Embracing the Power of Qualitative Data

Reflecting on Writing Progress with the Syntax Project and Targeted Instruction

As an educator, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is witnessing the growth and progress of my students, particularly in their writing abilities. Over the past eight weeks, I have implemented several targeted teaching strategies, including the Syntax Project, BSLA (Best Start Literacy Approach) Tier 1 whole-class instruction focused on phonological awareness, and Tier 2 small group reading instruction. These strategies have yielded impressive results, demonstrating the profound impact of qualitative data in understanding and enhancing student learning.

The Role of Whole-Class Instruction

The whole-class phonological awareness lessons gave my students a solid foundation in literacy. By focusing on key phonics skills and using the Syntax Project, I saw big improvements in their writing, especially when it came to writing dictated sentences. The structured Taumata 2 lessons really helped many students progress faster than I expected.

I noticed that the clear instructions, along with fun activities, helped students pick up phonics concepts more easily. This better understanding showed up in their writing, as they started using their phonics knowledge to build sentences. With improved spelling, my students are now more confident expressing their ideas and showing their creativity in their writing.

Intensive Tier 2 Small Group Instruction

While the whole-class lessons built a good foundation, the small group Tier 2 reading sessions gave extra support to students who needed it. My small group, working at the same Taumata 2 level, made faster progress because we focused on phonics and phonological awareness before starting new books.

This focused instruction let us break down reading and writing into smaller steps. By working on specific skills like decoding, blending, and segmenting, the students felt more prepared to tackle new texts. Not only did their reading fluency improve, but their comprehension and writing got better too. From what I saw in class and heard from the students, their engagement and confidence really grew.

The Power of Component Breakdown

Breaking down literacy lessons into smaller, manageable parts has made a big difference for my students. This focused approach helped them master 12 phonics readers in just eight weeks. From their feedback, it's clear they feel more confident and excited about both reading and writing.

Students have said they feel more sure about writing accurate and expressive sentences, and they’ve been eager to share their work and talk about how they’re improving. The insights I gathered from class discussions and individual reflections really showed how this focused teaching has boosted their skills and confidence.

Conclusion

Looking back on the last eight weeks, I’m so proud of how far my students have come. The progress they’ve made, backed by the feedback I’ve seen in class, has been amazing. Using a mix of the Syntax Project, BSLA whole-class lessons, and small group reading sessions has worked really well to boost their literacy skills. By focusing on phonological awareness and giving them targeted support, my students have not only become better at reading and writing but also gained the confidence to express their ideas.

As I keep reflecting on what’s working in the classroom, I’m reminded of how important it is to adapt my teaching to where the students are in their learning. This experience shows me that with the right support, every student can thrive as a confident reader and writer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In week 2, I'll be diving into my assessments for the 10-week BSLA program. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the data reveals about my students' progress!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Impressive Writing Growth with The Syntax Project

I’ve seen remarkable progress in my students’ writing skills since introducing The Syntax Project. This free, accessible platform, grounded in the concept of colourful semantics, has been a game-changer for our young learners.

What is Colourful Semantics?

Colourful semantics is a method that breaks sentences down into parts, each represented by a different colour. For instance, the "Who" (subject) could be one colour, while "What doing" (the verb) is another. This visual approach makes sentence building more straightforward and fun for children, helping them better understand sentence structure. It’s especially useful for younger students as they get to grips with the basics of grammar and sentence creation.

My Approach to Using the Syntax Project
I began using the Syntax Project by focusing on oral exercises. Students first talk through sentences, identifying key parts like who is doing what, and where it’s happening. This has laid a strong foundation for understanding how sentences work. Now, we’re moving on to having students write these sentences on whiteboards as a warm-up before their regular writing lessons.

Examples of Student Progress
Here are a few of the fantastic sentences our students have been forming with photos we used. the students had to look for photos they like:

• "The cat is jumping over the fence."
• "A boy is eating his lunch at the park."
• "The dog is running after the ball."

While these sentences may seem simple, they represent significant progress for our students. The colour-coding technique has really helped them grasp the structure of a sentence and visualise their thoughts clearly.

I am excited to see how their writing continues to improve as I incorporate the Syntax Project into more of my lessons. The best part is that this valuable tool is available for anyone to use, offering a fantastic way to enhance writing confidence and ability.

If you’re looking to strengthen your students' writing in a fun and effective way, we highly recommend trying The Syntax Project!

Here are some creative ideas I thought of trying this term to reinforce what we have been learning:

1. Sentence Dice

You can use custom dice with different coloured sides representing the parts of the sentence:

• One die for Who (Orange): possible subjects like "The cat," "My teacher," "A boy."
• One die for What doing (Blue): verbs like "is running," "is jumping," "is reading."
• One die for What (Green): objects like "a ball," "a book," "the cake."
• Optional dice for Where (Purple) and When (Yellow).

Students roll the dice and, based on the result, create a sentence. You can vary the dice to create simple or more complex sentences depending on the students' skill level.

2. Interactive Story Mats

Set up story mats where students physically move through different stations based on colourful semantics. Each station represents a part of the sentence:

• Station 1 (Orange) is the "Who" station: Here, students can choose from pictures or figures of different subjects (people, animals, etc.).
• Station 2 (Blue) is the "What doing" station: Students pick an action or verb from a list or use action cards.
• Station 3 (Green) is the "What" station: They choose an object or something related to the verb (e.g., a book for "reading").
• Station 4 (Purple) is the "Where" station: They pick a location (e.g., park, library, home).

Students then "walk through" the stations, creating sentences as they move from one to another. This physical, kinesthetics activity engages both their minds and bodies, making sentence-building more memorable.

3. Sentence Relay Race

For an energetic class activity, organise a sentence relay race:

• Divide the class into teams. Each team has a set of colour-coded cards (Who, What doing, What, etc.).
• The first student from each team runs to a designated area to pick up a "Who" card and bring it back. They must say the subject aloud (e.g., "The dog").
• The next student in line runs to pick a "What doing" card (e.g., "is barking").
• The relay continues until the sentence is complete, and the first team to finish building a complete and correct sentence wins.

This game gets students moving and thinking quickly, reinforcing their understanding of sentence components in a dynamic way.

A fun variation from my colleague Ella Hazleman at Glen Taylor School! Using plastic coloured balls adds a hands-on element to the relay race. Here’s how you might adapt Ella Hazleman’s version:

Ella's Colour Ball Relay Race

1. Preparation:
   Set up buckets or containers at a distance from the teams. Each container will have coloured balls corresponding to different parts of a sentence (e.g., Orange for Who, Blue for What doing, Green for What, etc.).

2. Rules:
   Each student runs to the buckets, grabs a ball of the colour their team needs, and runs back to their team. The team must work together to use the balls to create a sentence based on the colour coding. For example:

   • Orange ball = Who (e.g., "The dog")
   • Blue ball = What doing (e.g., "is barking")
   • Green ball = What (e.g., "at the cat")

3. Objective:
   The first team to collect all the coloured balls and form a complete, correct sentence wins!

Supporting Neurodiverse students

I recently attended a workshop at Somerville School about helping students with autism in regular classrooms. One important point was that 1 in every 5 students is neurodiverse, including conditions like ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism. This inspired me to find five simple ways to support these students in my classroom.

1. Offering Frequent Praise and Positive Reinforcement

I make it a priority to give regular, specific praise for the effort students put into their work. I try to encourage them during tasks instead of just praising the final result. This helps students, especially those with ADHD or anxiety, feel more confident and valued in their learning.

To support students with ADHD, I avoid negative labels and focus on building self-esteem by understanding the reasons behind their behaviours. I emphasise emotional regulation and self-control, use whole-class discussions to encourage understanding, and apply strategies that support both emotional and academic success.

2. Highlighting Students’ Strengths

Instead of only looking at what students find hard, I try to find their strengths, like creativity, problem-solving, or unique thinking. Recognising these strengths helps students feel more confident and ready to face challenges.

To help them succeed, I set clear deadlines and allow for breaks and movement to keep them focused.

3. Breaking Down Large Tasks into Small, Manageable Steps

I’ve started breaking tasks into smaller steps to make them easier in a whole class setting. Instead of having students do a big project all at once, we work on it step by step and use visual aids to help them. This makes it less overwhelming, especially for students with autism or challenges with executive functioning.

4. Creating a Sensory-Friendly Environment

After the autism workshop, I made some changes in the classroom to help reduce sensory overload. I took down extra decorations from the walls and created a quiet corner where students can go if they feel overwhelmed. These changes have really helped students who are sensitive to sensory input.

5. Collaborating with Support Teams

I’ve been in regular contact with parents and specialists who work with my students. I talk with special education teachers, occupational therapists, and speech therapists to better understand how to support each child. Working together like this has been really helpful in making sure we help our students succeed.

I would love to hear your strategies for supporting neurodivergent students! Please share your ideas so we can work together to help these students thrive. Your tips and experiences are greatly appreciated!

Inquiry focus :Literacy and the journey so far

My inquiry has evolved this year to focus more on the children who have transitioned from Kindergartens and Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings.

Some of the tamariki have not yet mastered their foundational skills, so my inquiry centers on how I can ensure that all my students achieve these foundational skills as soon as possible, specifically looking at literacy.

Below, you will find my Professional Growth Cycle and the work I have undertaken so far. As you will see, this journey is ongoing, and I will be continuing to develop in this area.

I am really looking forward to see how the data on BSLA has progressed. Especially my Tier 2 target group.

My focus group selection

Focus Group Selection

The selection of my target group in Room 7 has evolved throughout Terms 1 and 2. Initially, I aimed to focus on students from two different reading groups. However, after reviewing recent BSLA assessments, I have decided to shift my attention to those who are significantly below the expected levels and require Tier 2 targeted group work.

BSLA Assessment Data and Authentic Learning

The recent assessment data indicates the need for a focused approach for these students. I will incorporate authentic learning strategies to engage them effectively. This may include real-world applications of literacy skills, allowing students to see the relevance of their learning.

Follow-Up Activities and Monitoring

To ensure continued progress, I will implement follow-up activities tailored to the specific needs of each learner. Regular monitoring will allow me to adjust the instruction based on ongoing assessments.

Targeted Tier 2 Literacy Approach

Implementing a more targeted and specific literacy approach based on structured literacy offers several advantages for Tier 2 students:

1. Explicit Instruction: Structured literacy provides clear, direct, and systematic instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. This explicit teaching is crucial for Tier 2 students, who often struggle with implicit learning, enabling them to grasp foundational literacy skills more effectively.

2. Systematic and Sequential Learning: Lessons are organized logically to build on previously learned concepts, ensuring mastery of each component before moving on to more complex skills and reducing gaps in knowledge.

3. Multi-Sensory Techniques: Structured literacy incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile methods, engaging multiple senses to enhance memory and learning for students needing additional support.

4. Differentiated Instruction: This approach allows for tailored instruction based on the specific needs of Tier 2 students, providing targeted interventions informed by ongoing assessment data to address individual strengths and weaknesses.

5. Reinforcement and Practice: Regular, systematic practice and review of skills help reinforce learning and improve retention.

Implementation Overview

Teaching Intensity: I will provide 20 hours of supplementary small group teaching. Tier 2 instruction will complement, rather than replace, Tier 1 lessons. Students identified for Tier 2 support require more intensive teaching to master foundational skills, as evidenced by research on phoneme awareness and word decoding. BSLA Tier 2 will consist of small group instruction (up to 4 children per group) in approximately 30-minute sessions, four times weekly over a 10-week period, totaling around 20 hours of additional teaching. Students will also participate in daily Tier 1 BSLA lessons and small group reading instruction.

Explicit Teaching and Quality Scaffolding: Explicit instruction and effective scaffolding are critical in BSLA Tier 2 teaching. Teachers will provide structured support to facilitate successful learning attempts and meet each learner's needs within the group. Recognizing and praising students for their decoding attempts is an essential part of this approach.

Building Speed and Accuracy: Each lesson will include a phoneme manipulation section designed to enhance students' phonological processing speed and accuracy, which is vital for effective reading and spelling strategies, especially for those who struggle with phonological processing.

Timely Support: Research supports the benefits of early intervention. If a child’s data after 10 weeks of Tier 1 BSLA instruction indicates difficulties in acquiring essential phonics and phoneme awareness skills, Tier 2 support will be implemented promptly. For children starting school at age 5, this support may begin in their second or third term, rather than waiting until their second year.

Instruction Components

1. Segmenting and Blending (5 minutes):

   • Activities focusing on complex phoneme awareness skills will help children sound through entire words in reading and spelling.
   • Activities may include a Bingo segmentation and blending game and a "Speed Demons" game to improve speed and accuracy.
   • Scaffolding will support identifying middle sounds and beyond, with repeated practice and quality feedback aimed at enhancing reading and spelling skills.

2. Phoneme Manipulation with Graphemes (15 minutes):

   • Instruction will maintain consistency with Tier 1 phrasing and teaching patterns.
   • Activities will include completing two 10-word phoneme manipulation chains per lesson using materials like Gillon Letter Blocks or mini whiteboards.
   • Goals include building speed and accuracy in phoneme manipulation and reinforcing reading development.
   • The method involves modeling the first word, manipulating a phoneme, and reading the new word together, followed by the PRRR method for error correction.
   • Progression will move from blocks/folders to whiteboards as skills develop, ensuring students can hear, identify, and accurately represent phoneme changes.

By focusing on these strategies, I aim to address the specific needs of my learners effectively and enhance their literacy skills.

The ABCDE of Learner Needs framework

The ABCDE of Learner Needs framework, created by the Center for Inspired Teaching and influenced by William Glasser's work, focuses on five core student needs:

1. Autonomy: Students need to feel a sense of control over their learning and have opportunities to make choices.
2. Belonging: It's essential for students to feel connected to their peers and teachers, fostering a supportive community.
3. Competence: Students should feel capable and successful in their learning tasks, which builds confidence.
4. Doing: Active, hands-on learning experiences are crucial for engaging students and making learning meaningful.
5. Engagement: Lessons should be interesting and relevant to maintain students' attention and motivation.

This framework helps teachers create environments that meet these needs, promoting academic and social success for students​.

Here are some strategies I want to try in my classroom. It also links in with my school teachers inquiry - authentic learning.

1. Autonomy:

   • Choice: Provide children with choices in their activities. For example, offer different stations they can choose from, such as a reading corner, art station, or building blocks area.
   • Independence: Encourage self-directed learning by allowing students to select materials and start tasks on their own. This fosters a sense of control over their learning environment.

2. Belonging:

   • Community Building: Create a warm and inclusive classroom atmosphere. Use morning circles or group activities where each child can share something about themselves. Our MITEY program fits in well.
   • Positive Relationships: Foster strong relationships between students and between students and the teacher.

3. Competence:

   • Skill Development: Design activities that are age-appropriate and match the developmental stages of your students. Celebrate small achievements to build their confidence.
   • Feedback: Provide positive and constructive feedback that helps students understand their progress and areas for improvement.

4. Doing:

   • Hands-On Activities: Incorporate plenty of hands-on learning experiences. Activities like counting objects, sorting shapes, or engaging in simple science experiments can be very effective.
   • Active Participation: Ensure that children are actively involved in their learning by using interactive teaching methods such as storytelling, singing, and playing educational games.

