The GRIN intervention program is intended to provide support for students experiencing diffi culty in mathematics. The program is primarily targeted at students beyond the early years of schooling and is suitable for use at both primary and secondary levels. GRIN sessions are conducted in addition to and before the normal mathematics lessons. The program is delivered by tutors who have been trained in the GRIN model of intervention.
Outcomes and successes
GRIN Intervention has been extraordinarily successful:
• it has a clear rationale
• it is received positively by students, tutors, and teachers
• students have gained broader learning.
Support for the program
GRIN has already been introduced in primary and secondary schools across Victoria. It has been well received by:
• regional and state-wide networks
• principals
• teachers
• students and their parents.
What do students say about GRIN?
How does GRIN work?
Trained tutors conduct GRIN sessions with small groups of students (ideally three), before the normal mathematics lesson.
GRIN sessions are brief and focused - normally 15 to 25 minutes long. The key idea is for tutors to prepare the intervention students for the subsequent mathematics lesson.
GRIN sessions conducted by trained tutors will:
• prepare intervention students for their subsequent mathematics lesson
• familiarise students with the relevant language and terminology that they will hear during the classroom lesson
• model what students can expect to see and/or do in the lesson.
In some cases students might participate in GRIN sessions prior to the commencement of the school day. In another situation students might be withdrawn from other (non-mathematics) lessons to participate in GRIN sessions prior to the mathematics lesson.

The GRIN tutor can be a:
• teacher
• numeracy coach
• leading teacher
• integration aide
The GRIN tutor needs to be suffi ciently confi dent with the mathematical concepts being handled by the classroom teacher. Confi dence with the concept will enable a tutor to expose and clarify any misconceptions that the student might have about the concept and to offer a range of worthwhile models to support student understanding.
When selecting non-teaching staff (such as teacher-aides or parents) as
GRIN tutors, it is important to ensure that the tutors receive adequate information from the teacher regarding the key concepts of the classroom lesson. It is likely that non-teaching staff selected as tutors may need additional time and support from the classroom teacher in order to gain familiarity and confi dence with some of the mathematical content.
- Focused
- Direct
- Good questioning and listening skills
- Respected by classroom teachers
- Flexible
- Clear diction and well-formed handwriting
- Maths content knowledge
- Friendly
- Classroom management skills
- Enthusiasitc
- Persistent
GRIN relies heavily on the development of strong and timely communications between the GRIN tutor and the classroom teacher. The better the link between the GRIN intervention session and the subsequent classroom lesson, the more impact the program will have on student outcomes.
Careful consideration must be taken to select staff who will implement GRIN within the school. Four staff members - including
GRIN tutors and teachers, from a school will attend professional learning over three terms. This is a time commitment of 11.5 hours - one day of six and a half hours, then two and a half hours per term over the following two terms. Once the staff have completed the professional learning, the school will become an accredited GRIN school.

