Our Learning Story

Learning Routines

Beginning the school year with a strong focus on forming learning routines, provides our students with the skills they need to be independent in the classroom. Over the past four weeks, all of our Learning Communities have focused on developing independence in learning through structured routines.  Whilst this may seem a simple task, it actually requires our students to solve problems independently, source materials that will assist their learning and organise their spaces to allow for a calm and productive working environment. 

Our teachers have surrounded the learning environments with visual supports that include posters of steps required in certain routines to encourage student independence and problem-solving skills. Our teachers facilitate the development of these routines by explicitly teaching the steps involved, practising a walk-through of the routine and providing feedback to students on how their progress.

Reading Routines

Independent reading routines are building across our school throughout this term. This will look slightly different across each year level, although the skills involved remain the same; organisation, independence, self-monitoring and regulation. Each learning community is equipped with a classroom library where students are able to select books of interest for their independent reading. These books are stored in a black tote bag that is accessible at all times for students to independently read at any chance they can.  

During reading sessions throughout the week, all students will attend a small group, targeted and explicit reading session with their teacher where they work on their next point of learning in literacy. During this time, students who are not in the explicit group are expected to function without teacher support and are required to use their classroom environment to assist, e.g. asking a peer or referring to a poster. Developing this skill is not easy, as students in a classroom often look to their teacher as their first solution. However, we aim to empower our students by equipping them with the skill to function as independent learners. 

We are in the very early stages of this training, especially for our Prep and Junior Learning Communities, although 2022 taught us developing these skills early in the year allows learners to thrive in their environment.

Home Reading Routines

Home reading is due to start in the coming weeks, which will provide students and families with the opportunity to read a school text from home to develop reading skills. Our school firmly believes that developing a home reading routine where students participate in some form of reading each night will assist children to consolidate their learning from school. 

Home reading expectations differ slightly across the school, depending on the learning community, however as a school-wide approach, we encourage reading practise and reading for enjoyment every day. 

Outlined are the recommended reading routines, with more information to be provided via Compass.

Prep/Junior Learning Communities:

-Every child must have a 'Wollert Primary School' take-home reading bag which contains their yellow reading diary. 

-Teachers will assist each child to pick an appropriate text to take home each night for reading practise. 

-Parents/guardians will need to support home reading by listening to their child/children read. 

-Parents/guardians can use our prompt guide to ask some questions before, during and after reading. These questions assist students to think about what they are reading and reinforce comprehension skills taught at school.

-Children should also be provided with the opportunity to have stories read to them throughout the week. These books may be favourites from home or from the library.

-Students must bring their take-home reading bag to and from school each day.

Middle/Senior Learning Communities:

-Every child must have a 'Wollert Primary School' take-home reading bag which contains your child's reading log.

-Teachers and students will develop a reading goal which will be outlined on your child's reading log. This goal is what your child is aiming to achieve through the take-home reading program.

-Students will select an appropriate text from the classroom library.

-Students read silently or aloud (depending on their reading goal) each night and record on their reading log.

-Parents/guardians to check in with students on their goals and the progress made towards achieving them. 

-Some children will still benefit from having books read aloud to them by an adult or sibling. 

-Some children would benefit from reading the take-home text or favourite storybook aloud.