Professional+Knowledge

1. Teachers know how students learn and how to teach them effectively

The above image is a photo I took of the prompts I use in my classroom during our reading sessions. A typical reading lesson in my classroom at the moment follows the COR reading framework developed by Dr Gary Woolley. I believe it effectively teaches the Four Resources detailed by Luke and Freebody as well as modelling exciting purposes for reading in an authentic context. The sequence is followed each week with a topic or focus tying the texts together.
 * Before Reading || During Reading || After Reading ||
 * Consider || Overview || Review ||
 * Conceptualise || Organise || Relate ||
 * Contrive || Observe || Review ||

The blue cards are put up //before// students begin reading.
 * Consider**: Is this a good text level? Is it fiction or non-fiction? Will I like it? What is it about?
 * Conceptualise**: What do I already know about the topic? What words might be in the text? Do I have any questions about the book/topic that I hope will get answered?
 * Contrive**: Students decide on a personal goal for the session. It may be reading skills orientated for example; in the following lesson I will use the strategy of rereading if I come across a word I don't know. Or the goal may be behavioural, for example: in this session I will follow along with the other members in group and not read ahead.

Red cards are put up on the board //during// the reading of the text.
 * Overview:** During the reading of the text students are reminded to keep an //overview// of the text. If they do not understand the meaning of the words they are reading they 'clunk' to a stop until the big picture is once more in their grasp.
 * Organise:** If the small groups or individuals come across a word that they did not know they write it down on a little white so it can be shared later during the review phase. I explain that it is important to organise the new words in our head so that they fit in with the ones that we already know.
 * Observe:** The goal that was contrived before reading must remain a focus during the session and is therefore brought to their attention with the observe card.

The green cards are done //after// the reading has taken place. In the review session they may be invited to fill out a graphic organiser such as the one pictured below. Other times they may be asked to compare characters with a Venn diagram, list events in sequence from the text or perhaps decide on their own opinion of an issue or topic.
 * Review:** At this time the lesson various from session to session but the goal is to ensure that the content of the text is understood and open for interpretation.

This term we are focusing on the Bible in Christian Studies so I have integrated this into our reading blocks. Students have been working through various texts all telling the same story from the Bible.


 * Relate:** To bring the text into context for the children and ensure that they are relating it to their lives or other texts we create mind map across the term that is developed and elaborated upon each term. It is from this material that a final project is undertaken to draw together the reading of the term. For example this term students will be creating a dust cover for their school bibles using the knowledge and inspiration that the reading across the term has brought.


 * Review:** Finally the class review their goals from the start of the session and decide on their level of success. It is also at this stage that students are encouraged to decide whether the goal needs to be carried over or a new one developed in our next reading session.

2. Teachers know the content they teach Year two checklist of the Aust Curr for English Teacher observation from Karen

3. Teachers know their students