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It takes time to build up an accurate picture of each students learners depth of learning on each "bite" (layer) of each topic, so while the teacher is building up information, the teacher should also aim to teach the students learners more on each topic. This is what the finding and forming learning foundations process does.
Initially we find that
- students learners may have layers which they "know" already - these will be "fast tracked" by the app so the student learner answers very few questions on these layers. What the students learners already "know" is helpful to the teacher when planning what to teach to the class on a topic
- students learners may have a few layers within each topic that they know "a bit" - they have some knowledge, they remember some vocabulary, but they would not be able to "answer an exam question and get full marks". The pre assess of the topic, the subsequent timely practice assignments and the first teaching of the topic all aim to
- either increase the students learners independence and accuracy to mastery - for layers which they know "a bit" (i.e. ensure the student learner would get full marks in an exam)
- or delete for now, some layers which the student learner would be "best learned later" (i.e. it is better use of teacher and student learner lesson time to teach this work later - since the teacher will be doing spaced teaching, this is likely to be only a term later)
- for some topics we may find that the student learner doesn't have any layers they know "a bit" (the student learner has either layers they already "know" and/or layers they don't know) - the task is simpler, teach the next layer within the topic (providing the student learner has the appropriate pre-requisite skills) As the student learner does their timely practice, they will come to master that layer.
Within half a term (lower attaining studentslearners) and a term (higher attaining studentslearners) all the topics that the student learner can learn at the moment, will have been pre assessed and taught. The finding and firming learning foundations process is then finished. The next time the teacher teaches the topics
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