The Learning Zone

Spotlight on READING

This year the new NSW English Syllabus has been rolled out from Kindergarten to Year 6. Our teachers have been working hard to implement the changes in an engaging and inclusive manner in all classrooms. The ACSO Literacy Block has been embedded in our classrooms and ensures that the crucial learning time in the mornings is dedicated to English. An hour of this time is devoted to teaching reading using the Gradual Release of Responsibility pedagogy. This is a process that sees teachers explicitly modelling learning, sharing the learning with students, guiding the learning and then students independently demonstrating their learning.

We have also reintroduced the practice of a short period of quiet reading for pleasure directly after the lunch break, known as DEAR. (Drop Everything And Read)

At home, your child can be supported in their learning to read and in reading to learn in a variety of ways.

In the Younger Years

In the Older Years

-Stretching some simple words into sounds while you are reading and writing together eg m/a/t, ch/i/p

-Encouraging your child to read their decodable texts every day.

-Re-reading loved books and encouraging your child to join in with familiar parts.

-Asking questions about a story while you are reading.

-Retelling the story in sequence after reading.

-Encouraging your child to read aloud in order to practice fluent and expressive reading.

-Sharing the reading of more complex texts – both younger and older children enjoy being read to by others.

-Using and explaining the use of subject specific words, using a dictionary when required.

-Asking your child to share their opinions about characters they encounter in texts and whether these opinions change as the story progresses.

Please reach out to class teachers if you have any questions or require support to encourage your child to read at home.

Theresa Grills

Leader of Pedagogy

Prime Minister's Spelling Bee

Students in Stage 2 and Stage 3 are invited to participate in the Prime Minster's Spelling Bee held in August. It is a national competition which allows students to demonstrate their spelling skills in an online test of 30 words.

A signed permission form is required in order for students to be registered. These will go home with students in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Please encourage your child to consider joining the competition.

The Math's Space

Early Stage 1 is continuing their work with whole numbers with a focus on subitising (instantly recognising the number of items in a small group without counting). All students have been doing a fantastic job with this with some now practising this skill with numbers past 4.

Stage 1 has dived into the world of multiplication and is swimming along! Students are able to skip count, explain what equal groups means and demonstrate this by using a range of concrete materials or pictures. There have been rich discussions occurring on recognising how multiplication is repeated addition.

You can help your child at home by:

-playing skip counting games or taking turns to count by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s

-using 5c, 10c or $2 coins to skip count money.

-Using sticky dots, textas, M&Ms, playdough or Lego to make groups and getting children to write the repeated addition facts to match.

Stage 2 has moved ahead with unpacking division. Students have been able to use their learning from last term with multiplication and apply this knowledge to support them in understanding how to effectively solve division problems and the relationship between the two.

Stage 3 has started the new term exploring Multiplicative Relations. They have been hard at work locating prime and composite numbers, finding LCM’s, HCF’s and creating models of different ways to show a whole number as a product. With this unit, there has been a strong focus on slowing down to ensure all students have a strong foundational understanding before we move on to more complex content.

Library News

Overdue books need to be returned to the library asap!
Please ensure your child has a library bag so they can enjoy these reads at their leisure at home! Library Bags 🤝New Books
The Premier's Reading Challenge is still going and doesn't end until Friday, 23rd August 2024

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2024