2025 Inquiry - Part 1

Our primary inquiry focus for our team was the area of Mathematics. However, this coincided with the imminent introduction of a new pedagogical approach to teaching Maths. 

A new maths action plan was launched focusing on three key areas to turn around the declining maths achievement in New Zealand schools. 

1. Curriculum:

A new knowledge-rich, maths curriculum for students in Years 0-8 based on the structured maths approach is introduced in Term 1 this year. 

Resources: including teacher and student workbooks, are provided to primary and intermediate schools to support the adoption of new curriculum.

2. Workforce:

Professional learning and development (PLD) in the structured maths approach to support the rollout of the new curriculum.

3. Assessment

Students will be assessed twice a year, using existing standardised tools.  Small group interventions will be implemented to support students who have fallen significantly  behind.

What is a Structured Maths Approach?

A structured scope and sequence is a fundamental to effective teaching and learning in mathematics.  It provides educators with a road map, ensuring that each concept systematically builds upon prior knowledge.  By carefully sequencing mathematical topics and activities.

A Structure Maths Approach enables learners to progressively develop their skills and confidence. This organised structure supports teachers in creating a conducive learning environment that fosters deep conceptual understanding and student success, directly aligning with the NZ curriculum and its progress outcomes and learning. 

Our team's intended inquiry focused on implementing the Numicon resource and program with our Year 1 and 3 students.  However, the initiation of this teaching approach was delayed due to the late arrival of our equipment.  The difficulty would be of the time constraints and the ability to understand how it works.

We opted to focus on literacy - reading comprehension. 

  

2025 Inquiry - Part 2

How can I enhance my small group teaching capabilities to effectively support student

development of reading comprehension?

My specific/focus small group is 4 readers. Tupu Level 2

How can we develop capability - what steps can I take to improve my skills/practice and knowledge?  

It might imply

• Trying different teaching techniques.

• Refining existing skills - make current teaching approaches more effective and efficient.

.. in a small group teaching - working with a small specific group,  make smaller and focused  lessons really effective.

.. to support the learner’s development:

• Fostering metacognition: Teaching them to "think about their thinking" – planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own learning process

• Encouraging critical thinking: Moving beyond memorization to asking "why" and "how," evaluating information, and solving problems.

• Providing problem-solving opportunities: Presenting challenges that require them to apply their knowledge and reasoning.

• Making connections: Helping them link new information to what they already know (activating prior knowledge) and to real-world contexts.

• Using questioning techniques: Asking open-ended questions

• that stimulate deeper thought rather than simple recall.




… of comprehension in reading - helping them not just read the words, but truly understand, interpret, and make sense of the text.




What steps am I going to take to change my practice?




The steps I'm going to take to change my practice is to:




Foster metacognition: Teaching my readers to "think about their thinking" - planning,

monitoring, and evaluating their own learning process.

Encourage critical thinking - Moving beyond memorization to asking "why" and "how",

evaluating information, and solving problems.

Providing problem-solving opportunities: presenting challenges that require them to apply

their knowledge and reasoning.

Making connections: Helping them link new information to what they already know

(activating prior knowledge) and real-world contexts.

Using questioning techniques - asking open-ended questions that stimulate deeper

thought rather than simple recall.




Seek and Share with colleagues:




Action - Follow up and engage with my team leader and work colleagues.

How - I'll share what i've been trying, what I've learned and what impact I've

observed. I'll ask for their ideas or if they can offer specific feedback on my practice.

Outcome - collaborative learning, shared insights and a supportive professional development.

Inquiry - Instructional Reading.

New Focus Inquiry Question.

As from today I am changing my focus question for my inquiry.  My focus question is "How do I raise the achievement level for my priority readers?" I'm working with one group who have not made significant moves as there has been no changes. The difficulty with this group they are not using initial letters or sounding out correctly. They still need 1:1 matching, to recognise the correct letter and words of the text.

What literacy strategies could I use to support this group in making those shifts from where they are now, and where they should be.  Gwenneth Phillips instructional reading programme offers strategies that addresses each colour reading level. This is all very new to me, as I'm processing it through, taking it all on board and how to get more out of it.
Helen Squires modelled what it looks like in practice and as I watched her, it slowly made sense.

I'm hoping this intervention could be to not only help myself and my readers, but become aware of the discrepancies and mismatches experienced by children in making the transition to become a confident reader, but also to learn how to harness their potential.

My 2019 Inquiry

It is a role reversal for myself, being from a release/relief teacher into a full time position, teaching year 2's in a 1:1 iPad classroom. I'm much looking forward to starting this new journey with an amazing class of enthusiastic learners, working with a supportive team, in an innovative learning environment.  What will I embark on my journey? 

For my inquiry - How do Team 2 plan for reading and use the iPads for teaching and learning with their learners? In order to create a follow up activity on the iPads I firstly need to know who my reading groups are and the reading level stages they are currently at.
This would give me a clear idea which reading text would be appropriate for that specific level. Jocelyn Tumahai shared her reading folder as this would be very useful for myself to follow from and continue. As the weeks progressed I became confident to select the right text for each group and into my reading plan.  I also gained helpful advise from Charlotte Gatson about planning and how to align your text with follow up activities.

I've noticed that some of the new PM readers don't have follow up EE activities. This would be an opportunity to create one of my own. During my release time, I got to work with Clarelle Davis. Using her ICT knowledge to create an activity with Explain Everything.  I could remember  taking a toolkit class, where the Explain Everything was briefly mentioned, discussing the basics. But not the full on detailed of what's involved.  By following Clarelle's step by step instructions and being observed, I understood the time factor and thinking of the type of questions (not making it too difficult) suitable to that specific level.  There could be other activities,  such as draw a picture of your favourite part of the story, match the word endings, record yourself reading the book, fill in the missing gaps in sentences, take a photo from the book and write one sentence to describe it, and etc. How the task looks like, how many activities do you want the children to complete is your decision.  I would like my readers to be engaged and challenged, a balance of both.

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my new Professional Blog! Watch this space as I have things to share and my first post is coming soon!