Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 1

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

Positive Partnership Planning Matrix
Name: Jade
Age: 11
Grade: 5
Condition: Epilepsy

Characteristic

Communication

Social Interactions

Sensory Processing

Implications

Visual learner
Responds to simple,
rather than complex
instructions
Poor attention difficulty
maintaining
concentration
Absence seizures a
period of up to twenty
seconds in which she
appears to stare into
space and stop
whatever she is doing
Needs simple verbal
instructions
Needs visual prompts
and aids
Lack of concentration
on tasks for sustained
periods of time
Distracts her
classmates when she
loses concentration and
prevents them from
completing set tasks

Likes going out with

friends
Outgoing
Comfortable with peers
Social butterfly
Easy going
Confident

She can be easily

distracted by her friends

Distracts her classmates
when she loses
concentration and

prevents them from

completing set tasks
Lack of motivation to

complete tasks and

subsequently does the
bare minimum

Information processing
& learning styles.

Visual learner
Absence seizures a
period of up to twenty
seconds in which she
appears to stare into
space and stop
whatever she is doing

Activities that do not

engage a visual
aspect can be
detrimental to Jades
learning
Jade struggles with
non-visual teaching
methods
Needs visual prompts
and aids

Visual learner
Poor attention
difficulty maintaining
concentration
Poor memory
Absence seizures a
period of up to twenty
seconds in which she
appears to stare into
space and stop
whatever she is doing

Jade struggles with

non-visual teaching
methods.
Lack of concentration
on tasks for
sustained periods of
time
Needs simple verbal
instructions.
Struggles to retain
information from
previous lessons or
build strong
background
knowledge of lesson

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 2

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

Strategies

Activity instructions
must be displayed on
the board or paper to
refer back to
Present engaging tasks
that relate to her
interests
Frequent feedback with
immediate
consequences (Gardill
and DuPaul, 1996)
Visual displays via
cards, posters and body
actions (e.g. hands
together = pray, flat
hand up = stop) can
also be used as non
verbal instruction tools
(Personal
Communication. Dani
Ward, Learning Support
Officer. Sacred Heart
School Croydon. 17th
May 2015).
Establish structure in
the classroom by
providing a daily
schedule (Gardill and
DuPaul, 1996).
Consideration to the
arrangement of the
physical classroom
environment (Gardill
and DuPaul, 1996)
Use eye contact, short

Seating plan have a

special spot at the
front near the teacher
on the floor (Personal
Communication.
Susan Mitchell.
Learning Support
Officer. St. Pauls
Primary School. 17th
May 2015)
Classroom
Environment --quiet/
individual working
periods
But also periods in
which students are
allowed to work and
collaborate together
so shes not drawn to
distracting students
Peer tutoring to help
foster her attention
(Gardill and DuPaul,
1996)
Ask direct questions
to keep her focused
on the task and to
maintain her
attention (Leber,
1996)
Use a timer to focus
Jades attention for a
specified time (Leber,
1996)

Use visual aids such

as diagrams, pictures
or a PowerPoint
(Department of
Education and
Training, 2007)
Use different colours
when writing,
highlighting key words
and important ideas.
(Department of
Education and
Training, 2007)
Use and give Jade
concrete materials in
class and make sure
she is sitting in front to
minimise distraction
(Farwell, 2012).
Visual displays via
cards, posters and
body actions (e.g.
hands together = pray,
flat hand up = stop)
can be used as nonverbal instructions for
visual learners.
(Personal
Communication. Dani
Ward, Learning
Support Officer.
Sacred Heart School
Croydon. 17th May

content
Only give her one
instruction at a
time and get her
to repeat the
instructions
(Personal
Communication.
Susan Mitchell.
Learning Support
Officer. St. Pauls
Primary School.
17th May 2015).
Break learning
tasks into three to
four small
achievable steps
and provide
instructions for
each step using
practical
demonstrations
when possible.
(Leber, 1996)
Use visual aids as
much as possible,
including concrete
materials and
make sure Jade is
sitting in front so
she can see
(Farwell, 2012)
Ask direct
questions to keep
her focused on the

