Principals Report

Building Strong Literacy Foundations at Truganina P-9 College

At Truganina P-9 College, we know that literacy is the key to learning and life success. From Foundation to Year 9, every child is supported to become a confident reader, writer, and communicator. Literacy is taught not just in English, but across all subject areas, so students can access the knowledge, language, and skills they need to succeed in every classroom.

Why Literacy Matters

Strong literacy skills open doors. Students who can read, write, and communicate effectively are better equipped to engage with the rich and challenging learning offered at the College and beyond. Without these skills, students can struggle to keep up - especially as they move into secondary, where they encounter new teachers, more complex subject content, and technical texts.

Truganina P-9 College places literacy at the heart of our guaranteed and viable curriculum. Every student has access to high-quality teaching, and every subject teacher plays a role in developing vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. This means literacy is not just something we “do” in English — it’s part of how we teach Science, Humanities, Mathematics, the Arts, Health and Physical Education. 

How We Build Literacy

Our whole-school approach begins at 8:36 am with opportunities to read from our classroom libraries. Our literacy practices are based on the Big 6 of Literacy:

• Oral language
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension
• Writing

Programs like Little Learners Love Literacy and the 6+1 Traits Writing Model ensure students build skills step by step, while exposure to diverse text types and literature helps them think critically and creatively. Small group instruction is used alongside explicit whole-class teaching, giving students targeted support and practice to strengthen their literacy skills. This balanced approach equips students with the technical skills to decode and compose texts. Further literacy programmes are offered to support our students include the Learning Growth Programme and Victorian High Ability Program.

Celebrating Book Week 2025

This week we celebrate the joy of reading and the adventures a story can take us on. Across the College, students and staff are engaging in activities such as: Drop Everything and Read, the classroom display competition, author visits, celebrity readers and of course the annual dress up day on Friday! Meanwhile, the Scholastic Bookfair is open from 3 - 4pm each day in Building 2.

Thank you for partnering with us to strengthen your child’s literacy. The most powerful things you can do are also the simplest:

• Support 300 Nights of Reading by setting up routines at home to read together every day — even 10 minutes can make a difference.
• Talk about stories, news, or topics of interest to build vocabulary and curiosity.
• Encourage writing — whether it’s a diary entry, a letter, or a shopping list.

Lucy Francis

Director of Teaching & Learning - Years 7 to 9