Hands On Heads Literacy Coaching 

Dear Principals,

MAKE DATA THE DRIVER.

Over the six years I spent as Junior School Head of Curriculum and Literacy Coach in an ELC-12 school. I loved working alongside teachers to bring The Gradual Release of Responsibility into the mid-upper primary literacy block, while harnessing The Inquiry Cycle.

We focused on making teaching explicit while also ensuring students had opportunities to collaborate, be curious and ask questions. Teachers were guided through instructional coaching and planning.

Together, we looked closely at student literacy data, set meaningful goals and explored evidence-informed strategies- Tiered Vocabulary (Beck's work), Grammar in Context (Misty and Derewianka’s work, Literature Study Units (our own creations) and Book Club to teach literacy, literature and language skills.

The results speak for themselves:

This NAPLAN data, along with in-house data sets, reflects the achievement of Year 7 and 9 students and highlights the long-term impact of our collective commitment to strengthening literacy practices in mid-upper primary.

At the end of 2022, my final year at the school, a fellow leader reminded me that we don't always see the fruits of our labour until we've moved on. The 2023 data is evidence of THAT.

If you're ready to unpack your preliminary reading, spelling and grammar NAPLAN data, and mid-year testing data, book a 15-minute complimentary 'Level-Up Literacy Call' by emailing amanda@handsonheads.au.

To your literacy success,