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 3

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

verbal cues, subtle nonverbal prompts,

attention checks, and a
timer to assist Jade in
focusing her attention
(Gardill and DuPaul,
1996)
Peer tutoring to help
foster her attention
(Gardill and DuPaul,
1996)

2015).
Teacher will display
visual cues and eye
contact to maintain
and instruct Jades
focus and behaviour
(Personal
Communication. Dani
Ward, Teachers Aide.
Sacred Heart School
Croydon. 17th May
2015)
Give practical
demonstrations when
possible (Leber, 1996

task and to
maintain her
attention (Leber,
1996)
Use different
colours when
writing,
highlighting
important areas
words and key
elements.
(Department of
Education and
Training, 2007)
Use short verbal
cues, subtle nonverbal prompts,
attention checks,
and a timer to
assist Jade in
focusing her
attention (Gardill
and DuPaul, 1996)

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 4

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

REFERENCES

Department of Education & Training. (2007). Examples of learning styles Information Sheet. Retrieved from
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/childhood/professionals/support/egsls.pdf

Farwell, T. (2012). Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners. Retrieved from http://school.familyeducation.com/intelligence/teachingmethods/38519.html

M. Gardill, G. DuPaul & K. Kyle (1996). Classroom Strategies for Managing Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Intervention in School and Clinic, 32(2). 89-94. doi: 10.1177/105345129603200204

Leber, C. (1996). Teaching Strategies for children with short-term memory difficulties, poor concentration, and a short attention span.
Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1(1), 25-28. doi: 10.1080/19404159609546500

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 5

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

Name: Jade Smithers

Date commenced: Wednesday, 29th of April, 2015

Age: 10

Review: Monthly

Year Level: 5
Team Participants: Teacher, Vice-Principal, previous Teacher, Parents, specialists teachers

AusVELS Domain

English

AusVELS Dimension

Entry Skills

Jade is successful in responding

at a literal level of
comprehension.

Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking

Goals
specific learning
outcome

Intervention plan,
curriculum adaptations,
teaching strategies,
resources, personnel

1. Jade will be able

to make inferences
with 50% success
within four weeks

One-on-one reading and question time with teacher,

asking Jade to predict
what will happen next and
why.
Small group readings and
discussions.

When Jade is asked to make

inferences she re-expresses the
literal text without the inferred
meaning.
Jade can spell 25% of the words
correctly on a weekly spelling
test.
Jade is a confident speaker with
her peers and in front of the class.
Jade is a fluent reader, and
enjoys reading her book to her
classmates.

Comprehension Skill
Sentences (e.g. Mel was
having dinner with her
Mum. What time of day is
it? Night time)
2. Jade will be able
to infer the
emotions of a
character in a book
and explain why
the character
would be feeling

Reading for meaning not

reading for the sake of it.
Once a week, students will
get in groups and talk
about what they have read

Monitoring and
evaluation
strategies
Running records
Informal notes of
Jades reading and
discussion content.
Teacher and
Parent weekly
discussion on
progress at home
and school.

Assessed by

1. Jade will
achieve her goal
by reaching an
adequate score in
a running record
through
answering the
comprehension
questions.

2. Jade will
achieve her goal
by reaching an
adequate score in
a running record
through
answering the

Evaluation
rating

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 6

Courtney, Maddie & Gen
like this in the story
line within four
weeks.

and review their book so

far.

comprehension
questions.

