Maths Invaders at Templeton Primary School
Aidan Schanssema, Director of Teaching – Numeracy, from Templeton Primary School gives insight into the use of Maths Invaders by Year 2 classes at the
The Australian Primary Principals Association survey reinforces the need for typing in preparation for NAPLAN Online.EdAlive is delighted to endorse the published findings of the Australian Primary Principals Association
in its summary report: APPA NAPLAN Online Trial Survey. It indicated that in preparation for NAPLAN Online:
On October 3rd, 2016, the Australian Primary Principals Association published a summary report entitled APPA NAPLAN Online Trial Survey. The report encapsulates the experiences of respondents from the 1100 schools that participated in the Platform Trial and Readiness Testing (PTRT) for NAPLAN Online. The report addressed a wide range of issues from staff skills to equipment and infrastructure.
A copy of the report with highlights added is available for your convenience here
A copy of the original report is available directly from the APPA website here
The following excerpt is provided for your convenience.
Historically the teaching of keyboarding and typing has been poorly supported in Australian schools. Neither the Australian Curriculum nor the preceding state-based documents that fed into it contained clear outcomes or content descriptors relating to the teaching of these key skills. The NSW Syllabus and the Victorian Curriculum are also imprecise on this matter. Notwithstanding this lack of clarity, some schools have consistently ensured that students learn to type and develop good keyboarding skills.
At EdAlive, we are in daily contact with hundreds of schools. We have been publishing and selling typing software to schools for over 30 years. Notwithstanding the laissez-faire attitude to the teaching of typing generally we know that in a good number of schools the teaching of typing has always been a priority. We feel that it is reasonable to assume that a good 20% of the schools surveyed were already adequately addressing keyboarding and typing. Consequentially it would be fair to say that over 98% (78% +20%) of principals regard the teaching of typing and keyboarding skills as important for participation in NAPLAN Online.
For a school to up-skill its students with keyboarding and typing skills it is necessary for the process to start some time before, ideally at least 12 months before. No one expects children just to hand write naturally. It is a skill that we teach through careful, staged instruction. So too is typing.
This period in the lead up to the implementation of NAPLAN Online is a golden opportunity for schools to bring the children’s keyboarding and typing skills up to par. We recommend the adoption of Typing Tournament Online as the core of this process. As a means of upgrading student’s keyboarding and typing skills there is nothing to compare. Thousands of schools and hundreds of thousands of students across Australia have already embarked on this journey with us.
Aidan Schanssema, Director of Teaching – Numeracy, from Templeton Primary School gives insight into the use of Maths Invaders by Year 2 classes at the
The link between speed, confidence, fluency and attainment What does a confident student look like? Motivated – an enthusiastic learner who is ready to respond
Research demonstrates that the consistent use of Maths Invaders significantly boosts students’ answer speed (confidence) and attainment (maths age) at a rate well above normal