Learning Gains through Play

Assessment of Learners

FOUNDATION OF LEARNING

The Foundation Phase forms the

base for all future learning

If this learning is not well-

established,

conceptual gaps open and

widen in successive

years

LEARNING GAINS THROUGH PLAY APPROACH

Employ innovative technologies

which promote learner-centred activities

and facilitate learning through play

TARGETING 4 VITAL LITERACIES

Visual Literacy

Oral Communication in English

Fine-motor Skills

Gross-motor Skills

GROSS-MOTOR SKILLS (XBOX KINECT)

Research shows that physical activity is significantly related to:

• improved cognition (verified by 44 studies) • advancement of perceptual skills• raised IQs• increased academic achievement• success in reading (with locomotor skills) • success in Maths (with object-control skills)

GROSS-MOTOR SKILLS (XBOX KINECT)

The positive effect of physical activity is greatest at Foundation Phase (and Senior Phase)

Lags in learning correlate with poorer gross-motor skills

FINE-MOTOR SKILLS (TABLETS)

Research shows that strong fine-motor skills:

• correlate with better Maths performance at Foundation Phase entry

• correlate with greater Maths gains over the first year of Foundation Phase

• predict later achievement in mathematics• predict later achievement in reading• are critical for success in Foundation Phase

FINE-MOTOR SKILLS (TABLETS)

Tablets provide modern and engaging ways of developing handwriting skills but also introduce new fine-motor skills such as pinching, stretching, dragging and pin-pointing.

The bulk of time allocated in CAPS to Writing in Grade R and Grade 1 is for the development of the fine-motor skills required for handwriting.

ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Research shows that oral language skills:

• have a profound impact on preparedness for Foundation Phase

• are a major determiner of success throughout an academic career

• in English, are preferred by parents for teaching mathematics from Grade 1 (NEEDU Report of 2012)

ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Learners differ in mother tongue HL

Schools range in LoLT and FAL

Proficiency in English is valued

Mastery by subconscious acquisition is the project target

VISUAL PERCEPTION

• Visual recognition• Visual discrimination • Visual interpretation• Visual evaluation

Visual literacy is key to

academic achievement

(21st Century Skills Report of 2003)

MEASURES FOR GROSS-MOTOR SKILLS

CAPS requires two P.E. scores

Learner participation

and movement performance

LGP instruments

focus on:

Locomotor action skills and object-control action skills

Each has a score for

execution and a score for quality

Progression from Grade

R to Grade 1

Accommodated by increased distances and

duration of actions

MEASURES FOR FINE-MOTOR SKILLS

The manipulation and use of a

writing / drawing tool

MEASURES FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

Where English is not home language

Where English has been subconsciously

acquired

Instrument scripted accordingly

MEASURES FOR VISUAL LITERACY

Visual discriminatio

n

Visual identification

MEASURES FOR VISUAL LITERACY

Visual interpretation

ANALYSIS

Assessment results compared to academic achievement at school

Comparison between project schools and

control schools