Often teachers and leaders leave Foundation students and teachers to themselves and declare that some pedagogical practices need not apply to them. But let’s face it, most 5- and 6-year-olds can run rings around us with their inquisitive nature and persistence to find the answers to something. The staff at Essendon North Primary School have been on a journey to build their Foundation students growth mindset, persistence, questioning, productive disposition all through Challenging Tasks. The teachers will share their experience and application of: ·The planning process: Teamwork, anticipating, developing a trajectory of learning, prioritising play-based learning, exploring key vocabulary ·Spotlighting students’ thinking and progressions ·Using formative assessment ·Tracking the progress and development of students, knowing their next point of learning ·How coaching has assisted in refining their practice

Key takeaways:
1. Planning for challenging tasks.
2. Challenging task selection.
3. Building intrinsic motivation through challenging tasks.