Three Grade 7 students at Beryl Ford Public School pore over a math problem challenging them to fit animal cages of various sizes into the square area of a zoo.
They are using “linking cubes” – plastic squares that attach to one another – to physically grasp the use of space. This tactic is part of a four-part, hands-on approach to problem solving, which comes in handy for EQAO tests, according to one teacher.
“Most of the time, they would work with a partner or in a group,” said Grade 6 teacher Katherine Sterne, who helps students prepare for the standardized tests.
“They communicate their thinking on paper and break apart that problem. What information is given, is anything needed and then what is wanted –- which is what is the question asking you? It helps them articulate their thinking,” said Sterne.
The Brampton school only last year opened its doors, welcoming its 1,086 students. Beryl Ford is among Peel’s top schools in this year’s Fraser Institute Elementary School Report Card, with a score of 6.9 out of 10.
According to EQAO test scores, students scored above the provincial standard of 75% in math, writing and reading in Grade 3, as well as Grade 6 literacy, but encountered some difficulty in Grade 6 math with a 56% score.
The hands-on approach, said Sterne, is helping them improve.
“We wouldn’t just teach math in isolation, we would also integrate it with math and science,” she said. “We did all their plans on a Wiki to help plan it together better. We did a lot of skill-building.”
Grade 7 student Ishpuneet Nahal, 13, who wrote the standardized tests last year, was helped by working with classmates to prepare for the tests.
“Most kids last year had trouble with math rather than English,” she said. “I knew what to do, the questions were asked in a different way. It was kind of confusing.”
Principal Connie Stella said every student is looked at as a “leader” and urged to follow the “seven habits” -- skills that help build self-confidence and pride, including being proactive and “putting first things first.”
“Students tend to perform a lot better,” said Stella. “They get more involved as leaders. Really, it helps students to be very effective in their decision making as well as being responsible in the kinds of choices they’re making in their lives and whether that’s going to lead them to be successful.”