Literacy

Literacy in 2023!

Across St James we have had a wonderful start to our literacy journey this year. As part of our two weeks of getting ready to learn, class teachers have established expectations for their reading and writing sessions.

Literacy at St James

At St James, we empower students to think critically and communicate confidently.

We dedicate the first 2 hours of the day to Literacy, through a consistent, whole-part-whole approach. During this time, Literacy skills are explicitly taught and modelled through the language modes of Speaking and Listening, Reading and Viewing, and Writing, which also includes Spelling, Handwriting, Grammar, and Punctuation. Students have opportunities to learn during whole class, in small groups and 1:1 situations.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING

St James places the utmost importance on the development of students’ oral language skills and recognises these as fundamental building blocks for future success in literacy.

READING AND VIEWING

Students are provided with opportunities to be immersed in a wide range of texts, to develop a love for reading. They are empowered to participate in rich, robust discussions about the texts they read, to continually enhance their own understanding.

WRITING

During writing time, students create texts to inform, entertain and persuade. Teachers endeavour to provide timely, specific feedback to enable students to move forward, at their point of need. From Prep to Year 6, we use the SMART Spelling approach, which incorporates a structured, sequential scope and sequence from F-6 for the explicit teaching of letter-sound relationships.

ASSESSMENT AND DIFFERENTIATION

At St James, we carefully monitor student literacy achievement and growth across all levels. This enables us to adjust teaching and learning experiences accordingly to cater to the needs of all students. Where necessary, teachers and Learning Support Officers use specially designed, evidence-based intervention programs to scaffold and consolidate, as well as extend and challenge understandings in literacy.

LITERACY INTERVENTION / ENRICHMENT

We use the following Literacy Interventions at St James:

MiniLit
MacqLit
Group Reading and Re-reading Easy Texts Daily (GRREaD) and Tutor Reading

We also provide boutique intervention to meet the needs of students with a learning difficulty or a learning disability, which is delivered and supported by leaders, teachers and learning support officers.

Start the New Year Off Right: Resolve to Raise a Reader!

Many New Year’s resolutions focus on developing healthy habits. Here’s one that is important to make and keep: provide a regular diet of books and reading for your learner.

As we feed, care and look after our children every day so that they will grow into a healthy, happy learners. Similarly, we also need to provide experiences that will enhance language development and stimulate learning skills.

Here are some suggestions for helping foster a love of reading:

Read every day A daily reading routine will give all the readers in your family a chance to read with your preschooler. Dads, mums, siblings, caregivers, and friends can all be a part of ensuring your preschooler gets 20 minutes of being read to each day.

Have Fun!

Do things, and then talk about it It’s great to offer new experiences to your learner, such as day trips and weekends away, but a trip to the grocery store or a local park can be just as educational. Talk about what you are seeing and ask your leaner what they thinks of it. When possible, use interesting words to describe what you’re seeing.

Read everywhere you go

You can find reading on the road, at the bus stop, in the supermarket, and at a restaurant. Play a game to find words when you are out and about or take a look at home for words on everyday items like cereal boxes, toothpaste, and household appliances.

Be a reading role model Have plenty of reading material for yourself as well as for your child. Share your love of reading with your learner.

Antoinette Ferrari and Mandi Joplin

Literacy Leaders