Willow Park School head teacher Theresa Kinloch works with students using phonics-based reading books produced by the Ministry of Education. Photo / Dean Purcell
Willow Park School head teacher Theresa Kinloch works with students using phonics-based reading books produced by the Ministry of Education. Photo / Dean Purcell
Children struggling with reading and writing are being picked up at the end of Year 1 at one Auckland school, meaning they get the extra help they need before it’s too late.
The three schools have adopted many of the changes the report advocates for and seen excellent results - the report suggests a more specific curriculum focused on academic learning, better assessment of students, the use of the science of learning to inform teaching, performance pay for teachers and teaching the science of learning during teacher training, among other things.
The school adopted a structured literacy approach to teaching reading and writing after a trial in 2019.
Their approach is strongly informed by the analysis of test data which allows teachers to see who needs extra help before the problem becomes too advanced.
Since being rolled out across the school, the data showed significant improvement despite the disruption caused by Covid lockdowns. The school had greatly increased the proportion of students working above curriculum expectations in reading and writing.
“I’ve never had so many kids who are working above curriculum expectations. It’s amazing,” one literacy reader commented.
The data also showed the method was especially successful with students who struggled with literacy, meaning the gap between the highest- and lowest-achieving students was closing.
Willow Park School successfully applied for ministry funding for professional development by an outside provider to learn how to teach through structured literacy. Report writer Michael Johnston said not all schools were able to gain such funding but it was important all schools had access to training in structured literacy.
It has become such a core aspect of teaching at the school that they have an evening for parents of new students to explain the science of reading and their approach to teaching literacy. The teachers also explain the science of learning to students so they all understand why they are using the approach.
The school also takes account of what candidates know about structured literacy when hiring new teachers and then run an induction process to make sure they are well-versed in the method when they start at the school.
Willow Park literacy leaders said it was “not evident” that teachers were being trained in the method during their studies, so new teachers were spending the first few years learning on the job.
Manurewa Intermediate has made major changes to its teaching and leadership since Iain Taylor became principal in October 2008.
Johnston explains that before then it was too dangerous for teachers to patrol the grounds alone, so they had to do it in pairs with walkie-talkies while security guards manned the gates.
“Now the students are courteous, confident, articulate and justifiably proud of their school,” he said.
Manurewa Intermediate School principal Iain Taylor says the school has written its own curriculum, which includes rote learning of times tables. Photo / Greg Bowker
Many students still arrived at the South Auckland schools with poor literacy and numeracy but specialist teachers helped turn that around in the two years students spend at the school to ensure they were prepared for secondary school.
Taylor believes the curriculum is too loose so the school has written its own curriculum, which includes rote learning of times tables and correct spelling.
Johnston noted the Manurewa Intermediate curriculum was far more detailed and rigorous than the national curriculum but the school still managed to include elements of inquiry-based learning.
He also said the school exemplified the way biologically primary knowledge - skills usually learned intrinsically - was part of the school environment.
Teachers modelled peaceful interaction and the students followed.
“By establishing such an orderly and peaceful environment, the key competencies of ‘managing self’ and ‘relating to others’ are promoted, while barely being mentioned explicitly, let alone being part of the formal curriculum,” Johnston wrote.
Taylor recognised that most primary teachers were “great at the art of teaching” but that subject knowledge could be lacking, particularly in science and maths. To remedy that, students have a homeroom but a different teacher for each subject.
Half of the teachers at Manurewa Intermediate were men, compared with 18 per cent nationwide. Taylor believes that is part of the reason boys at the school do as well in literacy as girls.
Another part of their success was due to standardised tests that were used at the start and end of each year to allow teachers to reflect on their practice and make sure the school was performing well, Taylor said.
Principal of Henderson South School in West Auckland, Trevor Diamond, said data showed a large number of students were struggling with writing so they opted for professional development in that area and introduced a structured approach to the teaching of the subject with the help of writing expert Helen Walls.
Almost immediately teachers noticed an improvement in their students’ engagement and achievement in writing. There was also a marked improvement in reading.
Literacy teachers at the school said they noticed the common methods of teaching writing often resulted in students being overloaded with information.
“Children are asked to write freely, but they have no structure to support their creativity. If children are asked to write stories before they’ve developed skill in forming letters, they can’t focus on the ideas they’re trying to express,” Johnston explained.
The school places a strong emphasis on developing oral language skills, listening and confidence - another intrinsically learned skill. Instead of explicit teaching, teachers model how to listen and give students opportunities to speak publicly.
