Mindsets
All students have natural talent, abilities and intelligence in various areas, but that is not the end of the story. These are not fixed traits. Some may have a gift for story writing, art, maths or sport, but it needs to be grown. Some may not be good at science, history or working with others…YET! The reality is that natural talent, abilities and intelligence are developed over time, through effort, persistence, practice and focused attention. It is easy to make the mistake of telling the boys that they are smart, gifted, talented, bright, and clever or a ‘natural’. This might ‘pump up their tyres’ and make them feel good for a moment, but it doesn’t help them in growing their abilities.
Over the past fifteen years, we have come to realise that the brain is a highly adaptive organ – it changes like a muscle through a process called ‘neuroplasticity’. The malleable brain is the most interesting meaningful discovery in recent times, and has a huge impact on the education of young people. In fact, much of the learning and teaching at St Augustine’s is informed by this growth mindset approach, which values the process, more than the performance. As parents and teachers, we should encourage in the boys, behaviour that we want to see the most; praise effort, persistence and the way they tackle challenges.
Every skill we can perform has been acquired through applying ourselves to it – reading, walking, talking, swimming, riding a bike. The messages we want all boys to hear is, ‘smart is not something you are, it’s something you get, fit is not something you are, it’s something you get.’ As a College, we want the boys to work hard at growing their talent, abilities and intelligence, and respond to the challenges of learning with grit and optimism through persistence and effort. The message in the Primary School is ‘not to be the best, but to try and do your best’.
Reading – PRC (Premier’s Reading Challenge)
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is reaching its final stages with one month left for boys to read and log the books they have read. The importance of reading every day is the consistent message that resonates in all classes. In previous newsletters I have written about ways to encourage your sons to read, and this week I thought I would explain what good readers do to help them read accurately, fluently and with good comprehension.
Good Readers –
- Interact with the text (ask questions as they read)
- Turn the words into a picture (Visualise)
- Review important parts (re-read when meaning is lost)
Surely there is no better way than reading to your son and modelling positive reading behaviours to improve their own reading behaviours.
Strategies to Encourage Reading
1. Read different types of books
Frequently, we get trapped into thinking that there are only one or two types of books that children should be reading. The first is usually picture books, which we then expect children to grow out of as they progress towards reading novels. However, these types of text don’t always engage young male readers. When considering books to suggest to your boys, try to think of a broad range of different types of texts. Comics or graphic novels, as they are now frequently known, are engaging, fast-paced, detailed, and are usually tailored to boys’ interests.
Traditionally, it has been considered that reading graphic novels is a lesser form of reading, or the easy option that boys often take. However, the large amount of reading required in most graphic novels provides a great source of reading practice. The detailed and complex illustrations serve as a great in-built support for boys to figure out the meaning of the text, and unknown words. Many traditional print texts that boys love are now also available as graphic novels, such as Emily Rodda’s Deltora Quest. These provide a different and often more interesting way to access the text.
2. Laugh and have fun
Boys love humour, and the plethora of humorous books that are in print makes these a popular choice. By having fun with books, we are encouraging boys to come back and read again and again. Andy Griffiths is a celebrated Australian author and his classic ‘The Day My Bum Went Psycho’ is a perfect place to start.
Principal’s Poetry Prize
Congratulations Nick, Matthew, Charlie and Liam!
Reading Buddies – Year 10/11
On Thursday, the Reading Buddy Program recommenced with the assistance of our Senior House Groups and their Formation Leaders. The Reading Buddy Program has been a feature in the Primary School for the past five years and continues to provide an opportunity for the boys to connect with an older student as well as promote the importance of reading.
Homework
There is much debate on the value of homework in the primary school years of education, and whether in fact homework improves academic performance. I would like to think that there is some value-added component to homework, especially if it leads to good study habits and it is relevant and achievable. Revising spelling lists, reading and learning basic table and mental strategies for number facts, are useful daily activities to reinforce concepts studied at school. I also believe that there should be opportunities for the boys to spend quality time with their family, preparing and having dinner together, playing games and enjoying each other’s company. Throughout the term there will be a ‘homework free week’ allowing families the opportunity to spend some quality time together.
Semester 1 Student Awards
Congratulations to all award recipients at our recent Semester 1 Awards Assembly:
