Literacy Beliefs and Practices
We believe that effective teaching and learning of Literacy is:
- Literacy learning happening through play and inquiry learning
- Literacy learning is meaningful, purposeful and relevant to children’s lives, interests and prior knowledge
- Family partnerships being integral to the learning of literacy
- Oral language is the foundation for all literacy skills - ‘reading and writing floats on a sea of talk’
- Differentiation of literacy learning for students
- Igniting a passion for reading and writing and literacy skills
- Explicitly and intentionally taught and we release responsibility and provide a sense of agency in students as they develop their independence and confidence.
In our school you will see:
- Teachers and children sharing quality literature, noticing what experts do
- Children having time to practise their literacy skills daily
- Children having both personal and directed choice in their reading and writing learning
- Children having time to write, a purpose to write, an audience to write for and a response to their writing
- Class libraries comprised of quality fiction and non-fiction books and resources selected by children and teachers for independent, shared and modelled literacy learning
- Visuals to build vocabulary and literacy skills
- Teachers planning reading and writing workshops ensuring elements of teacher modelling, mini-lessons, small group guided lessons, independent reading and writing, and conferencing
- Children conferencing daily with teachers, receiving targeted feedback aligned with each child’s reading and writing goals
- Explicit teaching of all aspects of oral language, reading and writing and spelling processes connected to purposeful reading and writing experiences
- Teachers documenting what they learn about students and using formative assessment strategies
- Teachers listening, asking questions and promoting higher order thinking to stimulate and extend children’s talk and thinking
- Children’s interests being reflected in the classroom
- Happy and engaged learners of literacy
So that…
- Children become confident, imaginative and critical thinkers, communicators, readers and writers.
- Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, confidence, creativity, persistence, inquiry and experimentation.
- Children develop a sense of agency and authorship to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interactions with others, entertain and persuade.