Gaps in learning continuity

 I hold to my view that the prime work for the school Principal is to be the leader in  learning for their school community.

Let us ponder a year 4 student leaning about fractions. It is not an easy concept to grasp in a comprehensive fashion, especially when one encounters what I call the naughty fractions, that is, improper fractions. It is relatively easy for students to understand the concept of proper fractions using examples from everyday life, but not so easy to do this for improper fractions. Everyday applications of the latter are there and need to be used to help students understand this more difficult fraction concept.

Having worked the class through fractions at year 4 level the teacher decides to move on to the next topic. Some students will have grasped the concept of fractions fully, some will have a reasonable grasp and some will still be floundering. The major decision confronting the teacher is whether to develop some special individualised focus to bring the strugglers up to speed before they move to the next topic or to leave the gaps in place and hope that maturity in say year 5 will allow better understanding when fractions are encountered in year 5. If the decision is to move all students to the next topic the risk is run that the strugglers may carry this fraction knowledge and understanding deficit throughout their school lives.

In practical terms it is difficult to individualise learning in core areas like mathematics as a student progresses through the school years. If a teacher can do this well and good. In these contemporary times there are many online programs that the struggling student could use. Within a class of say 25 the teacher may individualise to the extent that three groups emerge, with a group that grasps concepts at first try, a group that grasps concepts to an acceptable level often called average, and a group that struggles with almost every new concept. This is very simplistic but teaching to groups as described is bread and butter for junior primary class teachers and could be extended into the higher grades.

To let a student develop gaps such that a cumulative deficit builds up is unacceptable and Principals need to work with their teachers to find ways to minimise this happening. Such an accumulation of gaps is regularly observed in literacy and numeracy learning with say year 10 students who still struggle.

Principals the challenge is there daily. My suggestion at least at primary (elementary) school level is to focus the gap minimisation on the numeracy and literacy areas of learning, maybe including digital literacy, and in all other learning areas ensure comprehensive coverage of syllabus requirements readying the students for the specialisation focus that comes in the secondary (high) school years. The secondary schools receiving students from several primary schools need detailed records of what each student has mastered in the literacy and numeracy areas along with an assurance that all other syllabus areas have received comprehensive coverage. There does not need to be the detailed handover of mastery information in these other syllabus areas.

Once again I am probably preaching a heresy, but my experience with in-servicing primary level teachers suggests they warm to this more practical approach to the demands of individualising learning.

May the Force be with You!

GD