Literacy

OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH
The development of literacy skills is a major focus in Year One. Confidence with oral and written language will occur through a variety of activities, including: //discussions//, //reports//, //poetry readings, dramatisations// and //the study of various genres.//

Early Years of Literacy
This year, the children will continue with our literacy program called Early Years of Literacy. The program involves a daily two hour literacy session incorporating reading, writing, listening and speaking activities. Children work in teaching groups under the direction of the classroom teacher and also work independently on reading and writing activities which meet their individual needs. Each child will be working independently and sharing their skills with the teacher and fellow class members through group work. Reading Teachers provide structured sessions where explicit teaching of reading skills are taught. These reading experiences develop positive attitudes where risk taking is seen as a natural part of the learning process. Students read with the teacher, to the teacher and individually. Books and related activities are carefully selected to suit various developmental stages of learning.

Parent helpers are required to participate in our Reading Clinics. This involves sitting with a small group of children and assisting them with learning to read a new text. It is a daily 20-30 minute session. Writing Within the classroom, writing is used to represent ideas, communicate thoughts and to create meaning with our words for a particular purpose. Students are made aware of the value of writing as a process. // Students will learn how to: // · respond to, and write texts that convey ideas · plan, compose, record, revise and publish their work · develop the ability to hear and record sounds in words Speaking and Listening As the year progresses, your child will be encouraged to enhance their speaking and listening skills through a variety of activities. // Some examples include // : · listening to and repeating instructions · speaking in front of the class · participating in and listening to Show and Tell and listening to a variety of stories, poems, chants and songs · children will establish both listening and speaking courtesies Wordstudy Wordstudy is the link between reading and writing. It involves extending the vocabulary and providing the child with independence to work out new words and to write words correctly. The children will work with words that appear regularly in their writing, as well as words using a phonetic base. Parents will be asked to help children at home so that good results can be achieved. All children have a copy of the Salisbury Word List in their reading satchels to revise and develop word recognition.

Handwriting Being able to write in a legible style is very important. The children will be working with all the letters of the alphabet and concentrating on the __correct //formation//, //size// and //position//__ within the dotted thirds.