Literacy Lowdown

Term 4 Literacy Update

As we enter Term 4, students will continue developing their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. At RWPS, our literacy teaching is informed by the Science of Reading and our whole-school Talk for Writing approach.

Teachers will use a range of assessments to monitor progress and plan next steps, including: DAL English Level Achievement, DAL English Skills Level Comprehension, CUBED-3 NLM and DDM literacy assessments, and DIBELS End-of-Year testing for Prep-Grade 6, later this term. Together, these assessments help teachers understand students' strengths, identify areas for growth and plan targeted teaching and support.

Reading, Spelling and Comprehension

Our Science of Reading-informed teaching includes explicit instruction in phonics, spelling, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Decodable readers help children practise taught letter-sound relationships, while authentic texts introduce richer vocabulary, varied sentence structures and new ideas. At home, you can support your child by:

• Reading together regularly and revisiting favourite books.
• Discussing unfamiliar words and their meanings.
• Asking questions such as “What might happen next?”, “How do you know?” and “Can you retell the story?”
• Encouraging your child to explain characters' feelings, identify key ideas and share opinions about what they read.
• Celebrating effort, confidence and progress.

Speaking and Listening

Oral language supports learning across all areas of the curriculum. Everyday conversations help children develop vocabulary, organise ideas and communicate clearly.

Try asking open-ended questions about your child's day, taking turns in conversations, retelling stories, explaining games or playing listening games such as Simon Says and I Spy. Encourage your child to share ideas in the languages spoken at home.

Supporting Writers at Home

At RWPS, Talk for Writing connects speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students learn to imitate effective texts, explore their structure and language, and use these models to create their own writing. Storytelling, oral rehearsal, drama and vocabulary development help children practise ideas before writing them down. Families can reinforce these skills by:

• Talking before writing: Discuss ideas and rehearse sentences aloud.
• Telling stories: Retell favourite tales or invent new characters, settings and endings.
• Exploring language: Share interesting words and descriptive phrases from books.
• Writing for real purposes: Create shopping lists, cards, notes, instructions or stories.
• Rereading and improving: Read writing aloud and check whether it makes sense, adding details or improving word choices where appropriate.

You do not need to be a writing expert. Talking, storytelling and reading aloud help children develop and rehearse ideas, reinforcing their learning through Talk for Writing and building confidence as independent writers.

Literacy in Everyday Life

Literacy learning happens everywhere. Reading recipes, discussing signs, listening to audiobooks and writing notes are simple ways to practise language and communication together. Thank you for supporting your child's learning. By working together, we can continue building strong literacy foundations and help every RWPS student grow as a confident reader, writer, speaker and listener.

Hugh Hutchinson - Literacy Learning Specialist