VELS Level 4 - Years 5 and 6 at School

At school and at home, children are supported to ensure that the last two years at primary school are positive, challenging and improve their confidence about themselves and their learning.

In Years 5 and 6 all learning areas have standards. The table below shows areas in which standards are set for assessment and reporting in these years. Standards continue to be set in all these areas until the end of Year 10. The primary and secondary years of a student’s education are linked through the Victorian Essential Learning Standards in this way. Primary and secondary schools are working together with a common curriculum framework.

	Victorian Essential Learning Standards - Years 5 and 6
Physical, Personal and Social Learning Health and Physical Education Interpersonal Development Personal Learning Civics and Citizenship	Discipline-based Learning The Arts English The Humanities – Economics The Humanities – Geography The Humanities – History Languages Other Than English Mathematics Science	Interdisciplinary Learning Communication Design, Creativity and Technology Information and Communications Technology Thinking Processes

This is a time when schools provide many opportunities for students to take responsibility for their learning and also to demonstrate their individual talents.

Children do not all achieve the same standard at the same time; some will find parts of their learning program more challenging than others. Teachers and parents can use the standards to help children achieve by working together to develop the most appropriate learning approaches.

Standards in Years 5 and 6 in particular areas of learning are illustrated in the following examples.

English

In Years 5 and 6 children read a wide variety of texts which include stories, novels and poems. Their ability to understand other materials develops as their English skills strengthen. They read tables, use diagrams and analyse computerbased information.

The writing and speaking skills being demonstrated in projects, research and stories indicate that students are becoming more complex thinkers and are consolidating their learning in relation to texts and language. Their English skills are used to present ideas and information in visual presentations and to edit, correct and speak about work, demonstrating standards achieved in other areas of learning.

Mathematics

Mathematics becomes more challenging and the standards indicate that students are expected to:

describe and calculate using fractions, decimals, simple ratios and percentages
understand and apply the ideas of size, scale and direction with coordinates and bearings to describe relative location and objects in maps
represent different discrete and continuous data types using appropriate displays (for example, a pie chart for eye colour data) and calculate averages
use words and symbols to form simple algebraic expressions and equations and manipulate and solve them
construct and use rules for simple sequences
use calculators including the memory function to solve set problems and in everyday situations.

The Humanities

Students learn about Australia: its history, geography, economy, government, traditions and cultures. They also learn about other countries in the Asia–Pacific region.

By the end of Year 6 students:

understand the importance of freedom of speech
understand how Australia became a nation and how its many cultures contribute to the Australian identity
use atlases and street directories to describe location of places
practise ways of caring for the environment
participate in community activities
learn about the need to be an informed consumer.

Communication

The communication area of learning assists students to understand that language and thinking differs from subject to subject. The knowledge and skills in this area supports students to convey information and understanding in other areas of the Standards.

Khai’s learning experiences

In these years Khai continues to develop his thinking skills and his ability to reason and enquire about issues.

He is becoming more confident in thinking about an issue or topic and generating imaginative solutions in contexts ranging from environmental matters to improving a local playground.

He has developed the ability to build strong friendships and establish positive links with a range of people. He has an understanding of other people’s feelings and is learning to manage conflict. These skills in interpersonal development will become more important as he grows older.

Khai learns more about different languages and cultures through the standards in languages other than English (LOTE). The standards in this area of learning are introduced in these years.

He is able to initiate and respond to spoken and written language using culturally appropriate expressions and mannerisms.

By the end of Year 6 Khai also knows:

how to maintain his fitness
the basic principles of healthy eating
about changes experienced in puberty

National Assessment Program - Literacy And Numeracy (NAPLAN)

In Year 5 students participate in the national NAPLAN tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy. These national tests provide information on how students are progressing, support improvements in teaching and learning, and provides a framework to compare student performance around Australia. NAPLAN tests were introduced in 2008 and replaced the Victorian Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) tests.