Literacy Update
Supporting your child’s reading at home
Fluency is the ability to read smoothly, accurately, and with expression. It is important because it allows children to focus on understanding what they are reading, rather than just working out the words. This is developed through explicit teaching of reading through both decodable and authentic texts.
This reflects the Victorian English Curriculum, which supports the teaching of reading through both decodable and authentic texts to build strong reading skills across all year levels.
For beginning readers At this stage, we explicitly teach and support early reading skills through structured practice:
- use decodable texts to practise the sounds and patterns taught in class
- support rereading texts to build accuracy, fluency, and confidence
- teach and apply reading strategies (e.g. sounding out, chunking words)
- talk about the text before, during, and after reading to support understanding
- ask and answer questions about what is happening in the text
- build confidence through regular reading practice
As reading develops These same strategies are continued as students read a wider range of texts and become more independent readers:
- students apply reading strategies more independently across both decodable and authentic texts
- fluency develops through regular reading and rereading of familiar and new texts
- decoding becomes more automatic, allowing greater focus on meaning
- discussion about texts continues to support understanding and thinking
Year 1 students will begin bringing home a mix of decodable and authentic take-home readers to support this development
As students become more fluent readers Fluency continues to support comprehension and deeper thinking about texts:
- reading in phrases (not word by word) supports meaning
- punctuation is used to guide reading and understanding
- smoother reading allows students to focus on ideas in the text
- reading aloud supports pace, expression, and accuracy
- repeated reading builds vocabulary and understanding of language patterns
- fluent reading supports sentence structure in writing
- confidence grows as reading becomes more automatic
- talking about texts strengthens understanding and thinking
Throughout all stages, we know that talking about books is essential. Asking simple questions such as “What is happening?” and “Why do you think that?” helps children make meaning and build understanding.
Scholastic Book Club
Book Club Issue 3 has arrived. Digital catalogue: Click Here
If you would like to place an order, please complete the order online by Monday, 11th May.
Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge
- Please note it’s optional.
- I will share details on how to participate in next week’s newsletter.
Wishing you a great week ahead.
Bernadette Parnis | Literacy Leader