Foundations of academic knowledge

Abstract

T his chapter assesses the acquisition of academic knowledge and skills in domains including literacy, numeracy, sciences, arts and physical education. It examines how learning trajectories arise from complex interactions between individual brain development and sociocultural environments. Teaching literacy and numeracy to all students is a goal of most school systems. While there are some fundamental skills children should grasp to succeed in these domains, the best way to support each student's learning varies depending on their individual development, language, culture and prior knowledge. Here we explore considerations for instruction and assessment in di erent academic domains. To accommodate the ourishing of all children, exibility must be built into education systems, which need to acknowledge the diverse ways in which children can progress through learning trajectories and demonstrate their knowledge.

Guidelines for Implementing Universal Screening to Support All Learners

“…Universal screening allows teachers to be informed about the prior knowledge, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses of all students-not just those at each end of the spectrum, that is, those at risk or with clinical difficulties, or gifted students. For each student, what needs teaching (and how) is highly dependent on what they know and how they learn (Allen et al, 2022;Bonte et al, 2022;Linzarini et al, 2022). This continuum of information gives teachers a substantial advantage in being aware of their classroom's learning and knowledge profile and how they can activate individual students' prior knowledge as they develop curriculum plans (Nation, 2019).…”

“…While brain maturation follows a universal blueprint, it is a complex and dynamic process that results in subtle individual differences as a result of genetic and environmental interactions (Allen et al, 2022;Bonte et al, 2022;Cachia et al, 2022). Universal screening, primarily evaluative and administered in the early years of schooling (K-2 or K-5), helps identify these subtle learning differences in the population and provide appropriate intervention.…”

“…There is little data or mention of screening beyond elementary grades. However, in light of the ISEE Assessment's findings (Bonte et al, 2022;Cachia et al, 2022;Gotlieb et al, 2022;), which shows that adolescence is a period of significant SEB changes, there is a need to implement screening of SEB competencies throughout adolescence.…”