Learning & Teaching

MACS Vision for Instruction, One Year on at Holy Cross...

One year ago, MACS introduced their Vision for Instruction, to support Catholic schools in helping children to flourish through explicit instruction. Holy Cross embraced the Vision for Instruction, taking all staff through professional development centred around the body of research called the Science of Learning - how people learn best. From there we drew from our knowledge to develop improved practices that align with the research, evidence and Vision for Instruction. In Mathematics and Literacy we introduced Daily Reviews, explicitly planned for frequent Checks for Understanding and began implementing in-depth novel studies to build grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, analysis and writing skills. 

This year, we are focused on embedding and refining these improved practices to continue our journey in helping all children flourish at Holy Cross.

For further insight into the positive changes Victorian Catholic Schools have been implementing, please read the below article by Caroline Schelle.

Catholic schools reap the benefits of ‘back to basics’ overhaul

20 February 2025

By Caroline Schelle

A back-to-basics overhaul of how Victoria’s Catholic school children learn reading and maths has yielded positive results, including an improvement of more than 20% in numeracy skills in the 12 months since the change was brought in.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) shifted to explicit instruction for its nearly 300 schools in February last year. The method means teachers introduce concepts and skills that students learn ‘step by step’, with clear explanations and demonstrations of what they have to learn, including the use of phonics.

It was the largest school system in the country to embed the method into its teaching practice and came four months before the Victorian Government mandated the teaching style for state schools.

According to MACS, there has been an improvement in Year 3 numeracy proficiency across its school network.

‘While still early days, we are already starting to see the green shoots of the systemic changes we are making’, said the organisation’s Executive Director, Edward Simons.

‘Importantly, we are also hearing that our students, their parents and our teachers are enjoying this way of learning’, he said.

There was a 13.6% increase in numeracy proficiency, as well as a 17.6% increase in reading proficiency, between 2023 and 2024.

The gaps between students who were struggling and those doing well have decreased since the change, Webster said.

‘The method really does provide them with greater support because we’re finding exactly what they need when an issue comes up’, she added.

A child who had gaps in maths or reading could face difficulties as they progressed through the school system, but explicit instruction meant those gaps diminished, she said.

‘These gaps in knowledge, that is what’s diminished.’

This article was originally published on The Age website on 16 February 2025.

Holy Cross Classrooms: 

What's been happening in Junior School this week?

Prep:

Over the past week, the children have been actively engaged in their Discovery projects, settling into routines and exploring their interests. In Maths, they have been learning about time, focusing on sequencing the days of the week, distinguishing between weekdays and weekends, and ordering familiar events, such as getting dressed before coming to school. In Literacy, they have been working on letter names, sounds, and formations for S, A, T, P, I, and N, using these to segment and blend simple words like "pip," "sat," and "tap." In Faith, they have been exploring the purpose of prayer, the symbolism of objects in their classroom prayer spaces, and making connections between prayer and the stories of Jesus.

Year 1:

In Literacy this week, the Year 1's have been building their comprehension strategies through the picture book The Big Egg and refining their writing by focusing on verbs and pronouns. Daily handwriting practice has supported their letter formation, while Daily Reviews have helped reinforce phonemes, spelling patterns, and vocabulary. Paired-fluency reading has also been a key part of their routine. In Maths, they have been revisiting previously learned skills through Daily Reviews and exploring counting and place value, with a focus on multiples of ten. They have used concrete materials such as bundled icy-pole sticks, tens frames, and an abacus to strengthen their understanding.

During Discovery, the children have been reflecting on their personal strengths and discussing children’s rights, alongside exploring many other important concepts.

Year 2:

This week, our Year 2 children have been engaged in a variety of exciting learning experiences. In Maths, they have been practicing telling the time on analogue clocks, focusing on the hour and half-hour. They have also been strengthening their skip counting skills using Dynamic Counting in groups of 5s, 10s, and 2s, supported by concrete materials. During their Daily Reviews, the children have been revising directional language and using number lines for addition and subtraction.

In Literacy, they have been developing their language and comprehension skills through the picture book Pumpkin Soup and exploring the split digraph "o-e" in their phonics work.

During Discovery, the children have been discussing ways to respect and care for things in our community.

In Faith, the Year 2's have been learning about prayers of thanksgiving and reading about St Francis of Assisi. They have also been preparing for their upcoming Prayer Gathering next week.