Vision for Instruction Literacy
Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.
We are excited to share that our school is strengthening its approach to teaching reading by introducing practices informed by the Science of Reading. This body of research draws on decades of studies across education, cognitive science, and linguistics to help us better understand how children learn to read.
As part of this, we are placing a strong focus on explicit phonics instruction from Foundation to Grade 2.
Phonics involves teaching the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes), and it plays a critical role in helping children decode words—one of the most essential skills in becoming a confident and capable reader.
Through a structured and evidence-based approach, students will:
- Learn how to blend and segment sounds in words
- Build their ability to read unfamiliar words
- Improve their spelling and writing
- Develop strong reading fluency and comprehension skills
We look forward to partnering with you on this journey and will continue to provide opportunities for you to learn more about how you can support your child’s reading development at home.
We are excited to share with you that we have noticed a wonderful growth in our students' confidence and enthusiasm for reading. Both staff and parents have observed students reading with greater fluency, expression, and enjoyment. It is truly rewarding to see their hard work and perseverance paying off.
Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education.
How do readers read?
To be able to understand or comprehend a text, as we read, we apply different knowledge. Readers bring together their knowledge of:
- books and the world
- the way words are used in a sentence to sound grammatically ‘correct’
- words recognised automatically, by ‘sight’
the letters of the alphabet and the sounds each letter and groups of letters represent.
How can you support your child?
Read with your child
Encourage your child to 'sound out' unfamiliar words and then blend the sounds together from left to right, rather than looking at the pictures to guess the meaning. When your child reads an unfamiliar word you can talk about what it means and help them to follow the story.
Try to make time to read with your child every day. Grandparents and older brothers or sisters can help too. Once your child has learnt individual letter sounds, encourage your child to blend the sounds all the way through a word. Word games like 'I spy' can also be an enjoyable way of teaching children about sounds and letters. You can also encourage your child to read words from your shopping list, or road signs, to practise phonics.
Literacy & Religious Education Leader