Time 2 data

What is my time 2 data telling me? Clearly there has been some significant shifts for some children. All my target children, bar one made encouraging moves in their Number knowledge(data form their IKAN test in term 3) and also in their strategy thinking, and this was evident from their Gloss test. The above graph only shows how they performed on the PAT Maths test. The biggest movements came about as a result of REPETITION and constant expectation on my part to get not only my target children but ALL children to improve their number knowledge. This happened as a result of daily number knowledge practise and through online maths activities.

Why did one target child make less then the expected shift? Regular absences from school and consistent lateness has been an ongoing issue that has been difficult to resolve. Attendance is critical to children learning and making shifts because it is always very difficult for children to catch up on lost learning.

The explicit teaching of maths strategies, and making sure that my target children had clarity about what they were learning was also an area that I was constantly mindful of. Teaching children the required maths language was also helpful because they were able to use it ti share their thinking. More oral language or collaboration helped my target children 'hook' in to the lesson.As their confidence grew, my target group took an increasing larger part in the maths lesson. 

It is fantastic to have a Professional Blog where I can share my Inquiry about my target children, but also to have the opportunity to read what other teachers in the cluster are doing with their Inquiry journey. The opportunity to collaborate with others will definitely allow me to gain ideas and challenge me to view my own practise. 

WHAT IS MY DATA TELLING ME?

The PAT Maths assessment done this term has not only helped me to identify my target children, but has also given me lots of information about my whole class. What sub areas of Maths are they strong at and what areas do they need more support with. I have a composite year-3/4 class.the above graph only shows the data for my year 4's. It is clearly evident that the vast majority of the class are achieving below the expected band. I chose the following student as my target students:

These are my target children: Student D,K,l M  and N

In term 3 I have made a greater effort to explicitly  incorporate/teach  some of the Talk Move strategies in my maths lessons. 

I have also made a point of writing the maths words/language on the whiteboard that I want the children to learn and be confident to use when they share their thinking with their peers.  These words remain visible for the whole week and I have noticed that the more I use those words in various examples and encourage the children to use them the more confident they feel and also get an understanding of what it means. REPETITION is key to children knowing how to use new and familiar maths language.

I have also use a sharing strategy in my reading programme to encourage talking or the use of language called SAY SOMETHING. This idea behind Say something is to make sure that children are active participants in the reading process and are ready to share their thinking with peers. With Say Something children can share the thinking in the following areas:

• Make a prediction
• Ask a question
• Clarify something
• Make a comment
• Make a connection
• Summarise

The pay off of using sharing strategies across curriculum areas makes children confident to talk and they also understand that most of the talking and thinking is their responsibility. The locus of control has shifted form the teacher on to them. By using Talk Move strategies in maths and Say Something in Reading are both proving beneficial in the use of language in both  curriculum areas.