The main pedagogical principles behind Kyne:

Because play is the most neuroinclusive and natural system of learning, it forms the backbone of Kyne. It serves as a vehicle for the pedagogy that we employ to make the curriculum more accessible and inclusive.

Kyne is built upon a synthesis of Emergent Literacy and Familiarity-Novelty Shift delivered by a unique Multi-Sensory Learning interface.

1. Emergent Literacy:

Emergent literacy refers to the foundational skills, knowledge, and behaviours that precede, and are necessary for, the development of conventional literacy. It encompasses the early stages of reading and writing development before a child actually begins to read and write in the traditional sense.

This concept emphasises that literacy development starts from a very young age, well before formal reading and writing instruction begins.

Emergent literacy skills include concepts like print awareness (understanding that words have meaning and are associated with written symbols), phonological awareness (the ability to recognise and manipulate the sounds in spoken language), and an interest in, and exposure to, books and written language. Early scribbles and “pretend writing” are expressions of emergent literacy. Kyne latches on to, and channels, these early expressions.

2. Familiarity-Novelty Shift:

The familiarity-novelty shift is a cognitive process that describes how individuals, including young children, respond to familiar and novel stimuli or information.

In the context of early childhood development and learning, the familiarity-novelty shift is important because it affects a child's attention and interest in learning activities.

Initially, children are often drawn to familiar and routine experiences. As they grow and develop, they become more interested in novel, unfamiliar, and challenging experiences.

Studies suggest that the shift to novelty preference occurs when the child’s learning capacity is optimised for the novel content.

Kyne uses this principle to design age-and-stage-appropriate learning activities, starting with familiar concepts and activities and gradually introducing novelty to keep children engaged and promote cognitive development.

In summary, emergent literacy is all about the early stages of literacy development in young children, encompassing skills and behaviours that lay the foundation for later reading and writing. The familiarity-novelty shift relates to how children respond to familiar and novel experiences, which is an important consideration when designing an effective early childhood education program. The pedagogical principle behind the Kyne approach is a combination of emergent literacy and the familiarity-novelty shift. We recognise and apply the concepts of literacy development within the context of a child's evolving cognitive preferences and abilities.

Here's how these two principles are integrated:

1. Developmentally Appropriate Literacy Activities:

We recognise that children go through various stages of emergent literacy development. Their abilities and interests evolve over time, so we tailor literacy activities to align with their developmental stage. For example, for very early-stage children, we focus on print awareness and creating a print-rich environment. As they grow, we introduce activities that nurture phonological awareness and vocabulary development.

2. Balancing Familiarity and Novelty:

We understand that young children may initially prefer familiar and routine experiences, so we build on their existing knowledge and interests to introduce new literacy concepts.

As children become more comfortable with specific literacy skills and materials, we gradually introduce novelty to keep their interest and challenge their cognitive development.

The balance between activities that are within a child's comfort zone and those that are slightly beyond it promotes growth. As stated above, theory suggests that novelty preference occurs when the child’s learning capacity is optimised for the new stimulus.

3. Progression of Literacy Skills:

We recognise that literacy development is a journey, and it is essential to build a strong foundation through familiar experiences before introducing more complex literacy concepts.

As children become more receptive to novelty, we introduce more advanced literacy skills, such as letter formation, phonics, comprehension, and (later) critical thinking.

4. Supportive Learning Environment:

We create a nurturing and engaging learning environment where children feel comfortable exploring both familiar and novel literacy-related activities.

We encourage a love of reading and writing by recommending a wide range of materials, including books and writing tools, to promote exploration.

5. Observation and Adaptation:

We continuously observe and assess children's responses to literacy activities. Adjust the balance between familiarity and novelty based on their developmental progress and individual preferences.

In this synthesis, the goal is to create a dynamic and responsive learning environment that respects the principles of emergent literacy while also considering a child's evolving preference for familiar and novel experiences. This approach can help children build a strong foundation in literacy while fostering a love for learning and exploration.

For a more detailed treatment of the Familiarity-Novelty Shift, see: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00043/full

Multi-Sensory Learning

Multi-sensory learning is an educational approach that involves using multiple senses to help individuals acquire and retain information. This approach recognises that children have different learning styles and preferences, and by engaging multiple senses, we can enhance the learning experience and improve understanding and retention. Here are the three key aspects of multi-sensory learning utilised by Kyne:

1. Visual

2. Auditory

3. Kinesthetic

Multi-sensory learning is often used in various educational settings, including special education, language learning, and early childhood education. It can be particularly beneficial for individuals with diverse learning styles and those who may have specific learning challenges, such as dyslexia or ADHD. By engaging multiple senses, we can make learning more immersive, engaging, and effective.

Overall, the goal of multi-sensory learning is to accommodate different learning styles and help individuals better comprehend and retain information by playing to their various senses and cognitive strengths.

The VARK model

The VARK model is a widely used framework for understanding and categorising the different learning styles described above. The VARK model suggests that individuals have distinct (genetic?) predispositions for how they absorb and process information.

VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic, representing the four primary learning modalities:

1. Visual (V):

Visual learners prefer to learn through visual aids, such as charts, graphs, diagrams, videos, and images. They often benefit from seeing information in a visual format.

2. Auditory (A):

Auditory learners learn best through listening. They thrive in environments with spoken explanations, lectures, discussions, and audio materials like podcasts and recorded lectures.

3. Reading/Writing (R):

Reading/Writing learners are most comfortable with written language. They prefer to read written texts and take notes, and they often excel in text-based learning environments, such as textbooks and written assignments.

4. Kinesthetic (K):

Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and through physical experiences. They like hands-on activities, experiments, simulations, and interactive learning methods. They often need to move or engage their bodies to understand and remember information effectively.

Most children have a mix of learning styles, with one or two preferences that are more dominant. Kyne operates across all the modalities, automatically playing to the strongest and enabling redundancy of the weaker.

The VARK model is one of the many learning style models used to understand how individuals prefer to receive and process information. According to the VARK model,children tend to have one or two dominant learning styles, which can be any combination of the four modalities. It's important to note that the concept of learning styles has been a subject of debate among educators and researchers. Some studies have questioned the validity and effectiveness of tailoring instruction to specific (and therefore necessarily identified) learning styles, as evidence supporting the theory is limited. However, Kyne does not propose a tailored instruction style derived from a potentially flawed identification of the learners learning traits. Rather, it proposes a substantially inclusive style with built-in redundancy for those traits which are less effective. After all, Kyne is aimed primarily at those children who are too young to have yet fully developed a learning style, let alone be subject to a definative assessment of what that learning style might be.

Summary

Kyne's approach is an inclusive and adaptive strategy for teaching a classroom encompassing a wide range of neurotypes. By presenting content in various modalities that include individual preferences or predispositions it provides a more personalised learning experience. The approach acknowledges that children have diverse ways of processing information and aims to ensure that they can access content in a manner that suits their strengths and minimises their weaknesses.

The power of this strategy lies in its adaptability and inclusivity, as it can cater to the wide range of learning preferences and abilities found within a single classroom. It can also help address the potential weaknesses that learners may have in certain modalities, allowing them to reinforce their learning through multiple channels. The effectiveness of this approach in improving learning outcomes will depend on various factors, including the quality and inclusivity (broadness) of the learning styles we present.

In summary, Kyne's strategy aligns with the idea of providing a more inclusive and adaptable learning environment, which can be beneficial for accommodating a diverse range of neurotypes.