Teaching & Learning Page

What’s Changing in Victoria’s Schools: A Parent’s Guide

Starting next year, all public schools in Victoria will be using a new teaching approach called the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model. This approach focuses on explicit instruction and structured literacy. Here’s what that means for your child:

Systematic Phonics for Early Readers: For kids in Prep to Year 2, reading will involve a methodical approach to phonics. This means your child will spend at least 25 minutes a day learning how letters and sounds work together to form words. Think of it like learning the building blocks of reading.

Focused Teaching on Key Skills:

• Oral Language: Like practicing how to have a conversation, this helps kids improve their speaking and listening.
• Vocabulary: Expanding their word bank so they understand and use new words.
• Reading Fluency: Helping them read smoothly and accurately, much like perfecting their reading rhythm.
• Comprehension: Making sure they understand and can discuss what they read, similar to explaining a story they’ve heard.

What is Explicit Instruction?

Explicit instruction means teaching in a clear, step-by-step way including:

• Clear Lessons: Teachers break down each task into easy-to-follow steps, so students know exactly what to do.
• Guidance: Teachers show students how to start and complete tasks, just like following a recipe from start to finish.
• Feedback and Practice: Students get plenty of chances to practice and receive feedback, which helps them get better over time.

How Your Child’s Memory Works

Learning and Memory: Think of learning as putting new information into your child’s long-term memory, like storing items in a closet for future use. There are two types of memory:

• Working Memory: This is like a mental desk where your child works with new ideas right now.
• Long-Term Memory: This is where they store information for later use.

Managing New Information: Just like a desk can only hold so many items before it gets messy, working memory can only handle a limited amount of new information at once. To help your child learn effectively teachers:

• Break Information into Small Steps: Provide new information in smaller, manageable chunks.
• Offer Guidance and Feedback: Help them understand and improve.
• Provide Practice Opportunities: Allow lots of chances to practice what they’ve learned.

This approach helps students build connections between new and old information and remember it better, which is especially helpful for those who need extra support.

How Students Master Skills and Stay Engaged

Mastery: Becoming really good at something is like mastering a hobby or sport. Students start by learning basic facts and skills, then practice a lot. As they get better, they see how different pieces of information fit together and can use their knowledge in new ways.

Staying Engaged: For students to learn and remember effectively, they need to be involved and focused. This means:

• Understanding Success: Seeing that their efforts lead to success motivates them to keep learning.
• Positive Relationships: A good relationship with their teacher helps keep them engaged.
• Feeling Safe and Included: They are more engaged when they feel comfortable and included in their learning environment.
• Knowing the Rules and Goals: Understanding what’s expected and what they’re working towards helps them stay focused.

How We Teach at Surfside Primary School

At Surfside Primary School, our teaching approach is focuses on how students learn best including:

• Tailoring to Students' Needs: We start by understanding what each student already knows and adjust our teaching to help them learn new things without feeling overwhelmed.
• Clear Teaching and Practice: We focus on clear, step-by-step instruction and guided practice when introducing new material. As students become more confident, we gradually give them more independence.
• Ongoing Support and Review: We continually check in with students, adjust our teaching based on their needs, and offer plenty of chances to review and practice what they’ve learned.
• Building Connections: We help students make connections between what they learn, so they can understand and apply their knowledge in different situations.
• Collaborative Learning: Students often work together, which helps them explore new ideas and deepen their understanding.

Our goal is to create a supportive and engaging environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential.