Literacy/English
English is central to the learning and development of all our EPS students. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and with the world around them.
English at EPS is investigative, purposeful and explicit, with an emphasis on fostering and nurturing a love of all Literacy. The teaching of English reflects the intent of AUSVels (The Australian Curriculum in Victoria) and is inclusive of our students’ needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests.
English is personalised through encompassing various and agreed teaching strategies and skills across all Year levels in the dimensions of Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening.
Our Agreed strategies:
Writing:
Writer’s Workshop and Components of:
*Immersion in texts and linking to reading
*Direct instructionusing authentic literature or teacher’s/students’ own writing
*Independent Writing and time for sustained writing
*Teachers conferencing with individual students and keeping anecdotal records such as dates of conference, teaching points and discussions
*Guided Writing; working with needs-based, focused groups
*Sharing and celebrating students’ writing, giving opportunities for students to observe and learn from each other
*Use of whole class/individual notebooks
*Using seeds to launch the Writer’s Workshop; a springboard for ideas
*Explicit teaching of text types identified in team planning
Reading:
*Selection of Just Right Books
*Use of the Gradual Release model with teachers selecting reading strategies to suit students’ needs such as: Modeled, Shared, Guided and Independent reading with a focus on
*Comprehension strategies of Predicting, Questioning, Visualising, Inferring, Summarising and Evaluating
*Reading Conferences and goal setting
*Book Club and Readers’ Notebooks
*Rhymes, chants, alliteration – phonemic activities and programs
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar:
*Agreement of our six spelling principles
*Explicit teaching of the 5 spelling strategies (meaning, sound, visual, connecting and checking) linked to:
*Students’ writing
*Needs based, continual assessment and observation
*Class focus
*Student investigations of spelling patterns/sounds/roots
Speaking and Listening:
*Knowledge ready – supporting our students to get ready for speaking and listening situations, questioning, discussing, rehearsing
*Tuning into ideas– focus on tone and voice with the use of visuals for support
*Consolidate & review – reflection, self and peer feedback, continual improvement
*Linked strongly to our current classroom curriculum and opportunities from informal and formal presentations such as sharing our work, assemblies, peer tutoring and buddy reading.