5. Engagement:

   • Interactive Lessons: Keep lessons engaging by incorporating multimedia, storytelling, and interactive activities that capture their interest.
   • Relevance: Connect learning materials to the children's own lives and experiences. For example, if learning about animals, discuss pets they might have at home.

Practical Tips:

• Routine and Structure: Maintain a consistent daily routine to provide a sense of security, but include flexible periods for free play and exploration.
• Visual Aids: Use visual aids like charts, pictures, and videos to make learning more accessible and engaging for young learners.
• Play-Based Learning: Integrate play into the learning process. Play is a powerful tool for developing social skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity.

Example Activities:

• Autonomy: 
• Create a "Choice Board" with different activity options for children to pick from during free time. 
• Personal Projects: Allow children to work on small projects of their choice, such as creating a mini-book about their favourite animal. 
• Class Jobs: Assign classroom responsibilities (line leader, snack helper, etc.) to give students a sense of ownership and responsibility.
• Learning Stations: Set up various learning stations (reading, art, science) and let children choose where they want to spend their time.
• Self-Portrait Art: Provide materials for children to create self-portraits, allowing them to choose how they represent themselves.
• Belonging: 
• Start the day with a "Morning Greeting" where each child can share something about their day or their feelings.
• Buddy System: Pair students up with a buddy for certain activities to promote friendship and cooperation.
• Classroom Quilt: Each student decorates a fabric square that is then sewn together to create a classroom quilt, symbolising unity.
• Group Games: Play cooperative games like “Parachute Play” where everyone works together to keep a ball bouncing on the parachute.
• Competence: 
• Set up a "Success Wall" where children's achievements, like artwork or completed tasks, are displayed.
• Skill Practice Centers: Set up different stations focused on specific skills (counting beads for math, sorting objects for classification, etc.).
• Achievement Certificates: Give out certificates or stickers for milestones reached, such as learning all the letters of the alphabet or tying their shoes.
• Math Manipulatives: Use objects like counting bears or linking cubes for hands-on math activities.
• Reading Buddies: Pair older students with younger ones for reading sessions to build confidence in both groups.
• Doing: 
• Organise a weekly "Science Exploration" where children can engage in simple experiments or nature walks.
• Gardening: Start a small garden where children can plant seeds, water plants, and watch them grow.
• Cooking: Simple cooking activities like making fruit salads or baking cookies. This can teach measurements and following instructions.
• Building Projects: Provide building materials like blocks or recycled materials for children to create structures.
• Engagement: 
• Use themed weeks (e.g., space, dinosaurs, seasons) to create excitement and context around learning activities.
• Storytelling with Props: Use puppets, costumes, or props to make storytelling more interactive and engaging.
• Themed Days: Organise themed days (like “Space Day” or “Pirate Day”) with related activities, crafts, and stories.
• Music and Movement: Incorporate songs and dance into daily routines to make learning more dynamic and fun.

Most of these are already included in my daily routine and lesson plans. 

How to make reading instruction much much more efficient

How to make reading instruction much much more efficient

Edweek - By Mike Schmoker — November 19, 2019

Synopsis

Data shows that our students are still not performing according to their year level. Many factors are recognised to have an impact on this, including lack of foundational skills, attendance, and minimal or no input from home. This is an ongoing battle but I want to change my practice to ensure the gap does get smaller.

According to literacy researcher Richard Allington, studies show that “virtually every student could be reading on grade level by the end of 1st grade.” Although this is based on American data I strongly feel that I have similar issues.Learning to read and speak well requires focused phonics lessons and plenty of practice in reading, talking, and writing across different subjects. The typical way we teach reading, including many commercial programs, often falls short. This is because they rely too much on small groups based on kids' abilities.

The real problem lies in how we structure reading time and the exaggerated promises of commercial reading programs. Teachers often feel disappointed because they use these ability-based groups too often. Instead, they should focus more on teaching the whole class together using methods that have been proven to work. These methods ensure that all students are paying attention, continuously assess the class's progress, and adjust teaching as needed.

