Our Learning Story

Routine is the Key!

Since the opening of our school, we have aimed to create effective learning routines that develop independent learners across all subject areas. All students from Prep to Senior Learning Communities have developed an independent reading routine which is implemented at various times of the day. All students are learning to understand the link between reading and thinking. Every time we read, we engage in active thinking as our brains are making connections, inferences, questioning, and summarising while trying to decode the words on the page to make meaning. 

Another crucial part of the routine is developing reading stamina; our Prep and Junior Learning Communities are learning to sustain attention by reading a book independently for a set amount of time, whereas our Middle to Senior Communities are learning to record their thinking using sticky notes as they are independently reading. Our independent reading books are often used as prompts or stimuli for reading activities or tasks, which assists student motivation and understanding in applying taught reading skills as they have selected their own text based on an interest or topic.

Reading at Home

The teaching of reading skills is done at school; therefore, our take-home reading program is about reinforcing taught skills, developing confidence, and building a love of reading. Teachers will monitor the books and digital texts students select from and adjust depending on personal learning needs. We encourage students to not only engage in books from school, but continue with reading favourite books from home or the local library. In addition, we would like to remind everyone that reading is not just isolated to books. 

Reading is everywhere! The list goes on from magazines, comics, signs, recipes, brochures, articles, nursery rhymes, digital texts, and catalogues. Try exposing your child/children to various materials in both English and your home language. 

Reading should be a joyful experience for families and children. There are many ways to assist your child in learning to and practising reading at home. 

We encourage you to read in the following three ways:

Reading to your child: Read any text from home or borrow it from the local library. Please encourage your child to select texts that interest them.

Reading with your child: Your child will either bring home a take-home book, or have access to a digital library or a novel every day. Listen to them read and ask them questions about what they have read. Use the Wollert PS reading at home bookmark, found in your child's home reading bag to assist with questioning after reading.

Reading independently: Encourage your child to attempt to read their take-home book, digital text or novel by themselves.

The Environment 

We encourage developing a daily routine where your child can focus on reading in a calm and quiet environment, without distractions, e.g. devices and television. For our students learning to read, we recommend reading with your child for 15 minutes at a time that suits your family. This may be done straight after school, before bed or before school. 

Digital Reading Platform

This year Wollert Primary School has engaged in a digital reading platform, Decodables Online, that aligns with the teaching of reading skills taught in the classroom. This program is predominately for students in the beginning phases of reading or learning English as an additional language. 

If you receive a login for the platform, please assist your child in reading the assigned books as they have been selected for your child's next point of learning. This approach will be a hybrid approach, meaning that your child will be expected to read digital books and still bring home levelled texts in their 'Take Home' reading bags (pictured below). 

If your child does not have a Wollert Primary School reading bag, we have tried to source an alternative to ensure our books are cared for. 

If the Decodable Online platform is not recommended for your child, although they enjoy reading digital texts, we can recommend the following websites which provide appropriate reading materials for primary-aged students.

We love donations!

We have been extremely fortunate to have many families donate their pre-loved books to our school. We accept books all year round, to ensure our Classroom Libraries stay well stocked and contain a variety of books to cater to our students' many interests. 

If you have any books to donate, please drop them off to Carol at the reception desk.