Reading at home to
parents.
***NOTE*** strategies
cover both goals in this
case
3. Jade will spell
50% of challenging
words correctly on
a weekly spelling
test within four
weeks

Practicing spelling at home Communicating

with her parents
Flashcards
about how her
Look, say, cover, write,
spelling practice is
check
going at home
Verbally testing spelling in
partners

AusVELS Domain

Jade likes working in groups

with her friends.
Jade has lots of friends in the
class and likes spending time
with them in class.
Jade will willingly work in a

Observe her writing

Informal notes

Interpersonal development

AusVELS Dimension

Entry Skills

Jade will achieve

her goal by
demonstrating her
knowledge on a
weekly spelling
test

Building social relationships and working in teams

Goal/
Specific learning
outcome
1. Within 4 weeks
Jade will work
constructively in a
group of general
students, while
contributing to the
group and
maintaining focus

Intervention plan,
curriculum adaptations,
teaching strategies,
resources, personnel

Monitoring and
evaluation
strategies

Assessed by

Jade will be placed in a

variety of groups over a four
week period, however she
may only have one friend in
her group 50% of the time,
this will eventually be
phased out to allow her to
connect with other students.

Observations and
informal notes taken
by teacher.

1. Jade will selfevaluate herself at

the beginning of
the implementation
of this plan and
self-evaluate
herself at the end
of the 4 weeks to

Groups share the

task/work they have
completed with the
rest of the class and

Evaluation
rating

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 7

Courtney, Maddie & Gen
group with her friends.

on the task.
If it becomes apparent that
Jade is disrupting her group
as well as others her team
will be penalized - table
points

Jade has good confidence

and high self-esteem.

2. Jade will be an
effective class
member who will
work independently,
without distracting
her classmates, for
15 minutes
consecutively 3
times a day within
four weeks.

Have a timer to record Jade

working independently, and
then reward her with reading
time when she succeeds

3. Jade will make

valuable
contributions to the
class discussion
that are relevant to
the topic 60% of the
time within four
weeks.

Talking tokens - she

receives 10 tokens at the
start of the day which means
that she can contribute
during class discussion 10
times throughout that day

4. Within five to
seven minutes of
entering the
classroom, Jade
will be seated
silently 50% of the
time within four

Time the whole class when

coming into the classroom make a game out of it. If the
class is ready within five to
seven minutes and there is
time remaining, this time is
then put towards games at

teacher will monitor

Jades interactions
with team members.

prove her
progress.

Self-Evaluation by
Jade.
Teacher focus
group, allows
teacher to observe
Jades interactions
and behaviours
closely.

2. Jade will be an
effective class
member by not
talking to her peers
during her solid 15
minutes of work
time. She can also
do this by
removing herself
from her peers if
she feels the urge
to talk.

3. Jade will
carefully consider
how and what for
she uses the
talking tokens to
ensure that she
understands when
the right time to
contribute is.
4. Jade will
achieve her goal
by not creating
conversation
between her
friends so that she
can avoid talking

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 8

Courtney, Maddie & Gen
weeks.

the end of the week.

AusVELS Domain

Maths

AusVELS Dimension

Number & Place Value

Entry Skills

Goal/
Specific learning
outcome

Jade can investigate the following

number sequences - 2, 3, 4, 5, 9,
and 10

Jade will correctly

use the strategy of
factorization 50%
of the time, while
solving division
problems, while
providing
reasoning and
justification of her
method within 3
weeks.

Jade can use some mental and

written strategies to solve
multiplication problems and
division problems where there is
no remainder.

upon seating

Intervention plan,
curriculum adaptations,
teaching strategies,
resources, personnel
Jade will be made aware
of her goal.
Jade will participate in
small focus groups, led by
the teacher.
Peer tutoring: Jade works
one on one with peers,
explaining and
understanding each
others methods.
Concrete Materials:
available for individual use
but also will be worked
into class discussion.

Monitoring and
evaluation
strategies

Assessed by

Teacher collects
Jades workbook at
the end of each
class, to monitor
her development
each day and
identify where
assistance is
needed.

Jade will
complete a
series of
questions using
the strategy of
factorization and
discuss her
answers
competently with
a peer, LSO or
teacher.