According to an article in Education Week, teaching the whole class together is usually more effective than using small ability-based groups.

Motivation

With more whole class well executed instruction with approximately 20min, literacy time will be doubled. This would allow for huge infusions of instructional time into the essential components of literacy. I could use this additional time to incorporate more:

• "Intensive, sustained, systematic phonics. We could substantially accelerate students’ mastery of the phonetic code and still have time for kids to read and listen to far more fiction and nonfiction texts.
• Reading/general knowledge. If most students have mastered decoding, they could spend more amounts of time in higher years reading literature, history, and science texts to build their knowledge base and vocabulary, which are critical to effective comprehension.
• Vocabulary instruction. Most of a rich vocabulary is acquired through abundant reading. But research also shows that we can reliably supplement this with targeted, embedded vocabulary instruction.
• Discussion. To become confident, articulate speakers, students must engage in frequent, purposeful discussions about what they read. We could multiply the length and frequency of such discussions, which animate an appreciation of reading and are excellent preparation for writing.
• Writing and writing instruction. Writing has an unsurpassed capacity to help us think logically, express ourselves clearly, and understand, analyse, and retain content. It often promotes dramatic, measurable improvements across the curriculum and is crucial to success in innumerable careers."

How will it help me?

With our new plan to incorporate more explicit explore play learning time with provocations, it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure that learning continues to happen and is not solely characterised by free roaming and unstructured choice activities. Specifically in mathematics and literacy, essential activities must be carefully planned and effectively executed within this environment, while other teachers lead smaller groups. By teaching mathematics, reading, and writing with well-planned provocations and direct instruction, students will experience significantly more instructional learning time. We already included more Reading to opportunities, Shared Big Book reading and Poems. We are exposing our learners to a variety of literature.

So What?

With this new approach, our team wants to ensure that all students will have the opportunity to meet their needs through a variety of learning activities.

Challenge board for Year 1

I've introduced a challenge board for my class during Maths and Literacy sessions. The goal is to empower my little learners to take charge of their own learning and develop independence. This approach should reduce the need for constant guidance, allowing them to progress at their own pace. The activities will change weekly. Take a look at the digital version and let me know what you think! Open to hear any feedback!!

Implementing a challenge board during Maths and Literacy sessions can offer numerous advantages:

• Fostering Independence: Encourages students to take initiative and responsibility for their learning, promoting independence and self-reliance.
• Empowering Students: Gives students a sense of control over their learning journey, enhancing their confidence and motivation to tackle tasks.
• Minimising Teacher Interruptions: Reduces the need for constant teacher direction, allowing educators to focus on facilitating deeper learning experiences and providing targeted support where needed.
• Customised Learning: Enables students to select challenges that align with their interests, abilities, and learning preferences, supporting personalised learning experiences.
• Developing Problem-Solving Skills: Challenges students to think critically and creatively as they work through tasks independently, fostering the development of essential problem-solving skills.
• Building Resilience: Encourages students to persist in the face of challenges and setbacks, promoting resilience and a growth mindset.
• Encouraging Collaboration: Provides opportunities for peer collaboration and cooperation as students work together to solve challenges, fostering a sense of community and teamwork.

A challenge board can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that promotes student agency, skill development, and academic success.

Meet Room 7's Reading buddies

During our Literacy time we met our new reading buddies for 2024.

We all sat together and discussed how their different personalities might be and each got a special name.

The students were so excited to build a relationship with their reading buddies. 

Let's meet them:

Frankie - the pepper frankenstein: he loves to listen to stories and can be a bit playful sometimes.

Love Heart - the pink elephant: she has a heart full of love and think her reading buddy is the best reader and writer in the world.

Sparkles is our kind-hearted dog: he will make sure nobody disturbs you when you are reading.

Simba - strong willed lion: he will read along with you to make sure you are on the right track.

Isabella - our trying turtle: she will motivate and encourage you until you are confident.

