Literacy

Literacy

Literacy is all about understanding and using language to communicate, think, and learn. In the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, English is divided into three areas:

● Language: Learning the basics of communication, like words, grammar, and sounds. This helps students understand how language works so they can speak, read, and write clearly.
● Literature: Exploring stories, poems, and plays to understand themes and emotions. This area helps students appreciate different texts.
● Literacy: Applying reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in everyday situations. This includes reading for meaning and writing for different audiences.

Together, these areas help students become confident communicators and thoughtful readers and writers.

At Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, we use the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 alongside our whole school priorities to develop high quality units of work in reading and writing. These units cover all areas of literacy, ensuring that as students progress through their school journey, every aspect of the curriculum is addressed.

In our reading and writing lessons, students explore a wide variety of genres, including both fiction and non-fiction texts. This approach helps students develop a rich understanding of different text types and builds their ability to understand and create a range of writing styles.

Our structured approach to teaching phonics in Foundation to Year 2 builds strong reading and spelling skills. Students learn to break down words into their sounds, blend these sounds, so that they may read accurately. We use decodable texts, which are specially designed books containing only the letters and sounds students have learned so far. This ensures that children can practise reading with success and confidence, applying their new sound patterns as they go. For spelling, students reinforce their understanding by saying sounds aloud as they write, supporting accurate and confident spelling.

In Years 3 to 6, we build on these foundational skills with a focus on etymology (the study of word origins) and morphology (understanding the structure of words). Students engage in activities that explore word families, prefixes, suffixes, and root words, helping them understand how words are constructed and related. For instance, students might learn how adding “un-” changes a word’s meaning (tidy vs untidy) or how “-tion” turns a verb into a noun (inform vs information). We also introduce spelling patterns and rules, such as when to double a consonant before adding a suffix or how “i before e” works. This approach allows students to apply their understanding in their reading and writing, creating a strong foundation for literacy across all areas.

At Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, small group instruction is a core part of our approach to teaching. It takes place four to five times a week in every classroom, allowing teachers to provide targeted and individualised support that meets each student’s specific needs. This small group setting is an excellent way to build key reading and writing skills across all year levels, from Foundation to Year 6.

For Foundation to Year 2, small group reading sessions focus on phonics and early reading skills, helping students to understand the relationship between sounds and letters so they can read and spell words accurately. For Years 3 to 6, the focus shifts to more advanced skills, including comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Small groups allow teachers to guide students through texts that challenge their understanding, supporting them in learning strategies that they can use on their own.

During Writing lessons, teachers from Foundation to Year 6 use small group instruction to reteach a concept that students may find challenging. Small group instruction in Writing may vary in length as the main goal of the teacher is to support all students with skills necessary for independent writing.