LITERACY /

LEARNING & TEACHING 

Literacy Practise in the Holidays

It is very important that children continue to practise their oral language, reading and writing every single day over the break, so that they don’t forget the skills and strategies that they have learnt over the year. We find that short bursts of daily activities better prepares our students for their transition into the following year level, and relieves some stress and anxiety about their academic performance. 

We often get asked as a staff, what can I do to help my child be a better reader or writer. The answer is simple; practice for 15-20 minutes every single day. This is best done if your child is reading out loud to you. When children read aloud, they are able to practice their reading in a safe and supportive environment. Unfamiliar words that can’t be sounded out can easily be identified and learned. It also increases their fluency and expression, and allows you to engage in a conversation about the text which improves comprehension. 

Reading and speaking strongly supports improvement in writing. As children read and engage in conversation they build vocabulary, grammatical understanding and development of ideas. Below is a list of things to write about over the break. 

Things to write about: 

• Recount holiday experiences and the exciting things you do and see as a family.
• Stories (narratives) using creativity and imagination.
• Explanations about how to use things in your home, or why things work.
• Procedures about how to make things; you can even make those things together!
• Persuasive pieces convincing mum and dad to take to you places, or get you something you really want.
• Draw pictures to match writing, or even to plan writing before you begin.