Both the Revised New Zealand Curriculum and the proposed National Standards place an emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy during Years 1-6. Teaching and learning in these areas continues to be a strength at Miramar North School. In the Junior school, most of each morning is devoted to the teaching of Literacy and Numeracy.
Literacy
Literacy programmes are carefully planned and prepared with reference to Ministry publications such as The Literacy Progressions and Effective Literacy Practice. These describe the stages that children pass through on their way to becoming proficient readers and writers. Children typically enter school as “Emergent” readers and writers. By working together, parents and teachers can help them to be reading fluently and writing so that an adult can read what has been written after one year at school. Junior classes spend around 90mins each day focussing on Literacy. We quickly get to know your child through a series of assessments that tell us exactly “where your child is at” with Literacy skills. These include such things as writing their own name, identifying letter names and letter sounds, reading isolated words, reading simple books as well as composing and attempting to record simple stories.
You can help to prepare your child for school, and help to support them once they are here, by
- showing an interest in them as a reader and a writer
- taking the time to show them how to hold a pencil correctly and how to form letters correctly. If you are not sure – ask the teacher!
- practising alphabet names and sounds at home
- reading lots of books to them and talking about the pictures and storyline or information with them
- being a great role model – let your child catch you reading or writing something!
Numeracy
Numeracy programmes are carefully planned and prepared with reference to The Numeracy Project Framework and supporting materials. The Numeracy Project is based on a well researched stage-theory of the development of Numeracy skills. The skills are divided into Number Strategies (using or working with numbers eg adding) and Number Knowledge (known facts or information eg counting). Each skill progresses through 8 levels of complexity. Children typically enter school at Stage 0, 1 or 2. After one year, we would like them to be at Stage 3 (imaging) and after two years at Stage 4 (counting on). Regular Parent Information Evenings are held to explain the Numeracy Project to parents. You may also like to look at www.nzmaths/families Junior classes spend around 45mins each day focussing on Numeracy. Soon after your child starts school, we assess their Strategy and Number Knowledge skills and place them in an appropriate group. The diagnostic assessment tool we use includes asking them to count a certain number of objects (up to 10); to add two small groups of objects together; to count “as far as you can” and to give the number that comes after certain numbers; to count back from 10 (or 24) and to give the number that comes before certain numbers; to count objects in groups of 10 and to answer some basic fact questions.
You can help to prepare your child for school, and help to support them once they are here, by
- regularly counting backwards, as well as forwards – initially to 10, then to 20 or beyond!
- asking them “what number comes after…?” “what number comes before…?”
- familiarising them with money (real or play) and counting in 10s
- presenting a positive role model – don’t tell them you were no good at Maths at school!
Ma pango ma whero ka oti.
Through working together with a will the work will be done.
Please let us know if you know of anything that might get in the way of your child’s learning.