Prep Report

iPad Writing 

The Prep students have been very enthusiastic about utilising the iPads for learning this term. They have been exploring the functions of a keyboard through interactive games and various Apps such as Notes and Seesaw. Students have had opportunities to create journal entries on Seesaw by copying simple sentences from the board using the keyboards on the iPads. They then enjoyed decorating their post using the drawing tools and features available on the App. 

Colourful Semantic Writing

During writing sessions, the Prep students have been introduced to ‘Colourful Semantics’. Colourful Semantics is a teaching approach that aims to teach children how to build and understand sentence structures. It supports all children in the development of their speaking and listening skills, and early reading and writing development. It can be an effective way of supporting children with English as an additional language to become more familiar with English sentence structure. Using colourful semantics is a great way to make our teaching inclusive, as it supports the needs of a wide range of students.

How does Colourful Semantics Work?

Colourful Semantics teaches children about the different parts of a sentence by giving each one a colour associated with a question prompt. The Prep students have been introduced to the following question prompts and colours:

Who? - Orange 

What doing? - Yellow

What? Green

Where? Blue

After multiple exposures using Colourful Semantics during writing sessions, data was collected to create four explicit writing groups in each class. The Prep teachers use this group differentiation in their teaching and learning programs to ensure all students, regardless of their starting point, can learn and grow.

Please scroll through the photos to see students using Colourful Semantics in their writing. 

Word Wall

This semester, the Prep students have been learning a new high frequency word in each reading lesson. Each lesson we unpack a new word and learn all about it - how many letters and sounds it has, how many consonants and vowels it has, what the word rhymes with, how many syllables it has and how to use it in a sentence. We have built a very big wall so far, and we look forward to adding more to our word pack!

Fine Motor Activities

The Prep students have been working to build their fine motor skills through activities such as threading, pattern drawing, letter and number tracing, play-doh modelling and pencil grip practice. All these activities focus on strengthening the muscles in their hands and fingers while utilising their visual motor skills to help develop their hand eye coordination. During their fine motor writing sessions, students use buttons, play doh and pom poms to make letters and patterns, practice using their letter and sound knowledge to write CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words, and trace different patterns, letters and pictures. 

Buddies

We have continued to use the iPads with our 5/6 Buddies as we work together to solve problems, type messages and interpret them. We love working with our buddies. 

Kids' Voice

We learn words and put them on the wall, like I, to and Mum.

  -Ecrin, Prep A

We read emojis with our buddies.

-Ryker, Prep A

We use our word wall to remember words to study. It makes us brilliant.

-Ayesha, Prep B

Colourful semantics means orange makes us write who and yellow makes us write what they're doing.

-Riaan, Prep B

We learn the words from the word wall, like not and of.

-Reej, Prep C

I put Rosie next to the lake on the ipad.

-Zainab, Prep D

We use colourful semantics for who, what doing and what are you doing?

-Aydin, Prep D

I drew a picture of me playing soccer on the ipads and I wrote 'I love learning'.

-Abdulahi, Prep E

Colourful semantics gives us characters to help us write.

-Ila, Prep E

Our word wall helps us learn new words like the, is and not.

-Thomas, Prep F

I like playing with my buddy outside.

-Ashlyn, Prep F

Our word wall helps us remember words, and if we forget them we can go and check them.

-Avneet, Prep G

When we write, colourful semantics helps us write.

Omran, Prep 

Important Reminder

Awards & Acknowledgments

                Be KIND                                    Be CURIOUS                               Be BRILLIANT 

August 3: Ali Prep D

August 6: Nihira Prep B

August 6: Zaylan Prep D

August 9: Gurfateh Prep D

August 12: Pranav Prep D

August 13: Sophie Prep G

August 16: Virrat Prep A

August 16: Verraj Prep A

August 21: Gabriella Prep B

August 29: Khadija Prep B

September 4: Isaac Prep B

September 5: Tegan Prep D

September 14: Carmen Prep G Teacher 

September 21: Ecrin Prep A

September 21: Reana Prep D

September 30: Jagrat Prep G