Last but definitely not the least - Mr Crabs, the lobster: he can see everything anywhere in the class, he will make sure you show integrity.

                                                           Sparkles is reading with Susana.

Avee and Simba has a strong connection.

                                             Love Heart is teaching Carter, Mr Crabs and Isabella the digraph /sh/.

Can't wait how our buddies will assist our learners in their learning.

Writing - there's more to it than meets the eye

Many teachers don't realise how hard writing is, especially for kids. I was one of those teachers and thought with enough practice every day, they will eventually 'get' it.

I learned a lot about in my journey with the Science of Reading, structured literacy and BSLA approach as well as workshops with Liz Kane how we learn and teach, especially in writing.

After reading this blogpost it is all making sense and I will change my practice to assist my young learners in their literacy journey.

As a teacher, I'd show the students how to write, they'd try, and we'd move on. I didn't realise how much they need to learn before they can write well. Students would draw and scribble letters, and I'd praise their efforts. But I didn't think much about what they really needed to learn. I should have spent more time teaching them the basics of writing, instead of squeezing it in with everything else. Now I know better, and I'll focus more on helping them build a strong foundation for writing.

Looking back on my teaching practice, I can see that some students thrived with the way I taught writing. They caught on quickly and became confident writers. But there were others who struggled. They seemed confused by the whole writing process, finding it hard to come up with their own ideas. Still, I kept at it, thinking that if we just kept practicing, they would improve. I included language experiences to make it more engaging but although that increased some of the writing there were still students who didn't.

Motivation

I will break it down into smaller steps throughout the day instead of just one big writing session. This way, kids can practice writing little by little, making it easier for them. When they write on their own, I'll still guide them, but not necessarily in the same way as before.

1)Working memory

I believe the key to helping children hold onto their ideas long enough to write them down is to reduce the other tasks that may be distracting them.

2) Formation

I knew handwriting was important, but I didn't realise how much it mattered for writing. Now I see that handwriting sessions are vital and should happen every day, I am excited that our school has decided to focus on handwriting as well.

3) Fine Motor and Gross Motor Skills

This is related to forming letters. If holding a pencil or sitting properly is hard, learning to shape letters becomes very tough.

The Key Strengths & physical skills needed for handwriting:
Gross Motor Skills (Posture Base)
Gross Motor Skills (Bilateral Coordination)
Fine Motor Skills (Sensory Perception)
Fine Motor Skills (Hand and Finger Muscles)
Eye Tracking Ability.
Spatial Awareness.
Motor Memory.
Visual Memory.

4) Encoding (spelling)

I believe this is one of the most overlooked aspects of literacy. Tools and skills to encoding, including elements of structured literacy, is now the main focus in our literacy sessions.

5) Irregular Words - heart words

Spelling tricky or as we call them 'heart' words like "the," "my," "was," and "saw" helps us write smoothly. If we don't have to think too hard about spelling these words, it leaves more brainpower for writing. Tricky words become easier once we learn them, just like regular ones. The Code spelling program will aid all our students in this.

6) Oral Language and Vocabulary

Good oral language skills are crucial for writing. Lately, I've seen a decline in students' ability to talk well, and it's a growing problem.
If a student can't speak in full sentences, how can they write one? We need to give them lots of chances to practice speaking clearly and expose them to rich language through stories and poems. This helps them become better writers. Shared Reading also plays a big part here. A rich exposure help students learn more words and ideas, which helps with both reading and writing. the shared reading time will not only benefit younger students but I believe older students will definitely benefit from being read to in class as well.

7) Sentence Construction

Teaching students what a complete sentence is should be a key part of writing lessons. They need to learn about the different parts of a sentence and understand syntax and word structure. For my younger students I begin with Oral language - Colourful semantics. This way they build their knowledge first orally and then by writing it down.

8) Idea Generation and Knowledge Development

If it's hard to think of an idea, writing is tough. And if we don't understand our world well, writing becomes even harder. We can help kids by teaching them how to come up with ideas using pictures, songs, poems, and videos.


