Secondary/Middle School

Literacy & Mathematics

LITERACY

During adolescence, young people essentially communicate in an adult manner, displaying increasing maturity in this process throughout secondary school. They comprehend abstract language, such as idioms, figurative language and metaphors. Explanations may become more figurative and less literal. Literacy and its relationship to cognition, linguistic competency, reading, writing and listening are the primary focuses in this age group. Students should be able to process texts and abstract meaning, relate word meanings and contexts, understand punctuation, and form complex syntactic structures.

The expertise and skills of VTESS tutors will be utilised to best extend children’s literacy knowledge and understanding. Explicit teaching will be guided by the Australian Curriculum Standards. Vital literacy skills that may be taught explicitly include reading strategies, spelling strategies, conventions of print, features of different text types, editing skills, comprehension strategies and how to use different technology.

VTESS know the English curriculum: this includes the new Australian Curriculum and the stages and phases of learning appropriate to different ages. Curriculum areas include;

Reading and Viewing

Reading and Viewing involves students understanding, reflecting upon, and enjoying written and visual, print and non-print texts.

Writing and Creating

Writing involves students in the active process of visualising, planning, composing, editing and publishing a range of texts. 

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and Listening refers to the various formal and informal ways oral language is used to convey and receive meaning. 

VTESS must know the students we teach, both personally and in terms of their learning goals and achievements. All available data is used to plan for effective learning. We encourage a collaborative approach with families, where information is shared to help ensure we know our students. We also agree to personalise learning, by creating a learning and development plan to ensure that agreed goals are identified and achieved.

VTESS know and practice the best forms of pedagogy, appropriate to the subject matter. We apply the best methods for learning and teaching, to ensure the best learning outcomes are achieved for the students we teach.

Mathematics

VTESS know the mathematics curriculum: this includes the new Australian Curriculum and the stages and phases of learning appropriate to different ages, and also the broader view of mathematics as a humanly created system. Curriculum areas include;

Number and Algebra

Measurement and Geometry

Statistics and Probability

The proficiency strands understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning are an integral part of mathematics content across the three content strands.

VTESS must know the students we teach, both personally and in terms of their learning goals and achievements. All available data is used to plan for effective learning. We encourage a collaborative approach with families, where information is shared to help ensure we know our students. We also agree to personalise learning, by creating a learning and development plan to ensure that agreed goals are identified and achieved.

VTESS know and practice the best forms of pedagogy, appropriate to the subject matter. We apply the best methods for learning and teaching, to ensure the best learning outcomes are achieved for the children we teach.