Teaching and Learning

At Concord we teach Reading and Viewing from the Victorian Curriculum, which involves students understanding, interpreting, analysing, reflection upon and enjoying written and visual print and non-print texts. It encompasses reading and viewing a wide range of texts and media. Reading includes so much more than just printed texts.

Creating a Literacy-Rich Home

Creating a literacy-rich home gives your child every opportunity to engage in reading, writing, speaking and listening. This kind of environment encourages your child to see these skills as an important and normal part of every day.

Here are some tips to create a literate home:

Books. Lots of books. With lots of books your child will see reading as a normal activity and will always have something new to read.
Create a language-rich bedroom and home for your child, with alphabet and word posters, and labels.
Organise a bookshelf to display your child’s books.
Create a comfortable space for your child to read, perhaps with cushions and blankets, to encourage your child to see reading as a relaxing and fun activity.
Collect props for imaginative play, and materials for craft projects. These can form the basis for practising speaking and writing.
Set aside a time each week for ‘family reading/listening time’ when every family member is reading, either individually or together.
Regularly discuss what your child is reading or writing.
One of the most important ways to get your child reading is to model reading for your child. Children are encouraged to read – and to see reading as a normal part of the day – if they see their parents/carers reading often. Siblings, grandparents, and other relevant persons in a child’s life can also be reading role models.

At Concord we aim to create literacy-rich classrooms, we do this by having word walls, learning displays and a variety of print and non-print text. To continue to build our literacy resources further, we have subscribed to an ePlatform through Wheelers where students have access to audiobooks and ebooks such as; Harry Potter, Wonder, Roald Dahl collections along with many classic and new release titles.

During our explicit teaching, students are exposed to word solving strategies to assist them with decoding print. By having audiobooks it creates opportunities for students to access reading material that is enjoyable and engaging whilst minimising decoding demands, audiobooks are also a valuable learning tool to develop oral comprehension.

If you would like your child’s login to listen to an audiobook at home please contact myself flora.nixon@education.vic.gov.au or your classroom teacher.

Enjoy the photos from 12C using their laptops and new headphones to engage in some rich literature.

Flora Nixon

Assistant Principal

Teaching and Learning