LEARNING & CURRICULUM
English
English
At Boyare Primary School, English learning targets development of confident communicators and successful learners. We are committed to using a consistent, evidence informed and systematic approach in literacy education to ensure all students succeed at school and beyond.
We prioritise providing a two-hour literacy block including daily reviews, explicit teaching and small group differentiated instruction. Our whole school programs align with the extensive research into the Science of Reading and include PLD synthetic phonics and Talk for Writing.
Boyare Primary School recognises the need to provide supplementary small group explicit teaching for students at risk of non-achievement and students requiring extension in literacy. We use rigorous student performance data to select students to participate in the MiniLit intervention program and inform all targeted instruction for Literacy Legends extension groups.
Our motto ‘Learning Together’ captures the community focus of our school. We are committed to building strong and positive partnerships with parents and local community.
• A whole school approach to synthetic phonics. We use PLD because it is an innovative, evidence-based approach to literacy. PLD advocates that children’s’ literacy and learning outcomes are maximized when the areas of Literacy, oral language and movement and motor skills are simultaneously targeted.
• A whole school approach to developing oral language and writing skills. Talk for Writing is an engaging teaching framework developed by Pie Corbett, supported by Julia Strong. The talk for writing approach enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects. A key feature is that children internalise the language structures needed to write through ‘talking the text’, as well as close reading.
• It is important children develop effective writing skills including letter formation and pencil grip as they embark on writing letters and words, that will continue throughout their lives. From Pre-primary onwards, it is critical that letter formations are explicitly taught. Students need regular opportunities to practise handwriting and receive feedback on their progress. The writing font we use is New South Wales Foundation font.
• Boyare Primary School recognises the need to provide supplementary small group explicit teaching for students at risk of non-achievement in literacy. We use rigorous student performance data to select students to participate in the intervention program and inform all targeted instruction.
• We consistently promote literacy throughout the school and celebrate student achievements with our fortnightly literacy awards and annual literacy week including a spelling bee, speaking competition and book week parade.