Literacy
At Mickleham Primary School, we place a strong emphasis on literacy learning skills across all curriculum areas. Through focused and differentiated literacy lessons, students learn to appreciate, enjoy and use language. The development of literacy skills such as reading, writing, and speaking & listening foster confidence, thinking and imagination.
Students are exposed to and explicitly taught reading strategies to decode texts, whilst maintaining a strong focus on comprehension. Students are taught the foundation skills of oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, as they develop their vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. Students read a variety of texts and learn to analyse, discuss and critically think about the ideas presented to them through text.
At MPS, it is important our students see themselves as writers. The 6+1 Traits of Writing is used as a framework for curriculum planning in Writing. Students are taught to move through the stages in the writing process, whilst utilising rich mentor texts to support their growth as writers. Revising is an important aspect of our writing process, with the 6+1 Traits used to inform this continuous cycle.
Speaking & Listening is incorporated into our teaching and learning programs. Students are presented with opportunities to share their ideas and thoughts. Socratic Seminars and Class Meetings promote critical analysis of ideas and current topics. During small group Guided Reading students use critical language to discuss what they are reading, whilst making connections to their lives and the greater world.
Goal Setting in Literacy
Together with the teacher, each student creates Reading and Writing goals, which they work towards during independent learning time. Students build a greater level of autonomy in their learning as they reflect, both individually and through conferences with their teacher. New goals are set regularly to ensure they remain relevant.
Numeracy
Mathematics provides students with Numeracy skills that enable them to develop important mathematical ideas, knowledge and understandings that they will draw on in their personal lives.
Number, algebra, measurement, space, statistics and probability are the focus of our teaching and learning experiences. The four proficiencies of maths are understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning. These are embedded within our curriculum and encourage our students to think critically and creatively whilst developing numeracy skills for everyday life.
Goal Setting in Numeracy
Together with their teacher, each student creates Numeracy goals, which they work towards during the independent learning time. Students build a greater level of independence and autonomy for their learning as they reflect on these both individually and through problem-based learning with their teacher. New goals are set regularly to ensure they remain relevant. Goals can be based on new understandings or fluency of number facts.
At Mickleham Primary School, we promote numeracy skills in all curriculum areas and everyday life.
Inquiry
A two-year Cycle of Inquiry is followed. Teachers plan units of work based on the Victorian Curriculum that are relevant and connected to their students’ lives. Units integrate the following learning areas: Health, Science, History, Civics & Citizenship, and Geography from Foundation to Year Six. Hands-on and real-life learning experiences are the core of our teaching and learning.
Curriculum Overviews
Prep
Inquiry
In Inquiry students will:
- Answer the question ‘What does it mean to be at school?’
- Learn about the expectations and routines at Mickleham Primary School
English
In Reading and Viewing, students will:
- Learn the letters and sounds of the alphabet using cued articulation and the ‘Little Learners Love Literacy’ phonics program
- Be introduced to high frequency (HFW) and CVC (constant, vowel, constant) words
In Writing, students will:
- Learn to write weekly recounts
- Write responses to the class mentor text
- Practise their letter formation
In Speaking and Listening students will:
- Practice conversation skills and interactions through structured play and the School Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPBS) lessons
Mathematics
In Number and Algebra, students will:
- Focus on numbers 1-10 and learn to connect number names, symbols and quantities together
In Measurement and Geometry, students will:
- Investigate days of the week and parts of the day, referencing activities that are specific to dierent times and days of the week
In Statistics and Probability, students will:
- Answer yes/no questions and interpret data
Specialist Subject Areas
Physical Education
Students will be learning to move safely in order to have fun. Working safely with others to complete our Proprioceptive Motor Program (PMP) is our focus each week. PMP addresses physical, mental and cooperative skills required to benefit learning at school. We practise following instructions, waiting turns, being still, improving eye-tracking and moving with control. And…Buzzy Bee helps us with these goals.
Visual Arts
In Visual Arts, students will be developing and strengthening their fine motor skills through rotational work stations. The stations will focus on key art skills such as cutting, sculpting, drawing and painting.
