Reading

Over the past fortnight in Reading, our Foundation students have begun exploring the first collection of letters and sounds: m, s, t and a. We started with the beginning sound /m/, learning to hear it at the start of words and linking the sound /m/ to the letter ‘m’.

We are using the character “Maggie Mouse” who munches muffins to assist students to remember the name and sound of the letter ‘m’ and have the action where students rub their tummies saying the mmm sounds as if they have just munched on some muffins. Students practised identifying words that begin with /m/, sorting pictures, and listening carefully for the sound in spoken words.

We also focused on correct letter formation, learning how to accurately handwrite the letter ‘m’ using the correct starting point and formation - up, down, up, hop, hop, flick. This is also being reinforced and practiced in writing where we are practicing what we are learning in reading.

We then moved on to the letter ‘s’, following the same process of identifying the beginning sound /s/, connecting the sound to the letter name and shape, and practising handwriting. For the letter ‘s’ we have Sammy Seal who surfs and students make waves with their hands as the action attached to the letter. Students enjoyed thinking of words that begin with /s/ and listening for the sound in familiar words. This week, we have begun introducing the letter ‘t’, Tommy Tiger, with a strong focus on identifying the beginning sound /t/ in spoken words and building confidence in recognising it in different contexts.

In addition to our letter-sound learning, students have started practising oral blending and segmenting using three sounds to read simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. We have been stretching out words into individual sounds (for example, /m/-/a/-/t/) and then blending them back together to read the word. This important early reading skill is helping students understand how sounds work together to make words and is building a strong foundation for their future reading success.

Our Prep students have approached this learning with a growth mindset and an eagerness to learn. With the inclusion of fine motor skills development and further practice of listening and identifying sounds, they will continue to grow and progress.

Maths

Over the past two weeks in Maths, our Foundation students have been building their understanding of time and number in line with the Victorian Curriculum.

In Week 5, students explored the days of the week, learning that there are seven days that repeat in a continuous cycle. They practised identifying today, yesterday and tomorrow, and discussed the difference between weekdays and weekends. Students also developed their sequencing skills using time language such as first, next and last. They ordered familiar routines and retold events from nursery rhymes and stories, showing a growing understanding of logical sequence.

In Week 6, the focus shifted to number. Students practised counting forwards and backwards from 0–10 and connected counting to “how many.” They counted collections to five using one-to-one correspondence and represented numbers 0–5 on a five-frame. Students also explored the difference between a number and a numeral, practising writing numerals and matching them to quantities. Through hands-on activities and games, they built confidence in counting, representing and ordering numbers.

We are proud of the enthusiasm students have shown. You can support learning at home by practising counting forwards and backwards from 10, discussing the days of the week, and encouraging your child to retell events using sequencing words.

Writing

This fortnight in Prep, we have been so excited to begin practising our writing! Our main focus has been learning to write our names and developing the correct pencil grip.

Our main focus has been learning to write our names and developing the correct pencil grip. We have been explicitly practising how to hold our pencils using our special pencil grip song and the saying, “Pinch it, flip it, don’t forget to grip it!” Students first pinch the pencil near the tip, flip it back into their hand, and then grip it using their “writing fingers.” This helps us build good habits when we write, draw and colour, and supports neat and controlled letter formation. We practise this throughout the day so it becomes automatic.

Writing our names has also been an important part of our learning. We have been talking about how our names are special and unique to us, and that the letters in our names must always stay in the correct order. Students have been practising recognising their names, tracing over them, and beginning to independently write them. We are focusing on using lowercase letters for our names. The growth in confidence has already been wonderful to see!

This week, we will begin practising writing the letters we have been learning in reading. This helps students make strong connections between reading and writing. We will also be developing our understanding of where letters sit on the lines — making sure our letters are the correct size and placed carefully on the writing lines. Learning where letters “live” on the lines will help us build neat, clear handwriting over time.

We are so proud of the persistence, effort and positive attitudes our Prep students are showing as they begin their writing journey.

SEL

This fortnight, our Prep students have been learning about the importance of sharing by listening to a story from Aboriginal and Indigenous peoples. Through this story, students explored how sharing has always been an important value in communities, helping people care for one another and work together.

As part of our learning, students practised being respectful listeners. We focused on sitting calmly, keeping our eyes on the speaker and thinking about the message of the story. The children did a wonderful job listening carefully and reflecting on what sharing means.

We have been discussing that sharing is not just about toys, it can also mean sharing our time, our ideas, our space and our kindness. Students have been encouraged to talk about what sharing looks like in the classroom and in the playground. Many students were able to give thoughtful examples, such as taking turns on equipment, including others in games, sharing craft materials and helping a friend who needs support.

Through class discussions and activities, students are building their understanding that sharing helps everyone feel included, valued and respected. It has been lovely to see so many examples of children putting this learning into action throughout the school day.

We are very proud of the way our Prep students are developing their understanding of fairness, kindness and community.

Home Reading Diaries

Last week, students received their Term 1 Home Reading Diary.

During Term 1, our focus is on supporting students as they settle into school routines and classroom expectations. While this is an important adjustment period, we encourage students to engage in 10 minutes of reading each day, where possible. This may include your child reading independently, exploring and discussing pictures in a book, or listening to a parent or caregiver read aloud.

The Home Reading Diary contains a variety of activities that connect with our classroom learning. These activities are designed to support students with:

practising correct letter formation
recognising letter names and sounds
reading simple words

There are also pages for families to record the books their child reads or listens to each evening. These can be books you already have at home. In Term 2, students will begin borrowing books from the school library during our weekly library sessions to take home. If your child does not yet have a blue reader bag, please arrange for one to be brought to school as soon as possible.

Blue reader bags will be used for the remainder of the year and can be purchased from the school uniform shop. Each night, please return the Home Reading Diary to the blue reader bag so it can come back to school daily. Reading diaries will be checked by the classroom teacher once a week to monitor progress and celebrate students’ efforts. A new diary will be issued at the beginning of each term.

Thank you for your continued support in building strong reading habits at home.

Wellbeing