Learning and Teaching
Mastery Before Acceleration
One of the questions we occasionally hear from families is whether students are being sufficiently extended in their learning.
It is an understandable question. For many years, education often operated on the idea that once a student could successfully complete a task, it was time to move them on to the next thing. If a student could demonstrate a skill, we assumed they had learned it.
What we now know from cognitive science is that learning is more complex than that.
When students are first taught something, they can often perform it successfully because the learning is recent and fresh in their minds. However, being able to do something today does not necessarily mean it has been stored in long-term memory. True learning occurs when students can still recall, apply and use that knowledge weeks, months or even years later.
This is one of the reasons schools across the world are placing a renewed focus on mastery.
At Lysterfield Primary School, our goal is not to rush students through the Victorian Curriculum levels as quickly as possible. Instead, we want students to develop deep understanding and secure knowledge that stays with them over time. This means providing multiple opportunities to practise, retrieve, review and apply learning before moving on.
A useful analogy is learning to play a musical instrument. A student might play a piece correctly after practising it several times that day. However, a skilled musician is someone who can return weeks later and still play it accurately and confidently. Mastery comes from deliberate practice over time, not simply getting it right once.
Earlier this week, while I was on yard duty, a Grade 2 student ran all the way from the junior playground to the basketball courts just to share some exciting news. With a huge smile, they proudly announced that they had achieved SPARKLE Level 8. Their excitement was wonderful to see, but what was even more important was what sat behind that achievement. It represented incremental learning, regular practice, retrieval, review and assessment over time. We can be confident that the learning is secure because it has been strengthened through repeated opportunities to apply and recall it.
This focus on mastery does not mean students are not extended.
In fact, we believe some of the richest forms of extension come through deepening and broadening knowledge rather than simply accelerating students into the next curriculum level. Through our Knowledge Rich Units and Literature Units, students explore history, geography, science, literature, civics and the arts in far greater depth than curriculum levels alone might suggest. They build background knowledge, make connections between ideas and develop a richer understanding of the world around them.
Research consistently shows that knowledge matters. The more knowledge students possess, the easier it becomes for them to learn new information, solve problems and think critically. In other words, broad knowledge is not separate from higher-order thinking; it is what enables it.
When we focus on mastery, we are not lowering expectations. We are setting students up for long-term success. Our aim is for every student to leave LPS with strong foundations, deep understanding and a genuine love of learning.
Learning that lasts is our goal. Mastery helps us achieve it.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Kristine Roose | Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching