Teaching and Learning Update

Over the last fortnight, we have shared some information in our newsletter about changes to teaching and learning at SKiPPS – changes informed by the ‘Science of Learning’ – the – the research into how learning takes place and the practical implications this has for teaching.

As we shared last week, an understanding of how we learn and cognitive load theory leads to a few key recommendations that sit at the heart of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model. 

• Learning should be broken down and taught explicitly. 

   

• It should be connected to prior knowledge and regularly reviewed and retrieved to strengthen connections and to increase the chances it is remembered long-term.

   

• Learning environments should be calm and free from distractions to reduce the ‘extraneous’ load that distracts attention away from learning.

Explicit instruction is a very efficient strategy for helping students learn because it suits how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information. It works for students of all ages, and all backgrounds. 

There are a few components of explicit teaching that we have been working on at SKiPPS;

• Attention, Focus and regulation

   

• Breaking learning down and sequencing it to allow it to be processed in working memory

   

• Explicit teaching – activating prior knowledge, stating learning intentions, providing clear explanations and new knowledge, scaffolding learning and modelling practice.

   

• Retrieval and Review – regularly reviewing content already taught and retrieving this from long term memory back into working memory. This process strengthens connections and increases the chances of long term retention.

This year our school has been selected to be a part of a new study being run by LaTrobe University into explicit instruction and how schools can be supported to implement these practices effectively.

Below is a a video from Dr. Nathaniel Swain from LaTrobe explaining more about explicit instruction.

At our parent information sessions this week we will be going into more depth about the role and importance of explicit instruction and the ways that this is being implemented at SKiPPS, particularly in our Literacy and Maths teaching.

Next week, we will go into more depth about our new spelling, reading and systematic, synthetic phonics curriculum PhOrMeS - now being taught across the school. 

Jac Morphy

Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Instruction