NT ASSOA Ann Fleming

Engaging Remote Primary Aged Indigenous Students With No

Formal Schooling Through Cultural and Language

Partnerships.

Ulpanyali is a small outstation on Aboriginal land, about 340 km west of Alice Springs. Ulpanyali means "Ochre Hill" in the Luritja language.

How did this learning journey begin?

Initial Meeting with Ulpanyali Community

• Discussion re classroom space

• Enrolment

• Equipment needed

• Who would be the home tutor?

• Contact

• Power

Expectations• Parents were the key to developing a set of behaviours for the classroom

• Some ASSOA input

• Reinforcement of positive behaviours

• Positive learning environment

Visit to ASSOA

• Community visits school

• Watch IDL teaching sessions

• Look at displays of children’s work

• Meet staff

• Community project

The classroom is transformed

Gathering baseline data

• Number• Time• Measurement• Book Knowledge• Alphabet Knowledge• Oral Literacy• Name

Baseline data

• All knew colours but would point rather than talk• All children knew the front of a book• Two children knew some letters of the alphabet• Only one of the children could write their name

independently• Three recognised numbers to 10 • Three of the children understood some positional

language

The community begins to grow

And so do the children’s interests

Rainbow Alphabet

Oral Language Program

A Daily Routine

Greetings

Shared Poetry

Naming words

Listening Activities

Share a story

Barrier Game

Story Writing

•Shared Reading

•Learning about books and how they work

•Using text for a week building on beginning reading strategies.

•Mini shop

•Money

•Galaxy Maths

•Mental Maths

•NT Targeting Maths

•Explicit notes of the home tutor

•Hands on Materials

Clinic and School

Play

Sports Day

After School Fun

• Sports Equipment• Playground• Biking• Hunting

How far have we come? Then• Children not in any formal

schooling• Oral language ESL Phase 1

Beginning Level 1.• KGP 1 and KGP 3 Maths• Would pick up a phone and

yell in language for an adult• Shy would not have a go• Written program

• Teacher visits every 3 weeks• Classroom practices needed to

be established• Phone calls weekly to tutor

and students

Now• Children attending school

everyday• Oral language at ESL Phase

2a beginning Level 3.• KPG3 and Band 1 Maths• Answer the phone and talk

with a teacher• Confident to have a go• Beginning written and IDL mix

of learning• IDL and Teacher visits• Classroom practices and

procedures in place• Phone calls weekly to tutor

and students

Solar Power

IDL Setup

What has made the difference to date?

• Planning meetings with the community• Constant contact with the home tutor • Helping to set materials in an order that was helpful to

the home tutor• Modelling areas of learning • Able to give positive feedback to home tutor• Professional development sessions• The home tutor felt supported enough to ask questions

when she didn’t understand• Commitment to visit every three week until the

community had power to the classroom and able to access IDL

• Positive links with ASSOA staff