How will this reading help me?

I will change my practice and reflect how to make it more engaging but also teaching my students the tools and skills they need to excel in their learning.

So What?

My reading buddies will have more focus in class 
'Sam the snake' will appear this week and help students with their ideas
Challenge wall set up and going through the growing pains of what works and what not, teaching students independence
Colourful semantics, handwriting and reading(with decodable sentences) must take place everyday
Shared reading must happen everyday
Will assess by the end of term and reflect how to change and tweak.

I will post an update on how my challenge wall is going. 

Link - Blogpost by Leslee Allen(Number Agents)

The Primary Issue: Have students got the skills they need to start school?

I am back and more determined to find ways to engage more ECE and kindergarten teachers to help their tamariki fill those foundational skills before they starts school. My focus this year will be on the transition from ECE to Primary school. Finding creative and engaging ways to help teachers boost the students' readiness for school and with confidence.

I will also focus on Literacy specifically writing and how I can make it more engaging for the tamariki who lacks foundational skills and Oral Language. I will be developing resources and activities to build those skills and share with other colleagues in the cluster as well as the ECEs.

Creating a website with all the useful resources will be one of my tools I would like to create. 

What is happening: 

• The Government is pouring extra dollars a year into early childhood education without pausing to measure whether the increase is helping improve children's development. But no data has been collected.
• Primary school principals say despite a huge surge in pre-school participation, they are not seeing better early literacy and numeracy skills among 5-year-olds, with some worried it was getting worse.
• Critics say the variable quality within the early childhood sector is one of the reasons children arrive at school without the skills they need to make the most of formal learning, meaning they are at risk of lagging behind.
• "You don't want children at early childhood education to be sitting on the mat and sitting up straight. You want lots of developmental play. You want the opportunity to use rich language," said principal of May Road School in Mt Roskill, Lynda Stuart.
• "But you need qualified teachers to provide quality learning environments. And we're not putting money into quality ECE."
• Frances Nelson, principal at Fairburn School, said they had been concerned for a long time at students' literacy and numeracy skills as new entrants, particularly in oral language.
• "If anything we would be thinking it's deteriorating. We certainly get lots of kids with learning difficulties that aren't being picked up at preschool, so they're not getting the early intervention they need."
• Significant Covid19 impact: Parents surveyed spoke about challenges at home, including financial and time pressures, which limit the time they are able to spend with their children. 
• Teachers identified the following reasons why children aren’t school ready (listed from most impacting): 
• Parents spending more time on electronic devices than with children 
• Less time spent at kindergartens due to lockdown restrictions. 
• Parents not reading to children. 
• Children spending more time at home, with less access to interaction with other children. 
• Parents don’t know what ‘school ready’ looks like. 
• Parents don’t care or think it is their job to prepare their child for Reception Lack of targeted state support for parents (e.g. health visitors) 
• Lack of peer or community support for parents (e.g. parent and baby groups) 
• Variable quality of ECE and kindergarten education 
• Rising cost of childcare.
• The impact of Covid-19 on the level of school readiness is still a factor, albeit of decreasing importance. Of critical interest to us at Kids Matter is that teachers cite ‘lack of state, community and peer support for parents’ as key factors impacting the capacity of parents to prepare their children for school.

We are seeing more children starting school well below the expected level including behaviour challenges.

Additionally, I'm interested in exploring collaborative teaching and its recognised effectiveness as a modern approach to teaching and learning across various subjects. Furthermore, I'm eager to apply the insights and expertise I've acquired while collaborating with teachers from my school, as well as those from neighbouring schools and early childhood education centres.

This is definitely an ongoing battle. 

My objective is to connect with children at the earliest opportunity, ensuring they begin primary school with a solid foundation and the resources they need to thrive academically and personally. By intervening early, I aim to equip them with essential skills and support, setting them on a path toward success and excellence throughout their educational journey.