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Wattle

Welcome to Wattle!

Wattle Unit comprises six Year 1/2 classes.  As part of the daily program students are involved in opportunities to read, write, explore number concepts and further mathematical understandings. They also undertake Integrated Studies, learning History, Geography, Science, Digital Technologies, Humanities and Social Sciences.

English

Gordon Primary promotes a balanced literacy approach to teaching English with integrated inquiry units providing authentic contexts for learners to develop and use language. The Students participating in readingindividual literacy learning needs of students are catered for through differentiation.

The skills needed to become a proficient reader, writer, speaker, listener and viewer are taught explicitly across all areas of the curriculum. We use quality literature, both fiction and non-fiction, as a platform to explicitly teach and model using reading strategies to the students.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are an important part of our literacy sessions and opportunities to teach these are purposefully planned in authentic contexts. In Wattle, these are taught in the context of a ‘Big Book’ and/or using quality literature, as well as practised within our writing sessions.

We encourage student ownership over what they read and teach them how to select ‘good fit’ books to read. We use a Reader’s Workshop approach in Wattle which is underpinned by the CAFÉ philosophy to teach our students to read.

Proficient writing skills underpin all forms of communication and are of paramount importance. At Gordon Primary we foster a love of literature and language by engaging in the enjoyment and appreciation of all forms of literacy.

Wattle students engage in Literacy Learning each morning between 9.00 am - 11.00 am.

Mathematics

The Wattle Mathematics program is built around developing a strong understanding of content and knowledge of Number and Studets engaging in Maths tasksAlgebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. Teaching and learning experiences at Gordon Primary provide students with opportunities to explore concepts in various ways and encourage student collaboration and investigation. The four proficiency strands Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning, as outlined by the Australian Curriculum - Mathematics are integrated into these experiences.

Based on our knowledge of how students best learn mathematics, we use a balanced numeracy approach. This framework includes 5 - 10 minute warm up activities, whole class explicit teaching, differentiated group work and whole class reflection. Students explore mathematics within real world contexts to strengthen their learning. Within all mathematics lessons there are opportunities for students to construct meaning from direct experiences by using manipulatives, problem solving and through conversations.

Integrated Inquiry

Throughout the year we will be integrating the subject areas of HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences), Science and the Arts to teach integrated inquiry units. The inquiry units provide students with a ‘big idea’ focused on a topic that is relevant to them. It supports students to engage with their world and apply knowledge to explore concepts that are relevant to them. It gives them opportunities to make connections across a variety of themes and ideas. Students will engage in higher order thinking, active problem-solving and research.Students engaging in Maths tasks

Specialist lessons

Over the year, Wattle students receive lessons from specialist teachers in a variety of areas – such as Japanese, emotional/social learning and digital technology. They visit the library regularly to learn how to choose books that they enjoy reading. They also have many opportunities to develop gross motor skills through structured PE lessons as well as games involving teamwork.

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