Library
In Library, students will be introduced to library procedures and will be encouraged to become regular and responsible borrowers. They will listen to a range of picture story books on the themes of starting school and emotions. There will be follow up activities where students can demonstrate their understanding.
Grade 1-2
Inquiry
I am proud of my achievements and the special person I am.
In Inquiry students will understand that:
- everyone has traits and skills that are unique and help them to be successful
- dierent cultures celebrate dierent milestones
- universal milestones/skills are walking, talking, tying shoelaces etc
They will be able to:
- describe their own strengths and achievements and those of others
- describe physical and social changes that occur as children grow older
- practise strategies they can use when they need help with a task, problem or situation at home
and/or at school - recognise situations and opportunities to promote their own health, safety and wellbeing
English
In Reading and Viewing, students will:
- monitor and self-correct for accuracy and understanding
- express their ideas as they develop their skills in predicting, making connections to personal experiences, pausing to think about what they have read, making inferences and analysing the important events or information in the text
- explore the narrative text structure and how it is organised
- build upon their phonics and word knowledge
- read and talk about books at home each day
In Writing, students will:
- learn to plan, draft and publish narratives. This will require that students develop characters and settings, as well as create an imaginative problem and solution to their stories
- edit their writing and take ownership over their final published text
- enhance their writing by making sure they use adjectives, high frequency words, time
connectives and punctuation to make their writing powerful - correctly form upper and lower case letters on lined paper
In Speaking and Listening students will:
- listen to and communicate their ideas, opinions and understandings to others
Mathematics
In Number and Algebra, students will:
- practise a range of problem solving strategies and numeracy concepts, focusing on place value, making patterns, counting forwards and backwards from dierent starting points and finding the dierence between two collections
- explore various problem solving strategies to assist them to solve maths problems
- participate in “Maths talks” to continually ask questions and encourage the use of
mathematical vocabulary - use hands on materials to show their understanding
- In Measurement and Geometry, students will:
- explore time, using calendars, clocks, stopwatches, timelines and sequencing events
In Statistics and Probability, students will:
- investigate chance, exploring the possible and impossible, then rate events as something that will, won’t or might happen
Specialist Subject Areas
STEM
In STEM, students will focus on living organisms and their basic needs. They will learn about the human body systems (e.g. skeletal) and how they work together to enable us to learn, grow and move. Students will also learn about how to take care of their bodies.
Physical Education
In Physical Education, students build on their fundamental movement skills (FMS) in order to develop more choices about being active in life. This stage is foundational for learning to control how we run, jump, skip, throw and catch. Practising at home and in the park, will reinforce your child’s appreciation of their bodies capabilities and needs.
Visual Arts
In Visual Arts, students will be learning about portraiture. They will be introduced to Pablo Picasso and create artworks inspired by cubism in a range of media including paint, collage and playdoh.
Library
In the Library, students will be reintroduced to library procedures and will be encouraged to become regular and responsible borrowers. They will listen to a series of picture story books that focus on being positive, proud, kind and compassionate. There will be follow up activities for students to demonstrate their understanding of new vocabulary and focus themes.
Grade 3-4
Inquiry
In Inquiry, students will investigate the answers to the following big questions: What do we remember?
How do we remember it?
English
In Reading and Viewing, students will work on building their comprehension and reading accuracy skills through the strategies of:
- Summarising
- Analysing
- Adjusting
- Searching for and using information
- Solving words – Vocabulary
In Writing, students will explore the traits of writing, understand the structure of writing pieces, expand their vocabulary and look at strategies for spelling new words while exploring the genres of:
- Narrative
- Persuasive
In Speaking and Listening students will:
- Investigate ways to work together cooperatively
Mathematics
In Number and Algebra, students will develop skills in the following areas:
- Place value
- Naming numbers
- Ordering numbers
- Representing numbers
- Renaming/expanding numbers
In Measurement and Geometry, students will develop skills in the following areas:
- Positions and Locations
- Reading and interpreting maps
- Following and giving directions
- Creating maps
In Statistics and Probability, students will develop skills in the following areas:
- Interpreting and representing data
- Collecting data
- Graphing data
- Interpreting the graphs
Specialist Subject Areas
STEM
In STEM, students will learn how to conduct experiments safely and how to record their observations. They will explore how heat can be produced in many ways and how heat can be transferred from one object to another.
