Learning and Teaching

Literacy learning

This term, our students across all our communities are studying different texts for their literacy learning. Through our book studies, students explore high-quality texts to develop their reading, comprehension and writing skills. These studies go beyond simply reading a book. Students learn to understand and interpret texts, explore new vocabulary, discuss characters and themes, and make connections between ideas and their own experiences.

Teachers explicitly teach reading strategies, vocabulary, sentence structure and writing techniques, helping students to understand how authors use language to communicate ideas and engage their readers. By studying quality texts together, students build their knowledge, develop critical thinking skills and apply what they learn to their own reading and writing.

What is each community reading now?

Year Prep

In Prep, students are exploring quality texts such as The Gruffalo and a range of fairy tales to develop their understanding of narratives. They are learning about the key elements of a story, including the beginning, middle and end, characters and setting. This learning connects with their integrated unit, where students are exploring fairy tales and then designing to solve problems. In writing, they will use their knowledge of how stories are structured to plan and write their simple narratives.

Year 1 and 2

In Year 1/2, students are exploring the texts Are We There Yet? and Possum Magic to build their knowledge of Australia, including its places, landmarks and unique features. They have mapped the locations visited by the characters and are developing their writing skills by creating recounts of their journeys. This learning connects with their integrated unit, where students are investigating communities across Australia. After studying both texts, students will apply their learning to create a persuasive brochure promoting an Australian destination. They will explore the language and structural features of persuasive texts to convince others why their chosen place is worth visiting.

Year 3 and 4

In Year 3/4, students are reading Big Foot vs Yeti: A Love Story, building their background knowledge about these mythical creatures and developing their reading comprehension skills. They are comparing the text with similar stories to explore how authors use language, humour and structure to engage readers. Drawing inspiration from mentor texts such as Dear Broccoli, I Wanna Iguana and The Day the Crayons Quit, students will write a series of persuasive letters between Bigfoot and Yeti, using persuasive language to communicate their ideas. Connecting with their integrated unit, students will then use Book Creator to transform their letters into multimedia picture books, combining written text and digital elements to bring their stories to life.

Year 5 and 6

In Year 5/6, students are studying Sister Heart by Sally Morgan, building their background knowledge of the Stolen Generations and respectfully exploring the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through the text, students are examining key themes including identity, kinship and survival, while developing their comprehension and understanding of how authors communicate powerful ideas and emotions. They are also learning about free verse poetry and how language can be used to express personal experiences and perspectives. Connecting with their integrated unit, students will create a multimedia piece combining their own writing with elements of Media Arts and music to communicate their own stories and explore what shapes their identity.

Decodable Readers

Can all Year Prep , Year 1 and Year 2 families please look at home for any decodable readers that you may not have returned? Some of our sets in the classrooms for home reading are running low and we need them for all of our students. Thank you!

Deborah Courtney

(Director of Learning and Teaching)