Learning & Teaching

Australian Maths Competition 

Congratulations to the 20 Grade 3-6 students who participated in the Australian Maths Competition this week. Results will be made available later in the year. 

3 Way Conversations 

A big thank you to everyone who attended the 3 Way Conversations over the past 2 weeks. It's big commitment for teachers and provides very valuable information in setting up learning goals for students for the remainder of the year. 

If you were unable to make a time to see your child’s teacher to discuss the Semester 1 report, please make contact them to make a time. 

Reading 

How you can help your child to read 

When we read, whether we are reading for enjoyment or for information, we aim to understand, to make meaning from what we read. 

To be able to understand or comprehend a text, as we read, we apply different knowledge. Readers bring together their knowledge of: 

books and the world 

the way words are used in a sentence to sound grammatically ‘correct’ 

words recognised automatically, by ‘sight’ 

the letters of the alphabet and the sounds each letter and groups of letters represent. 

Read with your child 

With all books, encourage your child to 'sound out' unfamiliar words and then blend the sounds together from left to right, rather than looking at the pictures to guess the meaning. When your child reads an unfamiliar word you can talk about what it means and help them to follow the story. 

Try to make time to read with your child every day. Grandparents and older brothers or sisters can help too. Once your child has learnt individual letter sounds, encourage your child to blend the sounds all the way through a word. Word games like 'I spy' can also be an enjoyable way of teaching children about sounds and letters. You can also encourage your child to read words from your shopping list, or road signs, to practise phonics. 

More information can be found by following this link - https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/phonics-a-guide-for-families/ 

Gr 1 Phonics Check 

• The Phonics check assists teachers in better understanding your child’s phonic knowledge. 
• The Check looks at how well your child can 'decode' written words. 
• The Phonics Check helps your child's teacher and the school to confirm whether your child is making their expected progress in reading. Teachers and schools can then use this information to inform their teaching program. 

More information can be found by following this link - https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/what-is-the-year-1-phonics-check/