Literacy Report

Getting it right in English!

Fun Literacy activities for the holidays

The school holidays have crept up again. The weather is starting to cool down, but hopefully we still have a few sunny days left! We know many children (and teachers!) are looking forward to a nice break and getting outside to make the most of the Autumn weather. However, if you are after some other stimulating activities to keep children occupied, we encourage you to continue to build their literacy skills, ready for Term 2.

Some ideas are suggested below:

Enjoy the outdoors!

Make the most of the autumn days and take a picnic blanket to your local park. In between bouts of football or the playground, have some quiet time and encourage your children to read some well-loved or new books in the shade.

Visit your local library

Most local libraries have some great activities on during the school holidays. It is also an opportunity to encourage children to continue reading at home, with engaging and interesting books they have chosen for themselves.  

Games

There are some great board games that promote Literacy. Some of these include: Scattergories Junior, Celebrity Heads, Guess Who, Scrabble, Boggle, Pictionary Junior.

If your children are still learning to automatically read High Frequency Words, encourage them to play games with their siblings or friends such as SNAP!, Memory or Go Fish with these words. Ask your child’s teacher for a copy of the cards.

 Build their knowledge of the world

Developing an understanding of the world around them and how it works, is crucial for students to make deep connections with the texts they read, view, discuss and write. There are lots of great programs running and fun experiences at some of the following places, providing students with rich experiences over the break: Melbourne Zoo, Science Works, Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, Sovereign Hill,  Kryal Castle, Melbourne Aquarium, ACMI, Royal Botanic Gardens, Werribe Open Range Zoo, Werribee Mansion. 

Even closer to home, trips to your local supermarket, shopping centre, your local park or a short trip to local country towns such as Gisborne or Mount Macedon, can also provide rich experiences for students.

Sarah Mills- Leading Teacher Literacy