Conversations with parents about schooling are often centred on the establishment of crucial foundation skills in literacy and numeracy. We all want our children to attain these skills early, as confidence in reading, writing and numeracy provides a springboard to access other learning areas. There is much interest in the news about the teaching of reading and spelling methodologies with the most commonly asked questions by prospective parents on school tours, ‘which spelling system do you use?’ and ‘how do you teach reading?’
At Cornish College we teach spelling using both the SMART spelling approach and THRASS. These phonics based practices equip the students with the skills needed to decode, read and spell with confidence from Prep through to Year 6. Students are taught the most common phonemes (sounds) within the English language and the corresponding grapheme; written letter spelling choices, using systematic, multi-sensory and engaging spelling routines.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our reading results, with Cornish College given a notable mention by ACARA for our exceptional reading growth in previous NAPLAN results. In Prep – Year 3 we use a variety of decodable texts as well as predictable, familiar stories and non-fiction texts in our take-home reading library. Children who experience quality literature, be it picture story books or classroom read aloud novels, develop greater vocabulary acquisition skills. At Cornish College there are many opportunities to link reading with inquiry with literature circles, shared read aloud texts and novel studies featuring within the Years 3 – 6 classrooms.
‘Children are made readers on the laps of their parents’. One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is to read together each and every day, take time to pause and notice the world. If you would like any further help or support to guide your child’s literacy development, please contact us.
