Special Literacy programs
Welcome to Catherine McAuley ~ Literacy
Guided
As part of our daily class Literacy block, teachers use Guided Reading to teach reading strategies to develop students to become independent readers.
Teachers work with a small group of students using the same text. Students are grouped based on their individual needs and students with similar needs are supported based on strategies that the teacher has assessed them as needing to develop.
Guided
Literacy Block
Teachers at Catherine McAuley develop literacy skills through a daily Literacy block.
Classes begin with a shared text and explicitly teach students the focus for the lesson. Students then move into small groups where each child’s learning is extended through meaningful small group sessions to extend and practice the skills they are developing.
During this time teachers have the opportunity to work with small groups.
The class then comes together as a group to explore and share what they have been learning.
The next part of the Literacy block has the whole class working on writing. Students work together to co-construct a text.
This text is then developed and explored through the week, through a variety of meaningful teaching experiences including punctuation and grammar, developing the sentences, story sequencing and extending.
The students then work in small groups developing these skills.
Learning during the Literacy Block is meaningful and relevant.
Students are learning the skills they need to become iindependent readers and writers within a context.
Reading Rocketeers involves a small group reading and writing support with an ESO or with the class teacher. The rocketeer group practice reading, letter and word work and writing.
Bridges is a 1:1 reading and writing support with a trained ESO developing reading and writing and developing a confidence and enjoyment in reading.
Reading Recovery
Reading Recovery is an early intervention program to support a child’s acceleration in reading and writing.
We offer this program to Year 1 students who have been identified by their class teacher and through diagnostic testing.
Rainbow Reading
We use Rainbow Reading to support year 4-7 students who need to develop their reading and understanding skills.
Rainbow Reading involves students listening to a story three times a week until they have developed the confidence to read the story independently. When the student is confident to read the story they are tested through the use of a running record, a closed activity, a comprehension activity and a sequencing activity.
These tests occur at with each story the students read.
The students are developing an understanding of reading for meaning and understanding.
Jolly Phonics – Our school uses the Jolly Phonics program in our Junior Primary classrooms to support Litearcy. This program is integrated into meaningful experiences as a strategy for students to use.
Speech Pathologist – We have a Speech Pathologist working in our Junior Primary classrooms to develop language and Litearcy skills.
Oral language – We support oral language development in students through play programs and social skills programs.
Big books – Teachers use shared texts as a focus for lessons. Big books are used as a familiar text where students use and reread the text to develop enjoyment, skills and fluency. Teachers model reading engaging with the text and describing the skills they are using to problem solve.
Interactive Whiteboards- We use these to deliver an exciting Literacy program across all classes. Our students love manipulating and using interactive resources.
Listening posts – Teachers have listening posts which are used during Literacy blocks to allow the students the opportunity to listen to good story telling. Through listening to the voice using phrasing, fluency and expression students are able to then practice sounding like a good reader.