一线教师解码增益项目：什么样的学生可以进入这间培优课堂？

在启明星，我们努力丰富每一位学生的学习体验，保证这样的体验既不偏离教学目标，又符合学生个体的特点。

我们尽最大力量提供相应的资源——“增益项目”就是其中之一，它为学有余力的学生提供更深、更广的学习平台。

今天，我们已经在启明星小学部的多个学科开设了增益项目。为帮助家长和学生了解这个项目，今天，我们邀请到几位教学一线的增益项目教师，请她们谈一谈：

增益项目和课堂学习是什么关系？

哪些学生可以入选？

具体的学习是怎样开展的？

增益项目是“快班”吗？

……

柳慧：差异化教学是启明星近几年的一个努力方向，增益项目是差异化教学的一种实施方法。在中文的常规课堂上我们观察到，有些学生能迅速掌握知识要领，然后就不得不等待其他同学完成学习。这样，他们在课堂上就会有一些空档时间，不利用起来是非常可惜的。我们设立中文增益项目，是为这部分学生提供更深、更广的学习平台，帮助他们进行中文学习的拓展。

Julie：我们开设英文增益的目的是，识别出那些已经达到或是超出自己所在年级学习水平的学生，然后在课程框架内给予他们挑战自己、做些打破常规事情的机会，来加深他们对知识的理解和掌握。

张剑婷：就数学学习来讲，有一部分学生到了小学高年级，在数学技能和数学素养方面都表现得越发突出，在常规课堂上会“吃不饱”。那么我们就提供数学增益项目，成为他们更宽更广的学习平台。

数学增益项目的设计有2个思路——一个是在数学科目内挖得更深，引导学生更深入地学习数学知识，提升数学的核心素养；另一个是把数学和其他学科结合起来，比如从数学学习出发，结合一些需要解决的社会问题进行思考和探索，拓宽学生的视野。

Julie：我的增益项目学生也要去常规的英文课堂学习，只是英文课的老师就不必对增益项目学生过多重复我在增益项目教授的一些标准了。我会把我的授课计划提前交给英文老师，这样他们就知道我在做什么了，所以增益项目对学生来说，不算额外的负担。

另外，从某种意义上说，常规的英文课堂和增益项目的教学是融合的。我们把英文课和探究单元教学中的教学标准和教学方式，也应用在增益项目教学中，只是在增益课堂实践得更深入。比如，5年级学生在常规课堂上通过学习文献目录来学习说明文写作——增益项目就更进一步——学生们要撰写参考文献注释，解释引用了什么文献，为什么引用这个文献，这样就在更高水平锻炼了批判思维能力。

柳慧：中文增益项目也是类似的，增益项目的学生是要付出更多，但增益项目的学习目标和学习方式和常规课堂是一致的。学生也需要像常规课堂的要求那样阅读材料、提炼信息、输出表达……不过他们学习和探索的话题并不局限于课内资料、而是更有广度、深度，更有挑战了。比如在常规课堂上，学生按照老师要求阅读一篇文章，概括主要内容，在增益项目课堂上，他们需要概括的是一段资料，甚至一整本书。

张剑婷：数学增益项目也不脱离常规课堂的学习。比如我的学生有每周有6节数学课，其中4节他们在班级上，2节来增益课堂上。此外，数学增益项目的学习主题是基于常规课堂的，但难度上加深。对增益项目的学生来说，他们能把常规课堂的内容掌握得很好，参加增益项目是对他们更适合、也更有意义的体验。

柳慧：我们的筛选标准是公平和透明的，用多重标准选拔学生进入增益项目。中文增益项目的筛选标准主要包括：上一学年东城测试的成绩、Level Chinese的级别，特别是非虚构类阅读的级别、一年一度的写作评估、还有我们最最看重的——学生平时成绩的积累，包括刚刚教过学生的主班老师的整体介绍。之所以特别看重老师的介绍是因为，增益项目对学生是有挑战的，他们不只要完成课内学习还要按时保质参加增益项目，到了期末还要完成增益项目的展示。那么，面对这么多任务，学生能不能疏解压力，面对压力？对学生这方面的评估，我们是特别尊重主班老师的意见的。

Julie：首先，我们通过MAP成绩筛选出初选名单，我们主要关注MAP成绩的绿色和蓝色分数段，大约占年级总人数的12%到15%，但MAP成绩并不是确定是否参加增益项目的决定性因素，我们要对学生进行进一步的测试。测试他们的英文流利度和准确性，使我们能够了解他们的理解水平、他们在理解主要观点和认知意识方面的表现、还有如何运用他们在学业中学到的技能来理解所阅读的内容，以及解释和反思所读内容的能力。这使我们更好地确定学生是否能够应对增益项目的挑战。最后我还要和老师确认学生的行为和学术道德。就是说，即使学生在学术上表现非常出色，但如果他们的学术道德和态度不佳，那么他们也不适合参加增益项目，这是增益项目选拔的最终决定因素。

