Introduction to Concepts and Skills Charts
About the charts
Standards in each of the VELS domains focus on key concepts and skills that students are expected to understand or develop as they progress in the domain. Charts have been developed for the Communication, Design, Creativity and Technology, Health and Physical Education, The Humanities - Economics, Information and Communications Technology, Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning and Thinking Processes domains that clearly identify these concepts and skills in each dimension across the levels.
Each concepts and skills chart focuses on one dimension and includes:
- key concepts and skills
- for each concept or skill, the expectations of students at each level
- links to a number of teaching and learning activities which illustrate ways the concept or skill can be incorporated in different curriculum contexts.
In some cases, the standards have been used verbatim to identify expectations of students; in other cases, the standards include elaborations. Where there are no standards at a level, advice has been written to assist teachers in planning teaching and learning activities that address the concepts and skills.
Using the charts
Teachers will be able to see clearly how students’ understanding of concepts or application of skills should develop across the levels. When reading across the levels, it is important to recognise that standards are introduced when developmentally appropriate so some concepts or skills will not appear at lower levels. They are also cumulative in nature, implying that the concepts and skills will be built on and reinforced even if not specifically identified in a subsequent level.
Teachers can use the charts individually or in professional learning teams to:
- support their understanding of the standards at a particular level
- see clearly how students’ understanding of each concept or application of each skill should develop across the levels
- support planning of explicit teaching, learning and assessment activities
- plan for individual students’ learning needs
- audit content of individual and whole school programs against the VELS
- stimulate thinking about the application of the domains across the curriculum.
Links to the charts
Charts are available for each of the following domains:
Communication
Design, Creativity and Technology
Health and Physical Education
The Humanities - Economics
Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Interpersonal Development
Personal Learning
Thinking Processes
