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Kathy Walker visit

March 4th, talk at Carlton Primary by Kathy Walker, who is an education specialist, trained as a teacher, and a University researcher and lecturer.

Here are some of the things that Kathy spoke with parents about.

Schools

All schools answer to the State Government, and all state schools work to achieve the same standards. It is very important for children to come out of their primary school education knowing how to read, write, and do their maths. All schools work toward these standards, and some schools also help their teachers learn more about what is best learning practice around the world, like this school does.

Life skills

Children need these core skills, but they also need other skills. Along with the academic abilities in areas of reading/writing/maths, they also need some life skills. They need to be able to solve problems they encounter; they need to not give up, but to find a way to solve a problem. Life is full of challenges, and they need to have the skills to deal with them, to be good communicators, good thinkers, to understand different ways to solve problems.

Two types of learning at school

Schools now approach these two sides of learning. There is the traditional reading/writing/maths which is very important, and which is taught at all schools; and there is also the other side of learning by having experiences – experiential learning. When children can explore and experience things, they are learning. An example of this in an older grade might be focussing on a project, looking at it from all aspects, solving problems. A younger grade might be moving around a room where there are different learning areas.

 Although this might look like playing, all areas have been especially created by the teacher to provide different learning experiences.  They might be talking and practicing their oral communication, getting their point across to another child or an adult. Or they might be practicing their fine motor skills and their early maths skills by picking up and sorting small things, or their gross motor skills, putting on dress ups, and pretending to cook. While they are being active, they are learning. These learning experiences support the quieter work that is also done in the class, practicing numbers, listening to reading, practicing writing and reading. The children are ‘learning to learn’! As they solve problems, or conduct research, or find answers, they are becoming better learners.

Developmental curriculum

This type of learning – mixing the traditional learning, with experiential learning – is called a developmental curriculum. Many schools around Australia and the world use a developmental curriculum (including Princes Hill Primary in North Carlton who won an Education award for their developmental curriculum program).  All government schools are tested to the same standards, whether they have the developmental approach, or the traditional approach. All the children at Carlton Primary are regularly tested to see that the curriculum is right for them, that they are improving and working toward the standards for their year.

Homework

Many parents feel that homework is very important, and it can be. If it is given for no reason it is not so helpful, if it is given specifically to help the child learn it is very important. Sometimes the children finish their work in class, and other times they need to finish their work at home. It is very important to have a link between school and home. Homework is one way to have this link. Other ways such as talking with parents or helping the family at home is very good for students, their learning, and their life skills.

Planning

Kathy has been an educator for 30 years and knows it is important that children do not play and waste time at school. A classroom set up with different learning areas might sometimes look like play areas, but the teacher has put a lot of work in to finding things for the children to do to help them learn, and help them develop lots of skills. The teachers have a written plan for each week of the term. They show all their plans to the principal who works with them to make sure what they are doing fits in with the state government curriculum. The teachers plan what the children are doing in class for every minute of every day.

Results

Hundreds of Australian schools use a developmental curriculum, and universities help the schools collect information about how it is working.

The testing that has been done in different schools that have this curriculum shows great results.

Compared to children who do only the traditional curriculum the children who experience a developmental curriculum as well:

1. Have a higher standard of language
2. Read as well, and sometimes better
3. Have better written language
4. Have better behaviour.

In fact, over the last year it is clear at Carlton Primary that the overall behaviour at the school has improved with the developmental curriculum.  This school has well behaved children who are interested in their learning.

University

For children who are going to go to university it is important that they learn skills that will help them. They do need to be able to be academic achievers, but they also need to be problem solvers, they need to have good behaviour, and get along with others, otherwise they will not succeed at university.

What can parents do at home to help children learn?

It is important that parents speak to children in their first languages. The children need to begin with the family language to start their literacy journey. Many of the children at this school are very lucky to be bi-lingual. They will learn English, even if at home they speak another language. It is also important that the children do not watch too much television. They need to learn to be creative, and entertain themselves, to play outside when they can, and have their own ideas – television does not support these things.

Parents can also help by reading to children or telling them stories. In any language this helps children’s literacy – they are learning about how stories have a beginning, middle and an end. This is something they need to understand to be good readers and communicators. This is homework! When you do things at home with your children, it is helping them to learn.

State government standards

They are all working towards the standards that are set by the government. Some children will be below the standard, some above, this happens in all schools. Some of the children who have experienced disrupted schooling – from travel or changing schools – may be a bit behind; also children in the early years who have not been to Kinder can start behind others who have. There is school testing in grade 3 and 5 that is compared with children all around Australia. In you parent teacher interviews the teacher lets you know where your child is according to the standard, or you can ask your teacher or Julie any time about the standards in each grade. Students who do not meet the standard expected will be getting extra support, but the important thing is that they are improving and working toward these standards through the year. The state government audits all schools to make sure they are doing the right thing, and teaching the right things. Some students who do not speak English at home take longer to reach the standards, but they do reach them with extra support.

Whole child

Though some schools send homework home every night and seem very academic, they may have behaviour problems, so that the children are interrupted in their classes. It is important that schools look after the ‘whole child’, their academic standards, as well as their life skills, and having them happy and enjoying school so that they will stay at school when they are older.

High School

A parent raised a concern that the rumour is that this school does not prepare students for High School. All Grade six classes in all government schools, including this one, work to achieve the same level of skill in their students. The feedback that Carlton Primary gets from University High School – where most of our students go to high school – is that the children do well. Feedback from the students to their former teachers is that the work at high school is “easy”. The rumours are not true about this issue.

Measuring skill

A parent pointed out that where traditional curriculum is easily measured with testing, developmental curriculum is not so easily measured. This is true, but all the traditional testing is done here, so you will see the test results, as well as being able to hear the teachers tell about the children’s behaviour and learning and those things that do not test so easily.

We will invite Kathy Walker back to talk again next term, and possibly some other experts too. You are welcome to offer any suggestions about any parent sessions you would like the school to run.