张剑婷：数学增益项目筛选学生会参考很多数据，比如MAP成绩、形成性评估的成绩、老师在课堂上对孩子的观察等。另外，学生参加项目需要完成作业，也要在课堂上参与活动，所以会和我们签订一份协议，保证能够在增益项目中完成基本的任务和行为。

张剑婷：数学增益课上我们会设计很多不同类型的活动，比如探讨经典的数学问题、进行有趣的数学实验、结合数学和其他学科的知识设计项目等等。4年级学生做过测试滑梯角度的实验。滑梯的角度多大，上面的物体才能滑到最远？答案是45度角。孩子们发现实验结果和自己之前的猜想是不一样的，其中原因是什么呢？可以在接下来探究课堂上去研究，这时他们要面对的不只是数学问题，也包含物理学的动能问题了。再比如，5年级学生正在学习《可能性》这个单元。我们在增益课堂上带着学生做相关的实验，感受理论概率和实验概率可能出现的差异，还会探讨经典的三门问题（Monty Hall Problem）。通过各种活动，学生对数学和生活中的数学问题会越来越有兴趣，数学素养也得到提高。

柳慧：在北皋校区，这个学期的中文增益项目的主题是“中国历史日”，学生通过历史这个平台提升自己的语言艺术。在课内，我们会有一些打开思路的练习，比如，我会让孩子们用一种颜色或者形状来形容某个历史文人。孩子们的思维特别活跃，有的用白色形容李白，有的用一把宝剑加一支毛笔来形容辛弃疾……在课外，我们会观看辩论赛和戏剧，让孩子们了解语言表达可以有这么多不同的角度和形式。期末的展示形式也是丰富多样的，有的孩子会做诗词赏析的讲座；有的孩子会用戏剧加上对话的形式表现人物的一生。

Julie：北皋5年级的英文增益项目的学习主题是“世界历史日”。学生学习怎样研究、收集、分析和总结资料，然后在这个基础上选择自己真正感兴趣的“改变历史的大事”作为主题，决定并实施展示方式，可以是一篇论文、一支纪录短片、一个网站……明年3月，我们会去上海，和其他国际学校的学生一起参加世界历史日比赛，在裁判面前展示和阐述研究成果。我们的目标是夺得前两名，这样就有资格去美国参加全球比赛！

Julie：这个学年的英文增益项目刚开始不久，还没有收集到反馈，但是我们去年的增益项目得到不少积极的评价。特别是上学期期末，家长们看到孩子能在那么多人面前用英文流利展示自己的学习成果展示都非常惊喜！而这些学生的MAP测试成绩也在提高，比如大多数学生都有5到10分的提升。不仅如此，我们也看到，之前的增益项目学生为中学的英文学习做好了准备，并能在学习中帮助其他同学。

柳慧：短短一个多月，增益项目同学的变化令人惊喜。首先他们对中国历史产生浓厚了兴趣，思考问题时从开放度到批判性都进步明显，比如4年级的同学提出：“一位帝王爱民如子到底是功还是过？” 其次他们表达自己更加自信，“增益教室里的问题没有标准答案，每个人的想法都很宝贵！” 比如5年级一位同学大胆提出：“这位作家写历史人物传记时表达了太多主观情绪，真是太不应该了！”另外，他们的自学能力得到了提升。4年级同学完全靠自己观看辩论赛、分享交流、制作海报等，厘清了一场复杂的辩论赛的全部流程；5年级同学在阅读历史书籍过程中通过做不同形式的读书笔记大大提升了阅读理解的深度与宽度！

张剑婷：我在参加增益项目的学生身上看的一种现象挺让我欣喜的——他们能感受到这个项目的难度和挑战，但是他们又不惧怕这样的挑战，而且乐于接受，还能享受克服挑战之后的乐趣。从卷面的评估来说，他们的成绩一定是提高的，当然我们不会单一看重卷面评估，我们更看重他们综合执行一个数学项目的全方位能力的提升。

温馨提示：

为介绍包括增益项目在内的支持服务，启明星星爸星妈学院特意录制了一期视频《在启明星，如何支持学生的个性化发展》，欢迎扫码收看：

At Daystar, we strive to enrich the learning experience of every student. We work to ensure that this learning experience remains true to our teaching objectives while also corresponding to the individual characteristics of the students. 

