Literacy Learning

This fall, we have been offering K/1 and 2/3 Literacy sessions where we have been giving the why and how of our revised Early Literacy Profile (ELP) and some shifts we can make in literacy instruction.  
 

Numeracy Learning

We have a new Early Numeracy Profile (ENP) for Kindergarten and Grade One, with the roll out just for K teachers with K or K/1 classrooms. We have a series of 4 in-person sessions over the year, with a few after-school virtual sessions. We are using the text “What to Look For” by Alex Lawson as our mentor text in primary. We are also planning to develop a Grade 2 Number Sense Assessment to pilot in the spring and roll out next year for grade 1/2 teachers.

Professional Learning Series Events

Cheryl Makeiv, Early Years Literacy, Numeracy and Assessment Teacher Coordinator

Fall 2023 Numeracy Sessions - Teacher Feedback

Question: What do you find most helpful in our learning sessions?

Answers:

• I loved the connection and thoughts of all of us together
• LOVED the ideas, games, and the practice again
• Getting familiar with the ENP assessment document
• Attaching the curriculum content to the assessment
• Providing game ideas
• Going through and practicing the skill/sections
• When going through the ENP, actually practicing with a partner was very useful
• Hearing others’ thoughts/opinions/ideas
• Great to experience activities and how to do the assessments
• Love the community agreements graphic
• Clarifying some areas of the math curriculum
• Forming the assessment program together – it feels good.
• Knowing where I will go next with my math teaching and assessment
• Ktunaxa counting resources
• Games to teach numeracy
• Knowing what is most important in K/1 numeracy
• Collaboration with other K teachers

Other Feedback on Numeracy Sessions and Early Numeracy Profile

After a fall session introducing the Early Numeracy Profile assessment, a teacher commented, “I was not excited about this numeracy assessment...and now I am excited!  I will focus on this for the upcoming pro-d day!”

“The ENP helps me know where I will go next with my math teaching and assessment.”

“With the parts of the profile, I have used to assess so far, it has been helpful with providing formative assessment around counting and subitizing and informing which practices within those areas to continue focusing on. For example, many of my students were not confident with number conservation, which indicated to me that this was an area I need to teach to. The sessions provided me with a better understanding of numeracy and the spectrum of development around number concepts and the suggestions for games to play and ways to engage students has been so helpful and fun!”
 

Mrs. Maslechko’s Kindergarten class practicing their letter and word knowledge:

Mrs. Young’s class learning how to count in the Ktunaxa language at Erickson Elementary School: 

During "Clothesline Math" in K/1 at Erickson Elementary School, students were asked to think about “place and space” when putting a number card on the line. The class then guided with hand signals for placement of the number card.

Learners practiced number recognition, subitizing (the ability to instantly recognize the number of objects without actually counting them), number order, magnitude, equal numbers, and communicating and justifying their thinking.