Literacy teaching at PHPS includes
- differentiate instruction according to student need
- the use a range of dynamic student groupings ensuring appropriate level of teacher support:
- whole class
- flexible small group
- independent activity
PHPS uses a balanced approach to teaching literacy, drawing on a range of literacy theories, including: –
- Language Experience – illustrates the powerful relationship between spoken language, written language and reading in English.
- Reading to – involves the whole class listening to a text read aloud by the teacher. The teacher models skilled reading behaviour, enjoyment and interest in a range of different styles of writing and types of text
- Shared reading –involves teacher and students working together using an enlarged text. The text can be used to demonstrate the reading process to students or to demonstrate how texts work
- Guided reading –involves the teacher guiding students as they read, talk and think their way through a text
- Independent reading –involves students selecting and reading texts of interest
- Modelled writing –involves the teacher writing and making explicit the considerations and thinking behind a piece of text as well as articulating the process
- Shared writing–involves the teacher and students collaboratively composing a piece of writing.
- Guided writing –involves the teacher guiding a small group of students as they create their own individual texts. The teacher guides, extends students’ thinking and responds to questions.
- Independent writing–roving conferences involves a student using his or her knowledge of the writing process to compose texts, the teacher observing the student, identifying teaching points and providing a model for the students about questions to consider as they work on texts independently
- Spelling investigations – phonemes, phonics, blends, word families, morphemes, diagraphs, syllables, etymology (spelling journal)
- Home Learning – reader’s notebooks, children select independently books from the library either from the coloured tubs or the main library. The teacher guides students in their selection process but ultimately students decide for themselves.