Curriculum- Teaching and Learning

School Wide Teaching and Learning

In each edition of our school newsletter, we share with our community an insight into the curriculum being taught within our classrooms. This reflects our school's strong focus upon continuous improvement. 

Each edition covers a different area of the curriculum, and is supported by our school-wide approaches to teaching and learning. 

In this edition we focus upon what's been happening across the Mathematics curriculum. We also bring your attention to some handy tips for parents/carers to help navigate the current period of Remote Learning. 

Five tips for parents to support learning at home

This advice is aimed at a primary-aged child, however much of it is applicable to a younger secondary-aged child.

Source: https://theparentswebsite.com.au/five-tips-parents-support-learning-home/ 

Tip One – You are not required to be the teacher

Realise that you are not replacing school. You are your child’s parent, not their teacher. They are very different relationships. You can be flexible but firm. By establishing some rules and routines, you are reframing what can be achieved together at home when you set parameters and explain very clearly how things are going to play out.

It might be a good idea to create a ‘trigger’ for your children so they know when they are operating in ‘school time’. Traditionally this trigger happens automatically with the routine around kids getting dropped off at school, but if you’re at home you’ll need to create it artificially. Perhaps they still get dressed in their school uniform, and even help to pack a ‘school lunch’.

One of the best things you can do as a parent is to provide a ‘specific learning space’, that is, a calm environment that sets up a mindset for your child that this is where they will be doing some structured learning. By doing this, you are ‘clearing the space’ for learning.

Routines and preparedness are very important as reassurance for your child.

There are things you can do to make learning at home more productive and enjoyable for both you and your child, such as:

• Create a chart with a timetable and goals for the week
• Display a clock to keep track of how long different tasks will take
• Ensure there are set break times
• Make sure there is a variety of tasks – mix up those requiring intense concentration, with some that are open-ended and allow for creativity
• Provide healthy snacks and water.

It’s a good idea to punctuate academic learning with some physical activity – this can be something aerobic or it could be something like a nature walk to investigate your local area.

It’s important to recognise the difference between ‘traditional homeschooling’ where parents have opted for their children, to stay at home to be educated, and what is really ‘distance education’. Home schoolers are responsible for providing their children with appropriate lessons and resources. This is not what you are required to do.

Your child’s teacher will still be sending home age appropriate activities and running through the same curriculum as they would in the classroom. It is not your job to source all of the learning materials, they will be provided, either online or in hard copy.

To read about the remaining four tips, please access the following link: 

Source: https://theparentswebsite.com.au/five-tips-parents-support-learning-home/ 

What's the Curriculum focus coming up in the next edition of the newsletter?

In the next edition of our newsletter, we will be sharing information with you about our Inquiry curriculum.