Literacy

Another fabulous year in Literacy in 2025!!!

SPELLING AND PHONICS

In 2025 we continued to follow a synthetic systematic phonics approach using UFLI in F-2. As this is our third year using this comprehensive program we have been thrilled to notice the ease with which the children at Holy Family are now applying the skills they are learning into their reading routines each day. We have also continued to use the PhOrMeS curriculum in Years 3-6. This is another comprehensive approach to helping the children learn to read and spell in a clear, connected way. Our children learn to spell words that use the same letter patterns, spelling rules, word parts, or word origins they are learning in reading. 

NOVEL & PICTURE BOOK STUDIES – Ochre Study Units

Another wonderful opportunity to broaden our children’s understanding of the world is the introduction of Novel and Picture Book studies throughout F-6. In each lesson, students begin with quick “Do Now” questions to get settled and ready to learn. They take part in vocabulary practice, brief “Stop and Jot” writing moments, and sentence-building activities based on The Writing Revolution. Students learn to highlight important parts of a text through annotation and finish with a short exit ticket to show what they’ve understood. Teachers also use short non-fiction texts, pictures, diagrams, and other small resources to build background knowledge that supports the main text. Throughout the lesson, students learn new vocabulary both through direct teaching and through their reading and activities.

Vocabulary - "Vocabulary helps children to think and learn about the world. Expanding a child's knowledge of words provides unlimited access to new information,"

As a whole school, we have continued to focus on teaching vocabulary in a more structured and intentional way, especially Tier 2 words. These are words that students will often see in books and across different subjects but may not use in everyday conversation. Our focus on vocabulary supports students in many ways, including helping them read longer words, understand how words are built (morphology), and better grasp the meaning of what they read, which improves overall comprehension. Giving our children access to new words is giving them access to the world.

Wow- look at us go!!! Continued NAPLAN growth

Excellent results across all areas of literacy in Naplan with both our Grade 3’s and 5’s exceeding in the areas of Reading and Writing. Such a wonderful achievement and an acknowledgement to the new systems being put in place across the curriculum at Holy Family.

Here’s to a world where every heart is a library and every mind is a book 

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas and may you all find time to read a book that you love these holidays.

Julianne Kelly

Literacy Leader