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The school work plan: a powerful tool for learning

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In the vast majority of traditional elementary classes, teachers follow a collective progression and all pupils progress at the same pace. Yet every child has different needs, different learning speeds, and different abilities and difficulties in different subjects. The school work plan proves to be an ideal tool to meet this need.

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The work plan allows you to organize each student's learning on an individual basis, while ensuring rigorous monitoring of the concepts to be acquired. It also enables students to plan their work over the course of the day, or even the week. In the Esclaibes International Schools network, every pupil from CP to CM2 uses a structured work plan, based on concrete material and files developed in-house.

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This system combines :

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• Tailor-made teaching files in French and math, based on Montessori materials and a logical progression.
• A clear, reassuring framework that sets weekly work objectives while allowing for a differentiated approach.
• Progressive autonomy, with personalized monitoring of each child's learning and needs.
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How does a school work plan work?

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In our bilingual schools in Paris, Clichy and Marseille, primary school pupils use work plans throughout the year. These green workbooks are real teaching tools, enabling us to set the framework, monitor progress and support each of our students individually.

Teaching teams draw up a school work plan for each student, based on the following guiding principles:

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1. Concrete discovery of concepts with Montessori materials (e.g. golden beads for operations, stamps, the multiplication checkerboard, grammatical symbols for grammar, manipulative activities in conjugation, etc.).
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2. Practice and consolidation thanks to pedagogical files: these are designed to progress gradually, week by week, in direct link with the official national education programs. In this way, students move from the concrete with manipulatives, to the abstract with exercises written in their files.
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3. Autonomy and organization: each student follows his or her own progress, while respecting a common weekly framework.
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4. A personalized student follow-up The educators observe, correct and adjust each child's work according to his or her successes and the concepts to be reinforced.
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In addition, a daily to-do list is posted in the classroom. It helps students structure their time and organize their work efficiently.
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What are the benefits of work surfaces for students?

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Developing autonomy and responsibility

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Thanks to the work plan, students become active participants in their own learning. They learn to :

• Managing time and organization;
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• Making choices in your learning path;
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• Work independently, while knowing how to ask for help when necessary.
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Through this active teachingchildren are no longer passive in the face of the teacher's instructions: they take charge of their learning and understand that they are the masters of their own progress. This kind of pedagogical tool helps support their intrinsic motivation.
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Personalized learning for every student

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Not all children learn at the same pace or in the same way. With a work plan :

• Students progress at their own pace, according to their skills and needs.
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• Strengths are reinforced, while difficulties are worked on in greater depth.
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• Educators can differentiate their teaching by offering exercises adapted to each individual. In this way, they avoid boredom for the more advanced and dropping out for children who need more time.
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Individualized follow-up is made easier. As a result,learning assessment is more accurate and relevant.
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A reassuring environment that fosters motivation

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Contrary to popular belief, working with a work surface doesn't mean being left to your own devices. In fact, this device provides :

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• A structured framework: since these work plans are based on Montessori manipulatives in particular, and on pedagogical files for the transition to abstraction. The whole follows a precise and coherent progression.
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• Visibility of progress: students know where they stand and what they still need to master.
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• A sense of achievement: seeing your progress week after week feeds motivation and self-confidence.
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The work plan is not an anarchic method where the child chooses what to do without a framework. It's a structuring guide that channels learning while respecting individual rhythms.
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Does the work plan foster class spirit?

A common concern about work plans is that they will undermine class cohesion. But this is not the case. In our bilingual elementary classes in the Esclaibes International Schools network, we are careful to preserve:
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• A balance between independent and group time: students progress through their work plan independently, but also take part in group times and projects (reading, discussion, workshops, presentations, sports, cultural outings, recess, etc.).
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• Strong mutual aid and cooperation : students are encouraged to help each other, explain a notion to a classmate or work together on certain activities.
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• A lively, dynamic, caring class: the work plan makes for a class where everyone is engaged in their own learning, without stressful comparisons with others. All in all, a lovely beehive!
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Far from isolating students, the work plan encourages a collaborative pedagogy: the educator accompanies each child while maintaining a positive group dynamic.
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The school work plan: a useful tool for teachers

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If work plans are good for students, they're good for teachers too! With such a tool, the teacher benefits from :

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• Efficient organization: everything is structured in advance, thanks to well-established progressions for manipulatives and files. Work plan updates are fluid. Student follow-up is precise and rigorous.
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• Quicker identification of difficulties: educators know immediately which students need special coaching on certain concepts.
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• More flexible, differentiated teaching: the teacher is no longer constrained by a single progression. He can really adapt his approach to the needs of each individual. They don't feel powerless or overwhelmed.
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At Esclaibes International Schools, the School Work Plan is an essential tool that helps teachers to better support their students. It encourages a more individualized, caring approach, adapted to each student.

And if, as a parent, you think your child won't be able to learn if he or she has to follow a work plan, rest assured: such a tool can be introduced gradually, with varying degrees of support depending on the child's needs.

In the Esclaibes International Schools network, this system is at the heart of our pedagogical approach. It is combined with careful monitoring of children and high-quality support materials. It helps reveal children's potential. It relies on the trust that adults place in them. It offers them a space of freedom within a clearly established framework.
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Providing students with the tools to take ownership of their learning from primary school onwards will enable them to acquire essential skills for the rest of their academic and personal careers. If you're looking for this kind of teaching, we'd love to hear from you.