Teaching and Learning

The Elements of Learning: Attention and Regulation

Supporting Every Student to Thrive

In this edition, I’ll focus on how we are supporting our students to develop their ability to pay attention, stay focused, and self-regulate—skills that are vital for learning.

At Sandy East, we are continuing to embed the VTLM 2.0 Element of Attention, Regulation and Focus by drawing on the science of Cognitive Load Theory, which tells us that our brains can only process a small amount of new information at once. When working memory is overloaded—by clutter, too many distractions, or too much information (we call this extraneous load) —it’s harder for students to make sense of new ideas and transfer them into long term memory. 

To support our learners, we’ve made some intentional changes. 

Classrooms are set up to reduce distractions, with the front of rooms kept clear, students seated in rows facing the front, and table partners chosen to support focus. 

Our days follow predictable routines: a calm “soft start” to get ready for learning, lining up in roll order, using a visual timetable, and keeping Literacy in the morning with Mathematics after recess. 

Our teaching approach now breaks learning into smaller, carefully sequenced steps, with time for students to practise before moving on. These adjustments not only help children pay attention but also make it easier for them to transfer new knowledge into long-term memory—building stronger understanding and confidence as learners.

I look forward to sharing some of the work we are doing around 'Knowledge and Memory' in relation to the Elements of Learning, in next week's edition.