YEAR 5 - Bellbrae Primary School
In Year Five we aim to introduce students to the senior school at Bellbrae Primary. Students are exposed to a variety of leadership opportunities and supported to extend themselves to their highest potential. We foster a strong sense of community and belonging, while encouraging and rewarding positive behaviours. Students are encouraged to take risks and challenge themselves, while recognising and celebrating their achievements.
Literacy: In Year Five we focus on improving teaching and learning in Reading. Teachers are continuously engaging in professional learning in the systematic and explicit teaching of Reading. We implement strategies to enhance student reading fluency and comprehension. We also have a focus on the building of core knowledge and development of a rich and robust vocabulary through text study.
Throughout Year Five, students will be engaging in class texts. Our class texts are as follows;
Term 1 – Wonder
Term 2 – City of Ember
Term 3 – My Place
Term 4 – Little people, big dreams
In Spelling, we work on unpacking words using phonological (sound patterns), orthographical (spelling systems) and morphological (structural) lenses. This not only builds strong understanding and application of spelling patterns, rules and origins but also expands and enrichens vocabulary. Vocabulary and reading comprehension instruction are embedded within a knowledge-rich, text-based curriculum across all year levels at Bellbrae. We focus on the five keys to reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension.
In Writing, instruction focuses on exposing students to a range of different text types, which include narrative, persuasive, information reports and procedural texts. Students are also given the opportunity to further embed their skills in the writing conventions of grammar and punctuation explicitly in writing sessions. Students then have an opportunity to apply their learning through the Writer’s Workshop Process.
In Maths, the learning programs cover the strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, as well as Statistics and Probability. There is a focus on strategies and processes, with students being prompted to articulate their thinking. In addition to this, there is an element of real life learning and open ended tasks, encouraging students to take concepts as far as they can. Teachers utilise feedback and goal setting to help reach students at their point of need.
Digital Learning Tools:
IPads: iPads are used as a learning tool in Year Five. Students often access resources and platforms to support their learning. See Saw and Google Classroom are the main platforms we use to access resources for learning and post our learning for parents to view. iPads allow students to access the Internet, email, electronic books and a wealth of other online tools and resources too. Students can also produce movies, animations, podcasts and other multimedia products on their iPads.
Mathletics: Mathletics is an online platform used to support the teaching of new mathematics concepts and build strong foundational skills. As students' progress in their learning they move onto Skill Quests, to develop their mathematical understanding and fluency.
Essential Assessment: Another comprehensive online numeracy program that provides targeted delivery of numeracy at our students point of need. The ‘My Numeracy’ function provides instructional videos as support, allowing students to progress through the application of key mathematical concepts when working independently. Teachers regularly use the data from students attempts to create targeted focus groups to support student learning.
