Learning and Teaching
Dear Parents ,
Thank you to those parents who attended the “Parent Helpers Course”. It led to the conversation around reading and the Initial Program we have at St Joseph’s.
InitiaLit is a research-based program developed by an organisation called MultiLit
InitiaLit addresses reading, spelling and writing by:
•Teaching the relationships between sounds and letters
•Building vocabulary and comprehension skills using quality children’s books
•Giving children lots of practice in reading, spelling and writing activities
There are two skills involved in reading:
1.The ability to “lift the words off the page” (decode)
2.The ability to understand (comprehension)
•Being able to “lift the words off the page” requires children to understand the relationships between sounds and letters (the alphabetic code)
•Being able to comprehend requires children to understand the meanings of words and how words work together
•Reading is a complex skill that takes years to master.
Its that time of year again:
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:
· access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
· a modern user-friendly interface
· rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
· the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 6 September 2024.
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge or register here: https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home
Kind regards
Megan Barber