Communication between tutor and classroom teachers
The GRIN program relies upon regular communication between the tutor and the classroom teacher. The classroom teacher and the tutor work together to identify key vocabulary, learning goals, key ideas and the tasks that students will undertake.
The tutor feeds back information gained from observation and discussion with the GRIN students during the last session and makes suggestions about how the lesson might be differentiated or modifi ed to better meet some students’ needs. This two-way fl ow of information between the teacher and tutor is a strength of the program and provides a form of professional learning for both the tutor and the teacher.
Space and time issues
The tutor needs an adequate space in which to conduct the intervention sessions. The withdrawal space needs to be independent of the classroom and free from interruptions and/or distractions. This is particularly important because of the brevity and intense focus of each intervention session. The space needs to be large enough to accommodate the small group of students and the tutor, an adequate supply of tables, chairs and basic mathematics equipment.
The GRIN program operates most effectively in those schools where the Principal visibly supports the tutor/s by ensuring that the whole staff is aware of the program and how it operates. Given that the GRIN sessisons are conducted in addition to classroom mathematics lesson, decisions need to be made about how this will be managed within the school’s timetable.
The Principal should explain this expectation to the staff and request that teachers assist the tutor to create a manageable timetable that takes account of the student’s timetable, the limited time allocation for GRIN sessions and the various demands on the tutor.
Appoint a GRIN coordinator
In schools employing more than one GRIN tutor it is important that there is a coordinator as a point of contact for the program. The GRIN coordinator would preferably be one of the tutors or a senior member of staff. The coordinator would support tutors in the collection and analysis of data, organisation of timetables and be the liaison point for any issues that may arise from the program’s implementation.
Assessment expectations
It is important to collect and analyse data strategically as a way of monitoring both individual student progress and the success of the intervention program overall. An assessment regime accompanies the GRIN program.
Both pre and post data needs to be collected from students in the relevant year level cohort with the GRIN students identifi ed as a sub-set within this cohort. Some schools may elect to collect data from across the entire year level cohort, while others may limit data collection to only those grades from which GRIN students have been selected. The tutor’s role is to collect the results, record details in the template provided and analyse the data with the professional learning team.
Professional learning expectations
The GRIN program requires professional learning which is delivered to the GRIN tutors and to teachers who have students participating in the GRIN program (this latter component expands on the notion of differentiating the curriculum to better meet the needs of all students and would therefore be benefi cial for teachers in general to attend).
Prior to the commencement of the program, the GRIN tutors and teachers (GRIN staff) will be offered one full day of professional learning to acquaint them with the key components of the model. This will support tutors and teachers to:
• acquaint teachers more fully with the program model
• describe the expectations of teachers within the model
• support teachers to differentiate key classroom tasks to better meet the needs of the broad range of student abilities within their classroom
• select students for inclusion in the program
• deliver intervention sessions using the GRIN model
• time-table effectively
• collect and analyse data.
The GRIN staff are expected to attend professional learning with Monash Unviersity, once a term (for two subsequent terms), to share best practice, undertake further learning and discuss the program’s progress in their school. It is the Principal’s role to make suitable arrangements to enable the release of tutors and teachers to attend the professional learning relevant to
GRIN.

• A school selects up to 4 staff, including GRIN tutors and teachers to commence GRIN - professional learning will be delivered over 3 terms.
• All GRIN teachers and tutors attend one day of professional learning
• GRIN manuals and templates provided to assist with delivery and data analysis.
• Students are selected for participation in GRIN.
• GRIN tutor sessions are timetabled.
• GRIN tutor sessions begin.
• GRIN teachers and tutors will attend two (2.5 hours) professional learning support sessions.
• Ongoing data collection.
• Data analysis is completed.
• School becomes a Licensed GRIN School after 3 terms, once professional learning is completed.
• Certifi cates issued to Accredited GRIN staff.
School Feedback
“All students involved have said they feel more able to participate confi dently in their maths classes. In my own classes it has made me much more aware of the language I use in teaching mathematics. Classroom teachers have said they have benefi ted from collaborative planning of their lessons. Building teacher capacity whilst helping students is an added and important bonus that comes through implementing the program. It is one of the best forms of intervention I have come across in my 16 years of teaching.
” Luke Kerr, Leading Teacher of Numeracy, Mornington Secondary College
“I am met with smiles and sometimes cheers when I come to the room to collect them (the students). My working relationship with the teacher has been a complete pleasure, she has improved her planning and organisation to be ready for our planning meetings and has done extra reading on the content so she feels more prepared. She recently said, “I have never taught Maths so well!”. GRIN has been most successful at our school both to help the students academically but also emotionally and socially cope with the demands of the Maths classroom.” Megan Skinner, Coatesville Primary
School (Tutor)
“The GRIN program has made a signifi cant difference in student willingness to have a go at Maths in the classroom. The tutorial sessions gives students access to the mathematical language and skills they will encounter in the classroom. The
GRIN program participants generally demonstrated a greater level of growth in their AusVELs improvement than their non-GRIN peers. GRIN is easy to implement within the school and we have found that the benefi ts are not just noticeable in the students’ maths but in their confi dence with their other studies. A great program that gives students a helping hand to demonstrate improved understanding.” Yvonne Dunbar, Pakenham Secondary College
Duration
1 full day and 2 half days
Dates
Tuesday 8 March 2016 (9.00am - 3.30pm)
May 25, July 14 2016 (2.00pm - 4.30pm)
Venue
Monash Conference Centre, Collins St. Melbourne
Phone: +61 3 9905 2911 edu-shortcourses@monash.edu
The information in this brochure is correct at the time of printing, February 2016. CRICOS Provider: Monash University 00008C.