Starting School Adventure

Overview

This 30-minute art-focused session for preschool children (around 4-5 years) who visit school for the last time before starting Year 1 is built around the themes from The Wild Guide to Starting School by Laura and Philip Bunting. It integrates the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh emphasis on creativity, belonging, and transition, fostering children's identity, curiosity, and communication through art.

Learning Objectives

Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, particularly the Arts Learning Area and Key Competencies for early childhood to year 1:

Visual Arts strand:
Explore and communicate ideas, images, and feelings using different materials and processes (Level 1).
Develop understanding of ideas and cultural stories through creating and responding to artwork.
Key Competencies:
Relating to others: Participate in shared experiences.
Managing self: Express ideas and feelings in creative forms.
Thinking: Use imagination to create and explore.
Using language, symbols, and texts: Communicate stories and ideas visually.
Support children transitioning into school by expressing their feelings and ideas about this new experience through art.

Resources Needed

The Wild Guide to Starting School book (Laura and Philip Bunting)
Large sheets of paper or individual art boards
Variety of art materials: crayons, coloured pencils, markers, watercolours, glue, scissors, paper scraps (coloured and textured), natural materials (leaves, twigs)
Visual supports: images from the book and school environment photos
Aprons for art activities

Lesson Plan

Time	Activity	Details & Purpose
0–7 mins	Welcome & Story Time	Gather students comfortably; read The Wild Guide to Starting School aloud using expressive voices and showing pictures clearly. Pause to discuss some pictures and ideas about starting school, feelings (excited, curious, a little scared). This builds oral language and emotional understanding relevant to transition. Engagement with the text supports literacy and vocabulary development as recommended in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh literacy integration approach.
7–10 mins	Group Discussion	Invite children to share their thoughts about starting school—what they are looking forward to or are curious about. Connect their ideas to themes from the book and the school environment. Facilitate using simple language and visual prompts, respecting diverse backgrounds and experiences. This promotes relating to others, communication, and identity development.
10–25 mins	Creative Art Exploration: My School Adventure	Children create their own artworks inspired by the story and their feelings about starting school. Encourage them to include elements like school uniforms, friends, teachers, playgrounds, or any symbols that represent school to them. Provide varied materials to suit individual preferences, fostering exploration and creativity. Move around the group offering prompts and acknowledging their ideas, supporting managing self and thinking competencies. The activity links to the Arts curriculum level 1 and supports communication of personal narratives visually.
25–28 mins	Sharing & Reflection	Invite each child to show their artwork and say one or two things about it if they wish. Validate all contributions, supporting confidence and oral language development. This moment strengthens community and participation key competencies.
28–30 mins	Clean up & Transition Talk	Briefly discuss how coming to school is an adventure and that they'll soon get to make more art and stories. Highlight that feelings like those in the story are normal. Engage children in helping tidy up, modelling responsibility and belonging.

Differentiation and Inclusion

Scaffold language and provide visual supports for children who are emergent English speakers or have communication needs.
Allow different modes of expression (e.g., drawing, collage, or guided assistance) to ensure all can participate meaningfully.
Use culturally responsive practices by acknowledging diverse backgrounds and inviting children to include aspects of their own culture in their artwork.

Assessment and Reflection

Use observation during discussion and art-making to note children's ability to express feelings and ideas about school.
Assess participation in group sharing and use of materials collaboratively.
Informally document artworks and comments to reflect children's understanding of transition and their emerging identity as new learners.
Plan follow-up support or themes based on children's expressed feelings (e.g., follow-up stories, role-play about school routines).

This plan integrates key parts from the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, focusing on creativity, emotional literacy, and inclusive, student-centred learning, supporting successful transition to school through the arts. It respects the importance of The Wild Guide to Starting School as a rich, culturally sensitive text for these learners and draws connections between literacy, wellbeing, and the arts as foundational for early learning success.