From the Principal's Desk

October is the month of Mary on our church calendar.

Hail Mary

Hail, Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. 

Amen.

Welcome to Term 4, 2024!

What is 'Vision for Instruction'?

In February 2024, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) introduced a new plan to help every student succeed: our Vision for Instruction.

At MACS, we hold high expectations for every learner in every school, ensuring they have a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, as well as good social skills.

Based on evidence of how students learn best, Vision for Instruction promotes a unified and consistent approach, and continuous improvement to meet the changing needs of our students. It provides MACS teachers with the training and resources they need to ensure excellence and equity in all our schools.

Why the change?

Years of declining performance in NAPLAN and OECD PISA results showed that outdated teaching methods needed to change. In 2023, about one in three Australian students were not meeting age expectations in Maths and reading.

Research on how students learn shows that explicit instruction methods are the most effective way to help children gain the knowledge and skills they need to flourish and become lifelong learners.

What is explicit instruction?

Explicit instruction involves teachers introducing complex skills in small steps, with clear explanations and demonstrations of what students are expected to learn. Students then practise what they learned and receive feedback from their teacher until the skill is mastered.

What is the evidence supporting explicit instruction?

Cognitive science research shows that most students need formal instruction to learn what’s called ‘biologically secondary knowledge’, such as reading, writing and Maths. Because students can only process a limited amount of new information at once, cognitive overload can occur when they try to process too many new concepts without prior instruction or scaffolding.

Explicit instruction breaks new information into manageable parts. Effective teachers design lessons that begin with teacher-guided instruction and gradually shift responsibility to students through modelling and guided practice. This approach ensures that students achieve independent practice only after foundational knowledge is firmly established.

Knowledge is like mental Velcro – new knowledge ‘sticks’ to prior knowledge, building understanding from one year level to the next.

How do we teach reading and writing?

Our vision for reading instruction involves:

• phonemic awareness – understanding that speech is made up of words and sounds 

• phonics – knowledge of the letter–sound relationships and the ability to use these relationships to decode words 

• fluency – ability to read accurately and quickly to derive meaning from text 

• vocabulary – understanding word meanings in isolation and in context 

• comprehension – ability to understand and derive meaning from text.

What is phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching reading and spelling by explicitly linking letters or letter combinations (graphemes) with their corresponding sounds (phonemes). For example, children learn the sounds for ‘s’, ‘a’ and ‘t’, allowing them to spell and sound out words like ‘at’, ‘as’ and ‘sat’.

English spelling is complex, with many letters and letter combinations representing multiple sounds (e.g. ‘ea’ in ‘heap’ and ‘head’). Phonics instruction begins with the most common letter–sound relationships, as they can be used to read many new words, then moves to less frequent ones.

Research suggests that learning 60 to 100 of these relationships, along with some common sight words, enables children to read independently.

How do we teach Maths?

Our vision for mathematics instruction involves:

• developing number sense – understanding quantities and numbers, and how to represent them with objects and numerals 

• building fluency – mastering basic arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division 

• teaching mathematics concepts – understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of mathematics in combination with procedures and rules How can you help at home? 

• using concrete materials – using physical resources and visual representations to show concepts and procedures 

• using problem-solving strategies – organising work based on the structure of a problem • using explicit instruction – providing opportunities for students to explain their work and thinking in oral and written forms 

• using precise mathematics language – using correct terminology when discussing steps for solving problems.

How will Vision for Instruction benefit students?

Vision for Instruction:

• offers a focused and structured approach to gaining knowledge and developing skills 

• ensures clear guidance, reducing uncertainty and helping students understand expectations 

• presents key information and knowledge before independent activities 

• enables immediate feedback through effective questioning and frequent checks for understanding 

• establishes consistent teaching practices across all MACS schools.

How can you help at home? 

Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s learning journey. Here are some ways you can enhance their learning:

• Communicate with teachers: Maintain regular contact with your child’s teachers to understand classroom objectives and methods. 

• Encourage and celebrate practice: Provide opportunities for your child to practise new skills, and celebrate their effort and progress.

• Create a structured environment: Establish a distraction-free study area at home. 

• Promote reading together: Spend time reading with your child regularly. Discuss stories, characters and themes to enhance comprehension. 

• Encourage critical thinking: Engage in discussions that promote reasoning and explanation. 

• Model a positive attitude towards learning: Demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning and curiosity. Show your child that learning is a lifelong journey, and encourage them to explore new ideas and interests.

Supporting parent resources 

• MultiLit Five From Five parent resources 

• Rosenshine’s ‘Principles of instruction’ article 

• APM Reports’ Sold a Story podcast 

• Willingham’s Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do book.

You can read the complete Vision for Instruction on the MACS website.

Resurrection School is already on the journey of the MACS Vision for Instruction which will continue for years to come.

The Term 4 Working Bee will be on Saturday, October 26th, 9.00-11.00a.m. followed by a sausage sizzle and refreshments. We need LOTS of help to spread soft-fall (tanbark) on both playgrounds as well as weeding the garden beds.​We look forward to seeing you then (and saving the $50 Working Bee levy)

Jane Dunstone

PRINCIPAL