Life long learning skills! This term we are learning about the bee and unicorn skills.

We use the ELLI story to help children understand their learning and how to learn. This uses different animals to symbolise different learning skills. Look at the descriptions below to find out more.

The ELLI story is about an Elephant called ELLI who is on a long journey and comes across lots of problems. Animal friends join ELLI and use their special learning skills to help. For more information about ELLI, go to our links page and follow the ELLI link.

This term our school focus is on being a tortoise and sticking at learning, even when it gets tricky!

The Bee

The bee represents busy bees all working together. We talk about how you can work as a team to learn new things and how this can be very supportive. We explore the skills needed to work as a team, such as, taking turns and listening to others ideas.

The Cat

The cat represents the skill of being curious and asking questions to support your learning. We provide lots of opportunities for the children to ask questions they would like to explore, and time for them to find the answers!

The Unicorn

The unicorn represents being creative in your learning. This is about taking risks, being playful and imaginative in your learning. These learners finding different, creative ways to solve problems and suggesting solutions.

The Tortoise

The tortoise represents the skill of resilience. We use the word stickability to describe this to the children. We talk about how it is important to stick at your learning, even when it is tricky, and not give up! These learners can tolerate the feelings of anger and frustration that sometimes accompany learning.

The Spider

The spider represents linking  learning. These learners use links to make learning personally meaningful. They like to see how things fit together.

The Owl

We talk about the Owl as a learner who can see the big picture and plans their learning carefully. This involves reflection on, and owernship of, learning. Strategic learners think about how they learn and use this to plan their learning.

The Chameleon

The chameleon represents being adaptable in your learning and changing and amending your ideas to solve problems and complete tasks. Good learners know that they can get better at learning over time. They believe that through effort, their minds can get bigger and stronger just as their bodies can.

This is what the children think of ELLI....

Nina "I think I'm the best at being a tortoise because when I am at home I am making a kitten out of cardboard boxes and it is really hard but I am sticking with it".

Kaitlin "I am good at the busy bee. I like working with other people. In Discovery Time I'm working with Megan and Hettie and we are working well together".

Adam "I amd the best at being a tortoise because at football club I have to try really hard to make the team win and we don't often win".

Will "I probably am a good tortoise because when I go home I start a new learning project and stick at it. Right now I am working on a theatre. There are lots of hard parts to do, like making the tree stick together".