Physical Education
In Physical Education, students will be considering their responses to physical activity and how it makes them feel. Experiencing games and skill sessions in softball, soccer, AFL and netball will help them progress in controlling running, throwing, catching and batting/striking. These skills help us to have fun in games and appreciate our bodies’ needs.
Visual Arts
In Visual Arts, students will be introduced to a range of dierent artists from all around the world and analyse their artworks using their developing knowledge of the principles of Art (eg. pattern, repetition and colour). Using these artists as inspiration, students will create a series of artworks using a range of media.
Library
In Library, students will be given the opportunity to become regular and responsible borrowers. There will also be time for students to read in library lessons. They will be working on a unit entitled “Can one person make a dierence?” Students will listen to a selection of books from the Little People Big Dreams series and conduct focus activities, such as timelines and comprehension tasks.
Grade 5-6
Inquiry
In Inquiry students will:
- Reflect upon their daily choices, conduct research and discuss changes they could make to improve their overall health
- Research the importance of making healthy food choices, conducting regular physical activity and implementing strategies to look after their mental wellbeing
English
In Reading and Viewing, students will work on building their comprehension and reading accuracy skills through the strategies of:
- Synthesising
- Inferring
- Analysing
- Critiquing
- Making Connections
- Solving Words
In Writing, students will explore the traits of writing, understand the structure of writing pieces, expand their vocabulary and look at strategies for spelling new words while exploring the genres of:
- Informative – Narrative
In Speaking and Listening students will:
- Look at the language of fact and opinion
- Focus on enhancing their public speaking skills by presenting in front of their peers
- Engage in Socratic Seminars by respectfully listening to and challenging the thoughts of
their peers
Mathematics
In Number and Algebra, students will:
- Identify and describe properties of prime, composite, square and triangular numbers
- Investigate everyday situations that use integers. Locate and represent these numbers on a
number line - Compare fractions with related denominators and locate and represent them on a number
line - Make connections between equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages
In Measurement and Geometry, students will:
- Construct simple prisms and pyramids
- Investigate the eect of combinations of transformations on simple and composite shapes,
including creating tessellations, with and without the use of digital technologies - Introduce the Cartesian coordinate system using all four quadrants
In Statistics and Probability, students will:
- Construct, interpret and compare a range of data displays, including side-by-side column
graphs for two categorical variables - Interpret secondary data presented in digital media and elsewhere
- Pose and refine questions to collect categorical or numerical data by observation or survey
Specialist Subject Areas
STEM
In STEM, students will learn how to conduct experiments safely and how to record their observations. They will investigate the properties of lights and how it can be refracted, absorbed and reflected. Students will also learn about electrical circuits and how they enable electrical energy to be transferred to another place.
Physical Education
5/6’s will have opportunities to enhance their fitness and progress their motor skills in dodging, ducking and weaving needed in a variety of team-sports. We will discuss the impact of regular participation in PE on our health and wellbeing, and how our personal health impacts society. Fair play, rules and scoring help us to enjoy games all together- these will be considered in softball, soccer, AFL and netball this term.
Visual Arts
In Visual Arts, students will be introduced to a range of dierent artists from all around the world and analyse their artworks using their developing knowledge of the principles of Art (eg. pattern, repetition and colour). Using these artists as inspiration students will create a series of artworks using a range of media.
Library
In Library, students will be reacquainted with browsing and borrowing procedures and will be encouraged to become regular and responsible borrowers. There will also be time for students to read during library lessons. They will be working on a unit entitled “How do I show I care about my community?” Students will be reading and listening to a selection of books about volunteering, the environment and caring for others. There will be follow up activities in which students can demonstrate their understanding of new vocabulary and comprehension tasks.
