Deputy Chief Executive for Early Years and School Services Aderyn Chatterton says a new learning model, called explicit teaching is being rolled out in government schools in a bid to boost literacy and numeracy skills

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A new approach to learning is being rolled out in
the Northern Territories government schools to boost literacy and numeracy.
The model, called explicit teaching, involves breaking down reading and
maths concepts into manageable steps to help students build an
understanding and independence. Now fourteen point two million dollars has

(00:20):
been committed by the Northern Territory Government in the budget
to roll it out. And joining me in the studio
is the Deputy Chief Executive for Early Years and School Services,
Adarren Chatterton. Good morning to you. Good morning Katie, A yeah,
really good. Lovely to have you in the studio and
thank you for coming in to have a chat with us. Now,

(00:40):
can you explain to me, to all of the other parents,
to everybody out there listening this morning, what does explicit
teaching mean and how does it work?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thanks Katie. Explicit teaching is the approach that we're taking
in our commitment to getting back to the basics, like
you said, and so what it means is that the
way in which we are engaging with students delivering information
and ensuring that it's broken down in really manageable chunks,
and so it gives the students more opportunity to connect

(01:14):
with the learning and then build on it at the
pace that they need to be doing it.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Does it make it different for teachers when they're you know,
like when they're teaching in this way, what's it like?

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, it's actually we've seen explicit teaching already happening across
the Northern Territory And just yesterday we were down at
Catherine South Primary School Meddie Barlow, very experienced teacher, you know,
inspired and passionate teachers, and what you see is the
teacher modeling we talk about I so the teacher really
if we were looking at a small word sounding it

(01:48):
out to the students modeling it and then the students
doing it with the teacher together. And then for those
students who are ready, they do it more independently. And
so what you see when you walk into classrooms with
explicit teaching happening is a great energy because you've got
students really engaged. They're coming in at the learning where

(02:09):
they're at, and so students are feeling successful, teachers are
feeling successful and that engagement is high.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Because that's a really important aspect, isn't it. Like kids
if they're not feeling like they're understanding stuff. They can
become quite disengaged quite quickly and start to feel a
bit down on themselves if they feel like they're not
getting a certain concept or they're not understanding something. So
is this you know, does this kind of this way
of teaching sort of help to bring everybody in.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Absolutely, I think the power of this way of teaching,
it's built on the research. It says to us, this
is how young people learn best, and so we need
to be really intentional and there's a whole suite of
resources that we've developed to support our teachers with this
work that actually says these are the skills that need

(02:59):
to be taught, this is the sequence in which to
teach it. So it's really important. We're very committed to
supporting our teachers in the great work that they do,
and so the guides and the documents that supports them,
because when they know the pathway they're taking their students through,
the students feel more success. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
As a parent, would people, you know, do you think
that parents might notice some differences in the way in which,
you know, like homework coming home or you know, the
way in which their children are learning.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Most definitely, and as you know, we're spending the next
six months doing some really important work to support our
teachers and our principles and our staff with learning about
this new way of teaching. I say new, but we've
already got educators doing it. But as part of that,
we've actually got a website that has information for families
and parents, and so we've started off with some really

(03:51):
important fact sheets with some ideas of what families can
be doing through everyday activities to help their children build
their confidence, and we're meeted to continuing to update that
information tips on what kind of questions could you be
asking your teacher, there's even your child's teacher if you're worried,
if you've got a concern, And so we know the

(04:12):
important role that parents play and the importance of our
partnership with them.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
And in terms of teachers, then, like you said, you've
already got some educators that are doing this in schools.
But in terms of teachers having the supports that they
need or you know, I guess using this new method,
will it be much of a you know, will it
be quite a noticeable change for them? Will it be
a difficult change or do you feel as though it

(04:37):
will be something that they can do quite easily.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
I feel it will be something that they can do easily.
And you know, the teachers that are already championing this
way are very inspired about it, and they will be
an important part of us telling their story as well.
But also we're going to be walking alongside our teachers.
There's professional learning available that helps them see what this
looks like. We will be featuring the great work of

(05:00):
our territory schools and showcasing that as well the resources
that we've got available to support them.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
And in terms of why the change was needed, because
I suppose some people might be listening this morning and
parents might be thinking to themselves, Oh, my kids, you know,
seem to have gotten through their early years and done
it all. Okay, why is the change needed? And is
it something that's rolling out in other states or other
locations around the world.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Oh, it's most well. First of all, why the change
is we are committed to continually improving outcomes for territory
students in every government school in the Northern Territory, and
so this plan ensures that those great things that are
happening happen for every student in the Northern territory. And
so to your question, is this something we're seeing nationally. Absolutely,

(05:47):
and it's underpinned by the science that said this is
what works best for young people in their learning.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
So how like in a real practical scenes, how does
it roll out? Is it something that now we just
sort of start teaching kids, you know, when they step
into transition, or is it something that you start doing,
you know, whether a child's in grade four or how
does it work?

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, a great question, Katie. It's all of the material,
the professional learning, the resources actually supports teaching from transition
to year ten and this approach it's a way of teaching.
So while our plan is about literacy and inmacy, it's
the way you can teach science, it's the way you
can teach history. It's about how you present the information

(06:29):
to the young people. And so absolutely it's starting in transition,
but we you know year nine students, those teachers will
have support materials because it's all framed through the Australian curriculum.
It's all absolutely what we need to be teaching and
there's support for how we teach it in this way.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
And have teachers largely at this stage been fairly receptive
to the change being implemented. From your feedback, yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Most certainly. And we've had teachers involved in the development
giving us feedback. We've already had some schools trialing the material.
We're hearing stories of it administrating, reducing the administrative burden
for them, supporting them in that important work, and freeing
them up to do that magic they do every day
in a classroom, right, the relationship thing.

Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, And that's something that I suppose I've noticed over
the years, even like when my kids were in those
younger grades. Is is you think it does seem as
though teachers and education, you know, people working in education
more generally, a lot of that admin stuff and a
lot of the you know, the behind the scenes stuff
is almost you know, not drowning them, but making it

(07:40):
a bit more difficult for them to actually, you know,
have that magic in the classroom because teachers, like I
just think it is it can be sometimes such an
underrated profession and these people are literally mentoring and are
helping us raise our kids, and they do a phenomenal
job at it. So I just think any way that
they can be supported or assisted to be able to

(08:02):
do that better is surely a.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Good thing, absolutely, Katie. And you know, way back as
a former teacher and a principle, I know the importance
of our department delivering a plan that as evidence based
so it will benefit the students. But built within it
is the support for our educators to make it come
alive and I think that's what I'm most proud of
with the piece of work that we've done here.

Speaker 1 (08:25):
Good stuff well Adarren Chatterton, the Deputy Chief Executive for
Early Years and School Services, thank you very much for
joining me in the studio this morning.

Speaker 2 (08:35):
Thank you, Katie, thank you