English News

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At St Francis Xavier, we are committed to building strong literacy foundations for all our students. One of the most critical early reading skills is decoding—the ability to recognise and sound out words accurately. As part of our school’s literacy program, we use InitiaLit from Macquarie University, a research-based approach that focuses on essential literacy skills, including decoding.

Here are a few practical ways to enhance decoding skills at home:

1. Practise Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness: The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words is key to decoding. You can help by practising with your child:

• Sound identification: Ask your child to identify the first, middle, or last sound in a word. For example, “What’s the first sound in ‘sun’?”
• Blending sounds: Break words into individual sounds and have your child blend them together. For instance, say /c/ /a/ /t/ and ask them to blend the sounds into "cat."

2. Use Decodable Texts

Decodable texts are a fantastic tool for reinforcing decoding skills. These books contain words that follow phonetic patterns your child has learned. Sit with your child and read these books together, encouraging them to sound out unfamiliar words.

3. Segmenting Words

Segmenting is breaking a word into its individual sounds. For example, in the word "ship," there are three sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/. Practising this skill helps children understand how words are constructed, making decoding easier.

4. Regular Word and Sound Practice

At home, use word lists and sounds that align with what is taught in InitiaLit. Short, daily practice sessions can strengthen your child’s recognition of letter-sound patterns and improve their decoding ability.

God Bless,

Nick Criniti

Coordinator