NET Scheme News 2024 Summer issue 46

Seminar Incorporating Learning Through Play (LtP) in Space Town Alliance Primary School (Whampoa) The ‘Learning Through Play’ project is designed to complement the Space Town Literacy Programme Unit 14 — ‘The Pirate, the Parrot, and Fun at the Bun Festival’. The key objective is to incorporate play-based learning activities to engage students and foster their literacy development in a fun and interactive way. The project features four stations: Small World Play, Atelier, Book Nook, and the Writing Table. The key benefit of this project is to allow students to learn through the power of play. By making the content engaging and fun, it enhances their motivation and enjoyment of the literacy activities. Furthermore, the project provides a valuable platform for formative assessment, as teachers can observe and document the students' learning progress through their play-based interactions and written work. Parents also greatly appreciate receiving the assessment portfolios, as it gives them a comprehensive understanding of their child's development and learning journey within the unit. Abuzar Abbasi, Advisory Teacher NET Section Inquiry through KWHLQA in DTS Pat Heung Central Primary School One of the sections of the LH event highlighted the experience of integrating an inquiry-based approach within a DTS unit of work. Pat Heung Central Primary School’s presentation showcased the remarkable success of adopting the 5Es framework — Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This pedagogical strategy proved highly effective in cultivating students' critical thinking skills. Teachers reported that the inquiry-based approach, which had students use a KWHLQA chart to organise their thinking (of What they K now, What they W ant to know, H ow they will find out,What they L earned,What Q uestions they still have, and What A ctions they will take), fostered deeper learning and richer collaboration among students. Empowering teachers to direct their own investigations has transformed their students' learning experiences, making it both productive and invigorating. Emulating this effective practice to elevate students’ learning experiences would be a worthwhile endeavour for other schools to undertake. Ritika Sethi, Advisory Teacher NET Section Pathways to Literacy Enrichment through Collaboration, Communication, Exploration and Reflection in Keys2 Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School At Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Primary School, we believe the school's success stems from the collective efforts, expertise, and dedication of our teaching team. Our vision is to create a supportive, creative English learning environment where students become independent, lifelong learners. Our teachers regularly co-plan differentiated, inclusive curricula. We involve our principal and advisory teacher to develop robust programmes. Using phonics and comprehension strategies, students are assessed and grouped for guided reading. Our Keys2 programme enables collaborative, communicative learning. English is used school-wide, including in assemblies. Reading across the Curriculum Week links English with other subjects and values. Collaboration and communication are the lifeblood of our team, fostered through co-planning, brainstorming, and open feedback channels. Charul Maheshwari, NET and Susan Bowden, Advisory Teacher NET Section 7 NET Scheme News Issue 46