Literacy 

As part of our whole school Spelling Scope and Sequence, our P-2 teachers have been involved in working on Phonological Awareness, one of the ‘Big Six’ aspects of a successful literacy program. Through our involvement in the Speechies in Schools Program (SPIS), we have worked to build teacher knowledge and skills and develop a consistent approach to assessing learning and providing timely intervention. We currently run a one-on-one program for students who require extra tuition in this area of Literacy and we continue to monitor their growth.

We have developed our own Writers’ Web, which outlines the cyclical process that students need to undertake to get their writing from draft to publication. This also incorporates the ‘Six Plus One Writing Traits’ which will become our next major focus in improving student writing.

Our senior grade teachers have introduced students to Literature Circles; a small group instructional approach that supports the development of comprehension, independence and reading enjoyment. Students work from defined roles and discuss a piece of literature in depth, guided by their responses to the text. This gives them the opportunity to talk about books with their peers, build community, learn critical speaking and listening behaviours and deepen their enjoyment and understanding of a text.