Learning to LearnYr 7 Parent

Evening 16th February, 2011

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What is the program about?

• A program for all Yr 7 students

• Raising expectations• Embedding literacy and

organisational skills

• Lisa Muir

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Why are we doing this?• Better learning outcomes for students

• Setting the bar high at start of HS

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Literacy and organisational skills need to be explicitly

taught.

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Parents can help at home.

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What happens at school?

5 periods on the Learning to Learn Booklet

Sharon Russell

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Booklets – what is inside?

3. Navigating Text Books

2. Comprehendi

ng Text

4. Reading for Information5.

Writing

6. Study

1. Getting

Organised Learning to LearnYear 7

Program

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Booklets – what is inside?

1. Getting Organised: Understand school

expectations:- timetable, books, using a diary, homework, study

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2. How to start comprehending a text.

Jan Curran

Booklets – what is inside?

Literacy1. 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

Discuss visual and indicators pointing to related information

Read and box paragraphs, stating main idea

Intro & definition

Description of how played

Detailed info on breathing/cultural significance

Usage- where, when & by whom

Detailed look at visual – ‘making’ - box

1. Selection of timber

2. Length & seal

3. Outside treatment of wood

4. Sealing holes

5. shape

GAIL BROWN QUESTION TYPES

Right There QuestionWhat is the didgeridoo made from?

A. The didgeridoo is made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites.

Think & Search QuestionWhat 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.

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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

QUIZ

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Booklets – what is inside?

4. Reading to find information

More Quizzes

ReadingSkimming: 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

ReadingVisual Literacy• Make connections between ideas in

text and images• Locate information in pictures / text• Interpret illustrations, symbols,

diagrams• Identify and interpret textual features

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Booklets – what is inside?

5. Writing

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Writing - Summarising

• Pick out main ideas – topic sentence

• Reduce to key words• Dot points, abbreviate &

punctuate

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Writing – Graphic Organisers

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Writing - Note Making

• High expectations – students create their own notes most of the time

• Use the frameworks given

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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.

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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.

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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

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Writing - Text Types

Back of Learning to Learn Booklet - Example of assessment tasks

- Marking criteria - Scaffolds, word banks - Models of written responses

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Yr 7 Scaffolds – Text Type booklet

Procedure

Description

Narrative

Persuasive

Text

Discussion

Explanation

Information

Report

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Booklets – what is inside?

6. Study

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 Questions10 – 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

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How parents can help

3. Navigating Text Books

2. Comprehendi

ng Text

4. Reading for Information5.

Writing

6. Study

1. Getting

Organised

Parents

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Questions?