure 8 Painting smiles.

In completing this free course, you have read about a range of perspectives in learning and teaching and reflected on your own experiences in primary education. You have considered the purpose of education and specifically primary education in the UK today. You’ve explored the value of understanding children’s lived home experiences. To extend your understanding of supporting learning goals, you read about the importance of talking and listening in the primary classroom, in particular when educators support children who speak languages other than English in their homes. In addition, the activities highlighted how creativity and play can support learning, and that understanding children’s own conceptions of play and learning offers educators greater insights into creating playful provision.

Learning outside the classroom, such as in the forest, or at the beach, supports children’s wellbeing and mental health, so primary educators can support children’s learning and development by using different learning environments and creating an inclusive learning culture.

You have been introduced to some ways in which educators can embrace diversity and promote understanding, supporting academic progress and fostering empathy and respect.

Finally you considered the areas of literacy, mathematics and science including the problems of narrow conceptualisations of these broad fields of study. You also read that children often do not understand the relevance of maths and science outside the classroom, and may hold damaging stereotypes that can limit their career and study aspirations. This alongside subject-related anxiety passed from adult to young learner can prevent children from enjoying these subjects and reaching their potential.

In summary, getting to know children and responding to their interests and needs is key to making a difference in primary schooling. Understanding learning and teaching as a complex interaction of the whole child, supportive adults, home and school experiences can afford primary educators opportunities to maximise the learning and teaching in their classrooms to give all children chances to be happy and well supported throughout their primary years.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course E103 Learning and teaching in the primary years. The OU course offers a range of different perspectives taking into consideration differences in education systems in the UK and opportunities for learning and teaching beyond the school gates.

OpenLearn - Supporting children’s learning in primary education today
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