Learning to
Learn
Yr 7 Parent Evening
16th February, 2011
What is the program
about?
• A program for all Yr 7 students
• Raising expectations
• Embedding literacy and
organisational skills
• Lisa Muir
2
Why are we doing this?
• Better learning outcomes for
students
• Setting the bar high at start
of HS
3
Literacy and
organisational skills
need to be explicitly
taught.
4
Parents can help at home.
5
What happens at school?
5 periods on the
Learning to Learn Booklet
Sharon Russell
6
Booklets – what is inside?
1.
Getting
Organised
2.
Comprehending
Text
Learning to
Learn
Year 7 Program
6.
Study
5.
Writing
3.
Navigating Text
Books
4.
Reading for
Information
7
Booklets – what is inside?
1. Getting Organised:
Understand school expectations:timetable, books, using a diary,
homework, study
8
Booklets – what is inside?
2. How to start comprehending a
text.
Jan Curran
9
Literacy
1. Unpacking a text – checklist
Unpacking a Text
•
Background knowledge (look at headings, sub
headings, key words, diagrams)
•
•
•
•
Talk about vocab & key words
Box layout – breaking text into meaningful parts
Identify main point of paragraph
Identify visuals, determine function, link
to text
Read the whole text first…
Why?
• Gain understanding of overall meaning
• Understanding text layout (able to more
successfully locate information in comprehension)
Vocab
Read and box
paragraphs,
stating main
idea
Detailed look
at visual –
‘making’ - box
1. Selection of timber
2. Length & seal
3. Outside
treatment of wood
4. Sealing holes
5. shape
Intro &
definition
Description of
how played
Detailed info on
breathing/cultural
significance
Usage- where,
when & by whom
Discuss
visual and
indicators
pointing to
related
information
GAIL BROWN QUESTION TYPES
Right There Question
What is the didgeridoo made from?
A. The didgeridoo is made from a tree
branch hollowed out by termites.
Think & Search Question
What steps are followed in making a
didgeridoo?
A. In making a didgeridoo, the Aboriginal people would
follow the following steps: select a branch hollowed out
by termites, soak the branch in water and clear out the
termite residue, cut the branch to length (1 – 3m), seal
the mouthpiece with beeswax, strip the outside bark
away and finally seal any holes with beeswax.
On My Own Question
Why are the shapes of didgeridoos so
varied?
?
A. Didgeridoos come in a variety of shapes
because they are made from naturally
occurring branches.
STRATEGY - STEPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT ANSWER
Q. What is the didgeridoo made from?
Write answer in full sentence
ensuring correct punctuation.
Booklets – what is inside?
3. Navigating a Text Book
•
•
•
•
•
Contents
Index
Page
Headings
Subheadings
Booklets – what is inside?
4. Reading to find information
19
Reading
Skimming: to quickly work out what the
text is about
• Look: headings, diagrams, pictures,
words in bold
• Read: first and last paragraphs
• Find: main idea
Reading
Scanning: to find specific information
• Scan to find e.g. “word that mean”,
“sentence that tells”, “name of”,
“property of”, date, heading etc
• Look for single words related to
specific information
Reading
Visual Literacy
• Make connections between ideas in text
and images
• Locate information in pictures / text
• Interpret illustrations, symbols, diagrams
• Identify and interpret textual features
Booklets – what is inside?
5. Writing
23
Writing - Summarising
• Pick out main ideas – topic sentence
• Reduce to key words
• Dot points, abbreviate & punctuate
24
Writing – Graphic Organisers
25
Writing - Note Making
• High expectations – students
create their own notes most of the
time
• Use the frameworks given
26
Writing - TXXXC
• Forces students to write
beyond a simple sentence.
• Scaffold can be used by all staff
in all classes.
• Preparation for Persuasive
Writing tasks - NAPLAN.
27
T TOPIC sentence - State your argument or idea.
X EXPLAIN - One sentence explaining a fact about
the argument.
X EXTEND - One sentence extending on the above
fact with a second fact.
X EXAMPLE - One sentence of personal experience
or knowledge that demonstrates the argument
C CONCLUSION - Wrap up with your own opinion or
a judgement - linked back to the question.
28
Writing - Word Banks and Spelling
• Assists in discussion and in
writing responses
• Subject specific technical words
• 3-4 syllable words
• Look-Say-Cover-Write-Check
29
Writing - Text Types
Back of Learning to Learn Booklet
- Example of assessment tasks
- Marking criteria
- Scaffolds, word banks
- Models of written responses
30
Yr 7 Scaffolds – Text Type booklet
Information
Report
Procedure
Explanation
Description
Discussion
Narrative
Persuasive
Text
31
Booklets – what is inside?
6. Study
32
Helping students to see the links…
Structured Topic Overview
• De-mystify the topic (like introducing a text – tell
them what it is all about)
• Provide a graphic organiser – (shows the
overall picture)
• Tell them what to study
• Tell them when to start studying
Structured Topic Overview
• Graphic organisers – using them to organise their notes/ideas
about a topic (great for overview/study purposes)
• Scaffolding – providing students with a Structured Topic Overview
(a summary of content and skills students will cover in the topic) at
the beginning of the topic
This will allow students to understand what they are
doing, how it links together and what they will need to
know at the end of the unit.
•
Provide a word bank - discuss vocab and use as spelling
•
Provides a study review (use ‘tick-a-box’)
Two formats – choose
either or combine both
This structure is
flexible – number of
columns may vary
depending on the
amount of
information and the
number of
categories you need
to include
Kick Start Questions
10 – 20 Questions posted on Moodle for review
before each topic test
• Build in success (if you study these questions you are guaranteed
10 – 20 marks)
• Motivating
• Builds success
motivates
builds success
• Aiming to create a study pattern in our students which will hopefully
take them into SC and HSC
• Needs to start Term 1, Year 7!!!!
• (Students are also encouraged to study for the rest of the test by
referring to the checked boxes on the Structured Topic Overview
and then looking at their appropriate notes)
Belmont High School acknowledgement
How parents can help
1.
Getting
Organised
2.
Comprehending
Text
3.
Navigating Text
Books
Parents
6.
Study
5.
Writing
4.
Reading for
Information
39
Questions?
40