Year 4, students are ‘used’ as instructional resources for one another

In Year 4, students are ‘used’ as instructional resources for one another. We use this especially well in group and pair work. One practical benefit of this is that it is motivational as students help their peers learn because they are interested in what the other knows and they want their effort to be recognised.

Another practical reason for the students enjoying this method of instruction and learning is that it develops more social cohesion as they are paired and grouped to work with their peers, often taking away the pressure of explaining things to the teacher or in front of the whole class as opposed to working within small units and groupings. Here in the picture, the learners are observing a solid (candle) melting and using a stopwatch to record the phase change of matter from a solid to a liquid.

The overall positive outcome of this kind of classroom interaction is that students develop confidence in sharing their thoughts and ideas in a non-threatening and comfortable environment.