Learning Partnership
This Week's Learning Bulletin:
Our Level Bulletins this week aim to give you an insight into what your child is learning in Maths sessions at present. The Department of Education recently released the Mathematics Position statement which outlines Victoria’s approach to teaching mathematics and prioritises evidence-based practices aligned with how students learn.
These practices are implented in our Instructional model where learning objectives are made clear, and essential prior knowledge identified and activated. New knowledge and skills are explained in concise, small steps and modelled with a focus on developing an understanding of how and why mathematics works. Mathematical ideas are represented and explained to promote student understanding and ability to reason, make connections and think flexibly.
All year levels consistently implement our whole school instructional model and use the following structure:
FLUENCY ( 5 mins) - describes students' developing skills in choosing appropriate procedures, carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently and appropriately. Evidence from cognitive science research suggests that mastering key mathematic facts so they can be recalled automatically and accurately frees up working memory. Students can then focus on more complex problem solving, rather than reaching cognitive overload trying to calculate simple operations.
During this part of the lesson, teachers give children 5 minutes to practice a skill to promote automaticity. This time provides children to recall number facts including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division automatically.
- WHOLE: The Learning Intention is addressed at the start. This is visible to all and referred to throughout the session. Children will always know from the outset what the purpose of the lesson is. The teacher will model how to use a strategy or solve a problem OR the teacher and the children will work through a problem together and share ideas.
Anchor charts and scaffolds are referred to in this part of the lesson and children
are encouraged to refer to these throughout the lesson.
- SMALL : Task/Experience: Enabling; Explore; Extending
During this part of the session, children engage in a learning experience whereby they are allocated or choose from ‘Enabling; Explore; or Extending’. The teacher
differentiates the learning by meeting the needs of the child, through either
extension or support.
During this time the teacher works with a small group of children where the
teaching is targeted and aims to support the child to grasp a concept and or
develop understanding on how to use a strategy. All children get the opportunity to work with the teacher in a targeted teaching group.
- WHOLE: Summarising/Reflection in Action/Exit Ticket
At some point throughout the lesson, the teacher will stop the class and draw attention to the learning intention and an example that demonstrates it. Children may be asked to share during this time. Reflection is a great opportunity for teachers to check in with the children's learning and ascertain if a concept has been understood or not. Exit tickets can also be given towards the end of the lesson and these can come in various forms. The aim of an exit ticket is to help the teacher determine what the children understand and how to support them in their learning moving forward. Some examples of exit tickets may include:
- Reflection- children reflect on what they learned, what they liked, or what they're still confused/ unsure about
- 3-2-1 – children summarise three things they learned, two things they liked, and one question they still have
- Write a question you have about what you learned today
- What is one thing you would like me to explain more clearly?
- What is one thing you would like us to review again in the next lesson?
- Write one fact you learned in today's lesson
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO SUPPORT FLUENCY
Please refer to your child’s Bulletin page for suggestions on what you can do at home to support your child to develop their fluency.
Examples include learning 10s facts (or friends of 10); skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10, 3s, 4s; times tables; algorithms such as vertical addition and subtraction; multiplication and division.
Connie Apostolos
Assistant Principal