Over the last few weeks students and staff at St Edward’s Primary School Canowindra have opened the doors of their modern open learning spaces to visiting staff from several neighbouring schools, Mulyan Public School, Cowra, St Joseph’s Primary School Eugowra and St Raphael’s School, Cowra.
The focus of the teachers visits, along with St Edward’s modern open learning spaces, has been the Daily 5 Programme that all classes are using in Literacy blocks. Teachers at St Edward’s have been using the Daily 5 framework for 18 months since visiting several progressive schools in Canberra in 2016 and seeing the programme in action.
On their return the staff at St Edward’s decided to undergo training and implement the programme for the benefit of their students, and are now happy to share their knowledge with their colleagues.
The Daily 5 Programme sees the students rotate through 5 different literacy activities with each rotation lasting 20 minutes. Learners are given the option to choose the order of their activities and this freedom gives students a feeling of ownership to their learning.
The visiting teachers were amazed at the levels of engagement they witnessed as students worked independently to achieve their literacy goals. The teachers at St Edward’s are extremely pleased with the results their students are achieving and the other lifelong learning skills they are developing including stamina, independence and accountability.
The Daily 5 Programme is ensuring that the students at St Edward’s are 21st century learners and that the St Edward’s mission statement is being fulfilled, high levels of learning for all students.
By Anne Hickman