To this end, we do our best to provide appropriate resources—the Enrichment Program is one such resource.

Currently, the Daystar Sanlitun and Beigao elementary school campuses have Enrichment Programs for several subjects. These programs provide a deeper and broader learning platform for students who have the time and space to receive additional instruction. Let’s have a few of the teachers involved with the Enrichment Program introduce it to us:

What is the relationship between the Enrichment Program and classroom learning?

What kind of students are selected for the Enrichment Program?

How are the specialized lessons conducted?

Is the Enrichment Program the “fast learners’ class”?

...

Liu Hui: Daystar has always been focusing on differentiated teaching, and the Enrichment Program is part of that implementation process. In the Chinese classroom, we have observed that some students are able to quickly grasp the essentials and then have to wait for other students to finish. When this occurs, these students are left sitting there, and it’s pity for this time to go to waste. Through the Chinese Enrichment Program, we provide these students with a deeper and broader learning platform to help them expand their Chinese language learning.

Julie: The purpose of the English Enrichment Program is to identify students who have reached or exceeded the level of learning in their grade. Then we provide them with opportunities to challenge themselves and do different things within the curriculum framework to deepen their understanding and capabilities.

Cimi: Some students who have progressed to the upper grades of elementary school excel in mathematics. Lessons taught as part of the regular curriculum may not be sufficient to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. That’s why we provide a more extensive learning platform for them in the form of the Math Enrichment Program.

Designing the Math Enrichment Program involves two approaches. The first is to delve deeper into the subject of mathematics, guiding students to study math in a more profound manner and enhancing their core math literacy. The second approach is to integrate math with other disciplines. For instance, we can combine it with social issues that need to be solved, which helps to broaden students’ perspectives.

Julie: My students who participate in the Enrichment Program also need to attend regular English Learning Acquisition (ELA) classes. I cover certain standards in the program, so the English teachers don’t need to repeat too much of the content with the students. Of course, I share my teaching plan to the English teachers ahead of time so that they will know what I’m teaching. This way, the Enrichment Program, is not an additional burden for the students.

In addition, in a sense, English classes and the Enrichment Program are integrated. We apply the standards and methods of the ELA classes and inquiry unit teaching to the Enrichment Program, but the program instruction goes deeper. For example, 5th-grade students learn expository writing by studying bibliographies in their regular class. The Enrichment Program takes it a step further. Students need to write annotated bibliographies to explain what literature is cited and why they cited that particular source, thus cultivating a higher level of critical thinking.

Liu Hui: The Chinese Enrichment Program requires participating students to put in more effort, but the learning objectives and methods of the program are consistent with those of regular classrooms. Just as in their regular classes, students must read texts, extract information, and express opinions. However, their learning and exploration topics are not limited to in-class materials. Instead, they are broader, deeper, and more challenging. For example, in a regular classroom, students may read an article and produce a summary of the main ideas in accordance with the teacher’s requirements. In an Enrichment Program classroom, the students may need to summarize a larger quantity of information or even a whole book.

Cimi: The Math Enrichment Program is not detached from regular classroom learning. Instead, the learning topics are based on those of the regular curriculum but provide a greater challenge. Students who participate in the Enrichment Program have already mastered the content taught in the regular classroom, so the program provides a more suitable and meaningful experience for them.

Liu Hui: Our screening criteria are fair and transparent. We use multiple criteria to select students for the Enrichment Program. The screening criteria for the Chinese Enrichment Program mainly include: their score from the previous academic year’s Dongcheng Test; their level in Level Chinese , especially their non-fiction reading level; their annual writing evaluation; and, most importantly, their daily performance evaluation, which includes a comprehensive introduction from the main classroom teacher who has most recently taught the students. The reason we emphasize the importance of the teacher’s introduction is because the Enrichment Program poses challenges for students. They not only need to complete in-class assignment, but also need to participate in the Enrichment Program with punctuality and quality. At the end of the semester, they also need to present on their accomplishments in the Enrichment Program. With so many tasks in front of them, it’s important to assess whether they can handle the stress and pressure. In this regard, we highly respect the opinions of the main classroom teachers.

Julie: First, we get a preliminary list through screening MAP scores. We mainly focus on the green and blue bands, which account for approximately 12% to 15% of the total number of students in the grade. MAP scores, however, are not the sole determining factor for participation in the Enrichment Program. Next, we conduct further assessment to assesses students’ English fluency and accuracy, which helps me understand their comprehension levels, performance in understanding key ideas, and cognitive awareness. It also gives me an idea of how well they apply their academic skills to reading comprehension, as well as their ability to explain and reflect on the content. This helps me to better determine whether students will be able to handle the challenges of the Enrichment Program. Finally, I talk to their teachers to confirm their behavior and work ethic. That is to say, even if students perform very well academically, if their work ethic and attitude are not good, they may not be suitable for the Enrichment Program. This is the ultimate deciding factor in the selection process.

