Guides & resources

This practice guide will help teachers and school leaders understand different paragraph types. It’s part of a suite of resources designed to support explicit writing instruction in the classroom. It can be used in conjunction with AERO’s guides on simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences and sentence combining.

This model introduces an approach to teaching writing that is explicit and systematic, and that can be used in all subject areas that require students to write. AERO’s School Writing Instruction Framework (SWIF) professional learning courses align with and support the implementation of this model.

Students' ability to write – and write well – across subjects is important for their success at school. This practice resource will help school leaders lead an approach to strengthening writing instruction at their schools, using AERO’s School Writing Instruction professional learning courses.

As part of AERO's School Writing Instruction Framework (SWIF), this professional learning course aims to support school leaders and teachers in delivering evidence-based writing instruction across all subject areas in upper primary and secondary classrooms.

As part of AERO's School Writing Instruction Framework (SWIF), this professional learning course aims to support school leaders in delivering evidence-based writing instruction across all subject areas in upper primary and secondary school classrooms.

As part of AERO’s School Writing Instruction Framework (SWIF), this professional learning course aims to support school leaders and teachers in delivering evidence-based writing instruction across all subject areas in upper primary and secondary classrooms.

This video demonstrates how teachers explain learning objectives in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Learning objectives are concise statements that outline the goals of a lesson, a series of lessons or a learning activity. They specify what students are expected to learn and are expressed in language that is accessible to students, with any unfamiliar terms clearly explained.

This video demonstrates how teachers teach explicitly in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Introducing new information is most effective when teachers break it down and teach it explicitly using explanation, demonstration and modelling, especially when students are new to that learning area. It involves teaching content explicitly in ways that manage cognitive load to support students with building foundational knowledge before they practise independently.

This video demonstrates how teachers scaffold practice in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Supports – known as scaffolds – consist of guidance from the teacher and tools and resources the student can use. Scaffolds can be designed during planning (planned scaffolding) or introduced during lessons to respond to learning needs as they arise (contingent scaffolding). Teachers select and use scaffolds to support each phase of the learning process as students retain, consolidate and apply their learning.

This video demonstrates how teachers monitor progress in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Monitoring students’ progress by checking for understanding helps you determine what they know and can do, identify gaps in their learning and adjust your teaching to meet their needs. It helps you create a learning environment where students feel safe and supported to be active participants in the learning process, and better equips you to provide valuable feedback.

This video demonstrates how teachers revisit and review student learning in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Revisiting learning is the practice of regularly coming back to content that’s already been taught. Revisiting learning can activate prior knowledge to connect new learning with what students already know (from their previous learning at school, in the community and at home). Importantly, revisiting what’s been taught consolidates new learning.

This video demonstrates how teachers provide varied and spaced opportunities for students to practise their learning in alignment with AERO’s model of teaching and learning. Varying the ways students practise consolidates learning better than repeatedly practising in the same ways. Spacing out practice over time supports long-term retention and fluent recall by helping to manage cognitive load.