During class time,

Jade will be
casually asked to
explain her thinking
to the teacher at
least twice a week.
Jade will be asked
to reflect on her
understanding to
the class at least
twice a week

Evaluation Key: 1= Minimal/No progress

2= Satisfactory progress

3= Excellent progress/Goal achieved

Evaluation
rating

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 9

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

APPENDIX 1
Discussion and Justification

English
Reading, Writing, Listening & Speaking
1. Jade will be able to make inferences with 50% success within four weeks
Reading for meaning not reading for the task of reading.
Whilst Jade does enjoy reading it has come to attention that Jade does not understand the meaning of everything
she reads. This is to be expected at a grade 5 level given the complexity of the reading levels however Jade is
reading and understanding grade 3-4 level books rather than grade 5 level. What we want to instil in Jade is that
there is inferred meaning within the text and that inferred meaning actually gives us more information.
Comprehension Skill Sentences (e.g. Mel was having dinner with her Mum. What time of day is it? Night time)
These sentences will, if used in a group setting, allow Jade to learn off her peers as they will be modelling and
explaining what is inferred in the sentence. They will also allow for easy evaluation as the teacher can observe how
Jade is answering the questions, and whether or not she is making the correct inferences. By using these
sentences repeatedly for comprehension practice, this will instil in Jade an ability to turn her literal comprehension
into inferential comprehension.

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 10

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

Interpersonal Development
Building social relationships and working in teams
1.

Within 4 weeks Jade will work constructively in a group of general students, while contributing to the group

and maintaining focus on the task.

If it becomes apparent that Jade is disrupting her group as well as others her team will be penalized - table points
Having a group consequence for Jades actions will ensure that she can see how her actions affect the whole
group and have consequences for everyone involved, therefore deterring her from disruptive behaviour. Each
week, the points are tallied up and the table with the most points gets to choose Friday games. In this way, Jade
learns to take responsibility for her actions that are disruptive because each time that she disrupts others for social
interaction points will be taken off her table.

3. Jade will make valuable contributions to the class discussion that is relevant to the topic 60% of the time within four
weeks.
Talking tokens - she receives 10 tokens at the start of the day which means that she can contribute during class
discussion 10 times throughout that day
Limiting the number of times Jade can contribute to the class discussion means that she has to be careful in
considering whether or not her contributions are valuable and beneficial to the class. This prevents her from
distracting her peers as she cannot simply say whatever comes to mind. This also means that she will be focused
on the task and discussion to ensure that her input is relevant.

Jade Smithers Individual Learning Plan 11

Courtney, Maddie & Gen

4. Within five to seven minutes of entering the classroom, Jade will be seated silently 50% of the time within four weeks.
Time the whole class when coming into the classroom - make a game out of it. If the class is ready within five to seven
minutes and there is time remaining, this time is then put towards games at the end of the week.
Incorporating the whole class ensures that Jade isnt excluded and made an example of. By making it into a game
with rewards, the students will deliberately change their behaviour so that they sit down quietly as quickly as
possible. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on teamwork, which highlights the need to work together to achieve
their goal. Hopefully Jades peers will motivate her to perform the desired behaviour.
We chose the domains and dimensions - English (reading, writing, speaking & listening), maths (number and place value)
and interpersonal development (Building social relationships and working in teams) because of the following reasons:
1. English was chosen because its aspects permeate all levels of learning as students rely on reading for most tasks as well
as speaking, listening and writing. Although Jade loves reading by herself and with friends she struggles greatly with
inferring skills which is an important skill to attain. In being able to inference Jade will be able to apply this skill to reality
and better read people which is a life skill.
2. Maths was a chosen area because Jade has fallen behind in factorization. Number and place value is the unit for the term
and it has been identified from the previous year that Jade is below the standard hence why factorization is a key goal
rather than number sequences which she understands.
3. Behaviour and Interpersonal Development was our final domain because we believe that once Jade has control over her
behaviour and impulse to talk then she will focus more and other areas will improve from there. Although she is confident
and has good social relationships she is prone to distracting her peers and being off task. Whilst her lack of attention and
memory are due to her special need, it is understood that with the above strategies and support agencies, Jade will
develop her skills. It is the understanding that goals from this domain will help Jade to focus in all academic areas.