You are on page 1of 4

Joanna Bracegirdle

S00135179
EDFD268 Assignment 3

Lesson Plan Rational

The class for which this lesson plan was written consists of 20 students. The

school is located in the low socio-economic area of Dandenong, Victoria. School

attendance has been an issue within this school as is student engagement and

concentration within the classroom setting. Many of the children come from single

parent homes and some of the parents are unemployed and/or on government benefits.

Many of the parents have been poorly educated themselves and lack the resources/

knowledge to assist their childrens educational development. There is a wide range of

abilities and needs within the class. For some children, English is not their native

tongue and they are still struggling with the language/ comprehension aspect of the

classroom. The lesson plan and resources were fabricated with the development,

learning and growth of this class specifically in mind.

We understand that low socio-economic status disadvantages students. As

Cook (2016) states, bright kids in disadvantaged schools show the biggest losses,

making two-and-a-half years less progress than students with similar capabilities in

more advantaged schools. Cook describes how St Albans, a low socio-economic

school has successfully combatted this disparity in achievement through having high

expectations of students and not allowing them to make excuses for themselves

(2016). Similarly studies have shown that teacher expectations do exist in regular

classroom situations and that they can positively and/or negatively influence student

performance and achievement (RubieDavies, Hattie, & Hamilton, 2006). Within

this lesson the teacher is required to take on a no excuses approach, similar to that of

St Albans. This is in an effort to be mindful of how their attitude towards low socio-

1
Joanna Bracegirdle
S00135179
EDFD268 Assignment 3
economic students and their capabilities can affect their students learning. One of the

strategies throughout the lesson that reflects this approach is when the teacher reminds

students of whole body listening. Referring to the lesson plans description, it is

evident that this requires the student to give the teacher full attention while he/she is

teaching. This expectation of the students is necessary to both their own and their

peers learning. Another strategy is the teachers use of clear explanations. Clear

explanations take out any ambiguity in regards to what is expected of students. The

challenge for students to create their own rhyming words within the lesson is also

designed to help stretch their capabilities, a high yet achievable, goal for the

foundation class to aim for. Through planning for these issues in my lesson plan, I

hope to positively influence my students results. The intention of this is to reduce the

likelihood of these children performing at a lower standard than their peers in other

higher-socioeconomic settings.

The lesson was targeted to address the VCF Substrand; Phonics and Word

Knowledge. Past research has suggested phonological awareness is most successfully

taught when it is presented as a meaningful experience (Emmitt, Zbaracki,

Komesaroff, & Pollock, 2010). Emmitt et. al, goes further to describe that these

meaningful experiences may include rhymes, poems and riddles, songs and stories

(2010, p.152). The lesson revolves around the nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle,

Little Star. This is a lyrical, meaningful way to engage children with an introduction

to simple rhyming words. The students are given an opportunity to listen to the

rhyming sound pairs such as star and are through watching the video, and later

through the teacher more explicitly highlighting them to the class. McKeown, Haase,

& Pratschke, acknowledge how one of the many ways low socioeconomic children

can be disadvantaged is through the lack of exposure to enriching educational

2
Joanna Bracegirdle
S00135179
EDFD268 Assignment 3
activities within the home (2015). It is noticeable, that even though the song appears

to be a well-known nursery rhyme, no assumptions have been made that the students

already know the words/actions. The words and actions are repeated as it is

recognised that repetition is a very effective tool for both memory and learning.

McKeown et. al, explain the significance of active learning as opposed to

teacher based learning. Within their studies active learning proved to be far more

effective, though typically less common within lower socio-economic schools. This

reflects how too often services for poor people, tend to become poor services

(2015). This lesson allows the students to engage with quality active learning. They

engage with the content through a variety of methods such as singing, dance,

repetition and a written worksheet. An additional perk of using multiple ways to

communicate the learning focus, is that it also will cater for the different learning

styles of individual students within the classroom. This will keep the lesson engaging

and exciting. On an ongoing basis, engaging fun and interesting lessons may

encourage a higher rate of school attendance which is a large problem in this

particular classroom, as it is in many low socio-economic areas.

The lesson plan was carefully constructed to fit with the learning needs of this

particular class. It is hoped to help combat educational equity issues that are

particularly evident in lower socio-economic areas. The learning strategies are sound

and backed up by past research. Students are likely to be challenged, engaged and

excited by the activities that have each been very purposefully and thoughtfully

included in the lesson.

3
Joanna Bracegirdle
S00135179
EDFD268 Assignment 3

References:

Cook, H. (2016). Smart kids lag behind at poor schools. The Age. Retrieved from

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/smart-kids-lag-behind-at-poor-schools-

20160321-gnn5yn.html#ixzz443dQMGDd

RubieDavies, C., Hattie, J., & Hamilton, R. (2006). Expecting the best for students:

Teacher expectations and academic outcomes. British Journal of Educational

Psychology, 76(3), 429-444.

Emmitt, M., Zbaracki, M., Komesaroff, L., & Pollock, J., (2010). Language &

Learning : An Introduction for Teaching.

McKeown, K., Haase, T., & Pratschke, J., (2015) Determinants of child outcomes in

a cohort of children in the Free Pre-School Year in Ireland, 2012/2013. Irish

Educational Studies 34:3, pages 245-263

You might also like