Learning and Teaching
Literacy Pro
This year the students will continue using Literacy Pro. Literacy Pro is a program designed to help students improve their reading by providing Powerful Reading Opportunities. This program helps to link students to books that are at the right reading level for them.
This is done by allocating a readability level or Lexile to fiction and non-fiction books. The system then measures each student’s reading ability using a fast, adaptive online test and generates a Lexile level for the student. Using this level as a guide the student can select books that have a similar Lexile to his or her own level ensuring they have success engaging with the text. On completion of the book student sit an online quiz that gives valuable feedback on how well students have read the book.
Information gathered from the student’s quiz performance and book selection are used to generate a wide variety of reports that can be used by teachers, parents and students to set goals, identify areas for instruction, improvement and acknowledge good performance.
Daily 5 and CAFE Reading
Daily Five and CAFE Reading will continue as the Reading program used for P-6. Daily 5 is a way of structuring the reading block so every student is independently engaged in meaningful literacy tasks.
During literacy time in our classrooms, teachers will use the Daily 5 structure. At the beginning, this structure is put into place helping teach children to be independent on literacy tasks. Once students are taught the behaviours of the tasks and build their stamina for independence, teachers will be able to work with individuals and small groups. We also use CAFE, which is a visual aid for organising the reading strategies your children will be learning to read books at their own level.
Children will be taught to select “Good Fit Books”; books they can read, understand and are interested in, which they will read during Daily 5. They will be spending most of their time actually reading, which research supports as the number one way to improve reading.
Once children are taught to build their stamina they will be engaged each day in these research-based meaningful tasks:
- Read to self
- Work on writing
- Word Work
- Listen to reading
- Read to Someone
While the students are engaged in their literacy choices, teachers will be teaching small groups and individuals, so everyone can get the just-in-time instruction they need to reach their full literacy potential.
CAFE is the organisation of the reading strategies taught during the Daily 5 time. CAFE is the acronym for the four major components of reading:
- C for Comprehension
- A for Accuracy
- F for Fluency
- E for Expanding Vocabulary
Children will learn reading strategies within each category. These strategies will become tools they learn and apply to help them become better readers and writers.
For more information about Literacy Pro and Daily 5 contact Laura Cox (English Leader) lcox@gsmelbournesth.catholic.edu.au
Reading and Maths Blocks
As published in a newsletter late last year, we will have some additional teachers in designated year levels for Reading and Mathematics. We are aiming to increase the learning growth of our students. We will be setting more consistent Maths and English Blocks for P-6 classes. Other aspects of learning (i.e. Student Wellbeing, Musical Instruments, Incursions) are also important for the development of each child but more efforts will be made to have these activities outside of English & Maths. This new initiative is possible due to the extra funding we have attracted with three Prep classes this year.
The following staff will be working in:
Reading: Mrs Grillo (Yr 1&2), Mrs Gerecke (Yr 5&6 in Semester 1 and Prep in Semester 2)
Maths: Mrs Ferris (Year 3&4), Mrs Burns (Prep, Yr1&2, Yr 5&6 in Semester 2)