Guiding principles

1. New content should be explicitly taught

Novice learners learn most effectively when new content is explicitly taught. The Explicit Teach Plans provide guidance to classroom teachers about how to explicitly teach the content of the NSW Mathematics Syllabus so that students can master the important understandings essential for them to work efficiently and think flexibly across all areas of mathematics.

While, the Explicit Teach Plans steer that majority of teaching and learning time and ensure coverage of all of the syllabus content, it is not intended that they will constitute the entire teaching and learning program for mathematics. In best practice implementation of EAST Schools Mathematics, new content should be first explicitly taught and then revisited through spaced and interleaved retrieval practice and applied to rich learning tasks post-mastery.

In practical terms, the content is taught through an explicit teach (which may continue over multiple days until students develop competence) and then revisited through a retrieval practice system such as daily reviews to ensure that the new learning is embedded in students’ long-term memory. Once students have developed mastery they can then apply their understanding in rich, interleaved learning activities that may be more open-ended or student directed. These activities can be drawn from such sources as the DoE Working Mathematically website or the DoE’s Mathematics units of work as needed.

2. Learning should be revisited through spaced and interleaved retrieval practice

Where “teachers explicitly review previous content” (SEF p. 11) for retrieval practice, students are supported to transfer the learning from their short term to long term memory. Engaging in retrieval practice also allows students to develop greater confidence and efficiency in working through mathematical processes. Once knowledge is embedded in long term memory, students are able to recall their knowledge and apply it to more complex problem solving opportunities.

Retrieval practice can be implemented through daily review or warm up routines within mathematics. The Menu for Retrieval Practice provides suggestions for content that may be included in retrieval practice based on important understandings that have been developed recently through Explicit Teach Plans according to the Scope and Sequence. It is intended that classroom teachers ensure that the short daily retrieval practice is engaging for students, revisits previously taught content only and involves multiple concepts (interleaving) and multiple ways for students to engage with prior learning (different types of questions and activities throughout).

Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) (2022). Spacing and retrieval: Practices that improve long-term retention of learning

3. Student practice is guided and scaffolds are gradually released

The Explicit Teach Plans facilitate 

“a school-wide explicit teaching approach which incorporates modelled, guided and independent practice” (SEF p.11)

New content is live modelled by the teacher (I do), practised by students with teacher guidance (We do) and practised by the students independently (you do) only once the teacher has determined that the students have demonstrated the necessary competence to work without support. This prevents students from making repeated errors in their independent practice. The progression through the teaching cycle is not always linear (I do, We do, You do) and the Explicit Teach Plans allow teachers to move through these components fluidly depending on the students’ needs and the content being explored. Guidedpractice is the most important component of the Explicit Teach and it is intended that the greatest amount of time will be spent in guided practice (We do)in most cases. Scaffolding (teacher guidance, supporting resources, etc.) is gradually released through the Explicit Teach as student competence andconfidence grows.

4. Teaching must adapt to student needs as they evolve throughout the learning process

Effective explicit teaching is responsive to student needs throughout the learning process in the following ways:

• The Explicit Teach can continue for as long as is needed until students develop the necessary competence with the important understanding that is being explored.

• Checking for understanding (summative assessment) is a constant process throughout the lesson with teachers using methods such as mini whiteboards, targeted questioning and observations to check whether students are developing competence.

• Students are explicitly taught to communicate their confidence with the content throughout the lesson through methods such as hand signals, traffic light colours or pegs so that the teacher can recognise and respond to student needs as they arise throughout the lesson.

• Using formative assessment throughout the lesson ensures that differentiation is provided when it is needed. The Explicit Teach Plans provide multiplechallenge levels so that the teacher can differentiate the learning experience.. This component will also support differentiation for composite/multi-stage classes.

• Using formative assessment throughout the lesson ensures that a particular stage of the learning process can be revisited when it is needed. The Explicit Teach Plans prompt teachers to check for understanding throughout and to then determine the lesson’s trajectory based on their observations. For instance, if the majority of student are not demonstrating competence in the You Do (CFU), then the We do should be revisited.

• Success Criteria is written as sequential process criteria so that students can easily understand and follow the steps that are necessary to be successful in achieving the learning intention. The Explicit Teach Plans are written to ensure that the teacher can use the Success Criteria to guide live modelling and student practice throughout the lesson. It is intended that the Success Criteria is displayed throughout the lesson and the teacher and students verbalise the Success Criteria talk frequently throughout the lesson so that it becomes embedded in student’s long term memory and easily drawn on for future learning.