Literacy

Ainslie Parklands Primary School follows the Science of Reading approach. This reading approach is backed by decades of research to improve the lifelong reading outcomes of all students. Though reading is a daily subject, proficiency in reading is vital for success in all areas of life.

Our structured synthetic phonics program focusses on the 5 Pillars of Literacy:

Phonemic Awareness: The ability to identify and manipulate the distinct individual sounds in spoken words
Phonics: The ability to decode words using knowledge of letter-sound relationships
Fluency: Reading accuracy with appropriate speed and prosody (reading with expression and phrasing).
Vocabulary: Knowing the meaning of a wide variety of words and the structure of written language.
Comprehension: Understanding the meaning and intent of the text.

Reading at home is an important strategy to support students as they learn to read. All students begin with decodable take home books that support the grapheme/phonemes they have already learned in the classroom. This ensures students will not encounter cognitive overload (too many things to remember or think about at once). It also means they don’t need to guess any words.

As students become more fluent and accurate in their reading, vocabulary and comprehension skills are extended. Students have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts from our well stocked library.

Writing

Our Writing approach includes explicit, direct instruction and follows the 6+1 Traits of Writing (Ruth Culham):

1. Ideas: Ideas make up the content of the piece of writing – the heart of the message.

2. Organisation: The internal structure of the piece, the thread of meaning and logical pattern of ideas.

3. Voice: The writer’s style, feelings, and convictions in their own words.

4. Word Choice: The use of rich, precise vocabulary to engage the audience.

5. Sentence Fluency: The flow of the writing, variation in sentence lengths and types.

6. Conventions: Applying correct grammar and punctuation.

+1. Presentation: The form and layout of the writing.

Our Writing instructional model follows the sequence of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. In line with the Victorian Curriculum, we engage in all genres including narrative, persuasive, poetry, information reports, letters and more! To enhance engagement in Writing, students have opportunities to write about topics of personal interest within these genres, as well as immersive writing sessions and Writer’s Notebook activities.