Literacy
Our Literacy program at St Thomas Primary Drysdale follows the Victorian Curriculum guidelines. It includes the following language modes: Reading and Viewing, Writing, Speaking and Listening. It includes the following strands: Language, Literature and Literacy.
We see Literacy learning as fundamental to each child’s progress. Therefore, St Thomas Primary has devoted many resources to literacy programs. We aim to improve literacy learning and student achievement across all years of schooling.
St Thomas Primary School monitors student literacy achievement and uses results to plan for student’s distinct learning needs. Where necessary, our school provides access to specially designed intervention programs to consolidate basic understandings in literacy.
All this learning is done in a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes and values the development of each student’s sense of achievement and enthusiasm for learning.
Heggerty (Lower Primary)
Heggerty provides students with instruction in phonological awareness, progressing to the phoneme level through language play activities. It covers all consonants, short vowels, digraphs, blends, and rime patterns, with hearing words with long vowels being introduced in the later weeks of this curriculum. https://heggerty.org/
Fountas & Pinnell (BAS)
The Benchmark Assessment Systems are accurate and reliable tools to identify the instructional and independent reading levels of all students and document student progress through one-on-one formative and summative assessments.
This cohesive, multi-text approach to literacy instruction is delivered from Foundation to Grade 6. Data collected from this assessment enables teachers to provide further learning opportunities and teacher instruction through guided reading. https://www.fountasandpinnell.com/
Soundwaves Spelling
Our current school spelling program is Sound Waves. Sound Waves Spelling follows a logical and thorough scope and sequence. The program is organised around the 43 phonemes (sounds) of Australian English and the graphemes (a letter or letter combination) used to represent them in written language. Instruction builds from Foundation to Year 6, starting with simple phoneme–grapheme relationships before exploring more complex relationships, morphology and etymology. https://www.fireflyeducation.com.au/series/soundwaves/features/
VCOP & Big Write
The ability to read and write and receive and communicate ideas verbally underpins all learning. Throughout the school, the children are involved in activities that help them to gain knowledge about how to improve their writing. As well as focusing on the writing features of different text types, they are encouraged to always focus on four core elements - Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation (VCOP) – to improve their writing. VCOP and Big Write are teaching approaches based on the research of Ros Wilson, an expert based in the UK. VCOP teaches children the skills to improve their own writing through self-assessment. There are mascots that represent each section of VCOP. V is for Vocabulary, C is for Connectives O is for Openers: P is for Punctuation. Big Write is a celebration of students’ learning, as students get the opportunity to showcase their author’s voice and use of VCOP skills by writing a piece of text inspired by a writing prompt. Prior to most Big Write sessions, ‘Talk Homework’ is sent home to allow the students opportunities to talk about their writing. Research has shown that if students can’t say it, they can’t write it.
Students at St Thomas Primary Drysdale are encouraged to read with regular visits to the Library as a component of their timetable in addition to lunchtime sessions for students who wish to read quietly. Building on a positive correlation for love of reading.
Apps like Reading eggs and Epic are also utilised to support independent reading and developing literacy skills.
