What's On In 1/2
National Simultaneous Story Time
On Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 12.00 pm, millions of children from all around Australia came together to read Luna Roo at the same time. Together, we celebrated the joy of reading, storytelling and connection. The story follows the kangaroo Luna and her friends as they chase their football dreams across the outback. The story contains action, teamwork and fun!
Our students were captivated by this story and were fixated as they listened to the authors bring the story of Luna to life! They also completed some follow up tasks such as recreating the story as a comic strip and discussed any connections that they had with the characters or storyline. As we are exploring the setting and characters of narratives at the moment, children also worked collaboratively to build the setting and characters using materials found in the classroom. They were very proud of their teamwork and finished result!
Reading in 1/2
At Whitehorse we really want to create students who ‘choose to read, instead of ‘having to read’. Reading in 1/2 happens daily and is presented to children in many forms. You may have noticed children reading with a partner after unpacking for the day. Reading to others is a great way to practise fluency, volume and expression. Also, by re-reading books, it builds success and confidence!
Shared reading is when we read together. The teacher's job is to ‘think aloud’ and model all of the strategies that we do whilst we read. By talking about our strategies, children are more likely to use these when reading with independence.
The final piece in our reading puzzle is daily Independent Reading! In order for children to put into play their reading skills and strategies, they need time to practise. Children have a range of texts in their individualised book boxes, both teacher and student chosen. These include good fit books for now, and browsing books based on interests. During this time, teachers conference 1-1 with students to create reading goals and check in.
Of course, reading at home is greatly valued. Thank you to all the parents who make time each day to support your child’s reading. It is certainly a team effort!
