InitiaLit

This year we will continue to be using a systematic synthetic approach to phonics. This will be achieved using our InitiaLit program, which students will be familiar with from last year.

InitiaLit is an evidence-based whole-class literacy program providing all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit is a three-year program, covering the first three years of school (Foundation to Year 2)

For Level 1 students, there will be time to review sounds and tricky words taught in Term 1 at the beginning of this term. We want to reiterate how important it is that students are practising their tricky words and readers at home to consolidate our lessons.

The new concepts being covered this term are:

Spelling concepts covered:

ow - cow & ou - cloud
suffix 'ed'
aw - claw & au - autumn
doubling rule: FloSS
'ck' rule
_y - puppy
_ey - key
suffix 'y' - adjectives (bossy, dirty, cloudy etc)
oy - boy & oi - coin
suffix 'ly' - adverbs (slowly, quickly, quietly etc)
contractions (do not - don't)
ear - dear & eer - cheer
reviewing

Tricky words introduced:

fast
last
I'm
about
ask
our
kind
find
thought
only
great
their
didn't
can't
don't
shouldn't
wouldn't
couldn't

For Level 2 students this term, the introduction of new sounds, suffixes and new tricky words will take place. Students will also have a weekly spelling sessions to practise misspelled words. These tricky words were also sent home (as in Term 2) with each student, with their misspelled words highlighted.

We want to reiterate how important it is that students are practising these tricky words and their readers at home, at least 5 days a week, to consolidate our lessons.

Spelling concepts covered:

Compound words
Prefix – re
Soft ‘c’ (ce, ci, cy)
Silent letters – k, b, w
Spelling rule – k or c
Contractions
Consonant plus ‘le’ (candle)
Consonant plus ‘le’ (bubble)
Consonant plus ‘le’ (table)
Suffix – es (nouns)
Suffix – es (verbs)
Morphographs review
dge/ge

Tricky words introduced:

minutes
remember
decided
together
though
around
favourite
interesting

Comprehension strategies covered:

Inferring
Finding the Main Idea
Summarising

Writing

Our writing program will continue to use mentor texts over a series of 10 lessons to teach fundamental writing skills such as handwriting, spelling, text type, language orientation, grammar, pattern writing and author's purpose.

Mentor texts are pieces of text we can hold up as examples of good writing. A mentor text could be a single sentence or an entire book. It could be something written by the teacher, a student, a published author or someone else entirely. This term, the children will be immersed in texts that cover the narrative, persuasive and informative genres.

Level 1 Mentor Texts for Term 3

Dingo
Migaloo
Circus Ship
Max

Level 2 Mentor Texts for Term 3

Boy
Lottie and Walter
Under the Southern Cross
Australia: Country of Colour

Important Dates

Note these dates in your dairies or calendars!