Education News

YEAR 3 AND 4 NEWS

Setting in to the middle school

The middle school have had a large focus on setting the classroom climate so far this term. Classroom teachers have focused on being kind to one another, using manners and being organised with their own learning. Middle school have continued to incorporate a Literacy Block- integrating reading, spelling and writing using a mentor text as the foundation for each lesson. Place value has also been the focal point during our Mathematic lessons.

Take home readers

In the Middle School, it is an expectation that students are reading each night. Students will be given an opportunity each day to return and change their readers. We encourage families to find 5 minutes each night to sit down and listen to your child read. 

Pearcedale Baxter Junior Football Club clinic

Year 3 and 4 students were lucky enough to have a visit from the PBJFC at the beginning of the term. Students were given the opportunity to learn basic football skills- throwing, catching, kicking and tackling. It was great to see every student participating and giving their best.

Year 3 NAPLAN preparation

Year 3 students have been working hard preparing for NAPLAN beginning in week 7. Students have been focusing on the 3 main curriculum areas- Mathematics, Reading and Writing. Through Cooperative Learning structures, students have been practicing answering and breaking down past NAPLAN questions, understanding given vocabulary and consolidating computer skills. 

NAPLAN YEAR 3 AND YEAR 5

From Wednesday 12th March, Year 3 and 5 students will be completing NAPLAN. 

How to prepare for NAPLAN

It’s important to remember that NAPLAN is different to tests of content (such as what your child learns in a science unit, for example). Rather, it assesses literacy and numeracy skills that have been acquired over time through daily learning in the classroom. It is a point-in-time measure of a child’s performance in some specific areas of Literacy and Numeracy.

ACARA advises that the best preparation for NAPLAN is instruction in the literacy and numeracy content of the Australian Curriculum. They don’t encourage excessive drilling or cramming.

In addition to good, effective, day-to-day teaching, your child’s teachers will prepare your child for NAPLAN by ensuring that students understand the format of the tests and that they receive appropriate support and guidance.

Excessive preparation isn’t helpful. In fact, it could make your child anxious, which won’t help their performance. A better way for you to help is to reassure your child that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program.

ACARA recommends that parents:

• encourage their child to simply do the best they can on the day;
• avoid excessive cramming or coaching in the NAPLAN lead-up; and
• speak to your child’s teacher if you have questions about how you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN.

Top tips for parents

If your child is feeling worried or anxious, here are some tips to help them beat the NAPLAN jitters.

1. Have a positive and encouraging conversation about it. Ask your child what they are worried about and why. This will help you understand their concerns better and give you an opportunity to provide support with positive guidance ahead of the NAPLAN tests.

2. Eat well and rest well. Getting plenty of sleep and keeping to a healthy diet can have an impact on both physical and mental wellbeing. It’s important that your child is feeling calm and confident leading up to the NAPLAN tests, so they feel their best on the day, inside and out.

3. Be active and limit screen time. Too much screen time can increase stress levels and make it harder for children to focus or get back to studying. A great way to keep stress levels down is to let your child do the things they enjoy each day, especially being outdoors and engaging in meaningful play. See our blog on How to Manage Screen Time for more information.

4. Avoid last-minute cramming. Whatever you are preparing for, rushing into it is never the answer. Trying to cram everything in the last couple of days will only increase stress and anxiety, causing your child to feel overwhelmed on test day. Ideally, it would be best to set aside some time each day to prepare for the NAPLAN tests in advance, even if it’s just learning one new thing a day.

5. Celebrate the effort, not the outcome. The most important thing is that they ‘gave it a go’ and did their best with what they knew on the day. It’s about praising their efforts rather than focusing on the results. Parents need to assure their child that the test is only about their abilities on one day, and not who they are as a person.