Reading
Our aim is to immerse students in quality literature and book experiences so that we can nurture a love of reading in our students and encourage lifelong readers. We do this by engaging our students in best Literacy teaching and learning practices and experiences.
At KDPS we teach reading through a systematic and explicit teaching process using the application of the Big 6 elements of reading instruction –
- Oral language
- Phonological awareness
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
- Fluency
- Reading
Koroit and District Primary School implements the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0.
Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0
Explicit teaching is an evidence-based approach to teaching that is designed to manage the cognitive load of students as they learn new content. It involves fully explaining and effectively demonstrating what students need to learn.
Explicit teaching also involves being clear about learning objectives, building on students’ existing knowledge, providing new knowledge in manageable ‘chunks’, scaffolding learning, modelling practice and providing clear feedback to students as they apply their new knowledge and practise new skills.
In practice, it includes implementing techniques such as:
- activating prior knowledge and ensuring that it is sound enough to build on
- stating clear learning objectives (informed by the curriculum)
- providing explicit explanations of new knowledge in manageable ‘chunks’
- using the “I do, we do, you do” technique, for example by:
- modelling new learning through worked examples
- scaffolding learning by providing opportunities for students to practise with timely corrective feedback
- providing opportunities for students to apply their new knowledge, practise new skills and deepen their understanding
- interacting with your students as they practise, providing prompts and additional scaffolds as required.
Writing
Students engage in the writing process through explicit, carefully sequenced instruction, building from sentences to compositions.
KDPS believes that students need
- explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early grades
- sentences are the building blocks of all writing.
- when embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.
- the content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.
- grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.
- The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising.
A range of strategies are embedded in our explicit teaching of writing including:
Modelled Writing is when the teacher shows students how to write a passage or writing and orally articulates the writing process as they are writing.
Interactive Writing is used to teach younger students how to write. The process involves the sharing of a pen between the teacher and students and taking turns writing words and sounds in words. This is a very supportive strategy for students beginning to write in foundation and grade 1.
Shared Writing is a strategy teachers use with students to co-construct a piece of writing. The teacher scribes as they engage their students by prompting what words/phrases could go next.
At KDPS we implement the Sounds Write process for explicitly teaching Spelling and handwriting, which also supports Reading skills. Each learning community up to grade 4 implements the Sounds-Write process to suit each stage of learning.
Sounds-Write is an evidence-based highly structured, synthetic, linguistic phonics program utilising an exciting and highly successful approach to the teaching of reading and spelling.
In grades 5 and 6 we teach morphology. Our job as teachers is to create an awareness of morphemes. This awareness will strengthen students’ word recognition and spelling. It will help students develop richer and deeper vocabularies and improve comprehension and writing.