When selecting students for the Math Enrichment Program, we look at a lot of data, such as MAP scores, formative assessment scores, and teacher observations of students during class. In addition, students participating in the program need to complete assignments and participate in classroom activities. Because of this, we ask students to sign an agreement stating their commitment to completing basic tasks and activities as part of the Enrichment Program.

Cimi: In the Math Enrichment Program classroom, we design many different types of activities, such as exploring classic mathematical problems, conducting interesting mathematical experiments, and designing projects that integrate mathematical knowledge with other disciplines. Our 4th grade students have conducted experiments to determine the angle of a slide. What angle should the slide be to make an object placed on it slide the farthest? The answer is a 45-degree angle. Students found that the experiment results were different from their initial guesses. Why was this? This became a question we could explore and study in the classroom. For this topic, they not only faced math problems, but also problems regarding kinetic energy in physics. Another example is our 5th grade students who are studying the unit “Possibility”. In the Enrichment Program, we lead students in conducting relevant experiments, allowing them to experience the differences between theoretical probability and experimental probability. We also explore the classic Monty Hall Problem. Through these activities, students become increasingly interested in math and math-related problems in daily life, and their mathematical literacy also improves.

Liu Hui: The theme of this semester’s Chinese Enrichment Program is “Chinese History Day”. Students use history as a platform to enhance their language abilities. In class, we do brainstorming exercises, such as asking students to describe a character using a color or shape. The students’ minds are quite active. For example, some students used white to describe Li Bai, while others used sword and brush pen to describe Xin Qiji. Outside of class, we take students to debate competitions and plays to help them understand that there are many different perspectives and various forms used to express opinions. The presentation at the end of the semester is diverse, with some students giving a lecture-style analysis of Li Bai’s poetry while others use drama to depict the life of historical figures.

Julie: The theme for the 5th-grade Enrichment Program at Beigao elementary school this semester is “National History Day”. Students learn how to research, collect, analyze, and summarize information. Then they choose a “historical event that changed the world” that interests them. They also need to decide on a presentation format, which can be a paper, short documentary, website, or another type of presentation. Next March, we will go to Shanghai to participate in the National History Day competition with other international schools. We will present and explain our research results to the judges. Our goal is to be in the top two so that we will be eligible to participate in the global competition in the United States.

Julie: We just started our English Enrichment Program for this academic year, so we haven’t received any feedback yet. Last year’s program received a lot of positive evaluations. Especially at the end of last semester, parents were very happy and surprised to see their children showcase their learning achievements fluently in English in front of so many people! The MAP test scores for these students also improved. For example, most of the students’ scores have improved by 5 to 10 points. We have also observed that former Enrichment Program students are well-prepared for Middle school English learning and are able to help other students in their studies.

Liu Hui: In just over a month, the changes in students in the Enrichment Program are pleasantly surprising. Firstly, their interest in Chinese history has deepened, and they have made significant progress in their openness to ideas and thinking critically. For example, a fourth grade student asked the question, “Is it a merit or a fault for an emperor to love the people like his own children?” Secondly, they have become more confident when expressing themselves. “There are no standard answers to the questions in the Enrichment Program classroom, and everyone’s ideas shall be valued!” as a fifth grade student boldly put forward, “This writer expresses too many subjective emotions when writing historical biographies. It’s really inappropriate!” In addition, their ability to learn on their own has improved. For example, 4th grade students were able to break down the entire process of a complex debate competition on their own by watching debates, holding discussions, and creating posters. Fifth grade students greatly improved the depth and breadth of their reading comprehension by taking various forms of notes while reading history books.

Cimi: I am delighted to see a phenomenon among the students participating in the Enrichment Program—they can feel the difficulty and challenge of the program, but they are not afraid. Instead, they are willing to accept the challenges and enjoy overcoming them. In terms of assessments, their scores have definitely improved. Of course, we do not focus solely on assessments. We also focus on their comprehensive mathematical competency and ability.

Reminder:

Daystar Parents Academy has made a video entitled “How to Support Students' Personalized Development at Daystar Academy (Take Beigao Elementary School as an Example)”. The video introduces detailed information about Studentt Service including the Enrichment Program. Please scan the QR code to watch the video:

喜报｜出道即巅峰：中文辩论队“纵横杯”比赛满载而归！Good News! Daystar Swept the Board at Zongheng Cup Mandarin Debate