At our school, we want to spark a lifelong love for reading and writing in every child, helping them grow into confident, creative, and expressive communicators. Our English program aligns with the Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0) which is based on three interrelated strands. Together the three strands focus on developing students' knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing standard Australian English.
The three strands are:
- Language – developing knowledge about the English language and how it works
- Literature - understanding, appreciating, responding to, analysing and creating literature
- Literacy - expanding the repertoire of English usage
Our approach to reading and language
Learning to read is a complex skill that doesn't just happen by accident—it requires clear, step-by-step teaching partnered with plenty of hands-on practice. To help our students become confident, lifelong readers, our daily teaching focuses on the core building blocks of reading and language development:
- Phonemic Awareness: Learning to hear and play with the individual sounds in spoken words.
- Phonics: Understanding the relationships between letters and sounds, and the ability to use letter-sound relationships to decode words.
- Fluency: Being able to read smoothly, accurately, and with expression.
- Vocabulary: Growing a rich understanding of what words mean and how to use them.
- Comprehension: The ultimate goal of reading—deeply understanding, enjoying, and thinking critically about stories and texts.
- Oral Language: Developing the skills to speak clearly, listen well, and express thoughts and feelings.
Early Literacy: UFLI (K–2)
To give our youngest learners the best start with reading, our K–2 classrooms use the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Initiative) Foundations Program. UFLI is a structured, step-by-step phonics program that gives students daily, hands-on practice in "cracking the code" of the written language. By mastering these basics early on, children learn to read and spell words automatically. This frees up their brainpower so they can focus on what really matters: understanding texts and writing creatively.
Growing writers and communicators
Writing is a skill that takes practice and is taught across all year levels. Our students learn about text structures, language features, grammar, punctuation and handwriting. We use high-quality books and literature to inspire them. By exploring rich texts, our students see how authors shape their writing to connect with an audience. Alongside writing, we place a big emphasis on speaking and listening—teaching students how to share their ideas confidently and listen respectfully to others.
Partnering with you
We believe that learning to read and write is a team effort between school and home. We regularly host information sessions and workshops to give you practical, easy ways to support your child's learning journey at home. We look forward to working with you!
