1. hobbies and interests
2. reading

Footscray Primary
School
Language Policy
Footscray Primary School
Language Policy
Index
Appendix ................................................................................................................................ 29
Assessment ............................................................................................................................. 26
Bilingual Education ................................................................................................................ 6
Content ..................................................................................................................................... 4
English as a Second Language (ESL) .................................................................................... 8
Handwriting........................................................................................................................... 21
Library ................................................................................................................................... 25
LOTE ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Mother Tongue Maintenance................................................................................................. 9
Objective .................................................................................................................................. 4
Purpose..................................................................................................................................... 3
Rationale .................................................................................................................................. 3
Reading .................................................................................................................................... 9
Guiding Principles
9
Reading Foci
10
Structures and instructional practice 12
Reading Recovery ................................................................................................................. 17
References .............................................................................................................................. 28
Speaking and Listening .......................................................................................................... 5
Spelling ................................................................................................................................... 20
Visual Communication ......................................................................................................... 26
Writing ................................................................................................................................... 18
Guiding Principles
18
Writing foci
19
Reading Recovery ................................................................................................................. 14
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RATIONALE
Language is a powerful determinant of culture and identity.
Footscray Primary School has a rich multicultural community with over 30 different languages being
spoken by our students at home. English is both the main language of instruction in our school and the
predominant language in the Australian community. In order to influence and participate fully in the
cultural, social, political and economic life of Australia all students must become highly proficient users of
the English language in oral, visual and written forms.
All children should be encouraged to develop their first language. It is from a strong Mother Tongue
language base that a second language is learnt. The school has a role in promoting the learning of the first
language through valuing each child‟s home language and supporting parents in developing the child‟s
home language.
Students should be given the opportunity to become proficient in a second language. It is through learning a
second language that students gain a viewpoint from a different cultural perspective. Footscray Primary
School believes that a bilingual programme with instruction across all curriculum areas offers students this
opportunity. The LOTE programme provides all students with the experience of cultural immersion and
language development.
“The role of language …….. is crucial in nurturing the full development of each learner and fostering the
values of diversity, international mindedness and intercultural awareness.” 1.
PURPOSE
At Footscray Primary school, we recognise that language is central to learning and that all teachers are, in
practice, language teachers with responsibilities in facilitating communication. We aim to promote an
inquiry-based transdisciplinary learning environment which includes listening, speaking, viewing,
presenting, reading, writing and media literacy. Students will be given opportunities to learn about language,
and through language, in order to confidently reflect, articulate and construct meaning in learning contexts.
Through our Language Other Than English (LOTE) and Vietnamese Bilingual programme, every child will
be given the opportunity to learn at least one language other than English and will be encouraged to
maintain their mother tongue.
As students work within the School, teachers will provide a balanced language Curriculum which supports
and develops:
 A deep and enduring knowledge about languages
 The ability to effectively speak, listen, read, write, view and present with purpose and confidence in
a wide range of contexts P 27 “Towards a continuum of international education IBO
 The ability to recognise and select language appropriate to different situations
 An understanding and application of the conventions of languages
 An understanding of, and support for students‟ mother tongue language
 An opportunity to acquire literacy skills in Vietnamese through the schools Bilingual programme.
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Language Policy
 An opportunity to acquire at least one language other than English through the schools LOTE and
Bilingual programme.
 An abiding enjoyment and appreciation of languages.
OBJECTIVE
A balanced and sequential language curriculum based on the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and
delivered through the Primary Years Program will be provided.
 The school will provide teachers with the opportunity to:
o Attend professional development to expand and enrich their expertise about languages and
how they are learned
o Share professional learnings through team and staff development meetings
o Provide a supportive learning environment which encourages development of knowledge,
skills and expertise
o Provide coaching support through the PYP Coordinator and Language Coach and the
Network Language Consultant
 The conventions of languages will be studied within the curriculum at each level.

A balanced language programme will be contextualised through the Programme of Inquiry.

Ongoing assessment of language will inform teachers about the individual learning needs of
students.

Excursions, incursions and activities will be planned to provide explicit shared experiences to
develop shared and common language.

Activities will be planned to further enrich language opportunities for all students.
CONTENT
A whole school approach to the teaching of language will be developed and delivered in line with the
Victorian Essential Learning Standards and the Primary Years Program.

Students will be offered the opportunity to participate in the Bilingual Vietnamese programme from
Prep to Year 6 as places are available.

The language programme will incorporate:
o Specific skill sessions, introduced sequentially throughout the school, covering the
conventions of language.
o The transdisciplinary language of other disciplines and the Units of Inquiry
o Using language to learn about language
o Language as an art

Teachers will include explicit and focussed instruction when teaching which is supportive of
individual students learning needs.

Teachers will explicitly teach the vocabulary related to feeling and emotions from Years Prep to 6

Independent reading time will be incorporated into each classroom language programme on a daily
basis.

Teachers will routinely encourage e-learning skills to allow students to participate in language
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Language Policy
learning in both receptive and expressive modes.

Students who are identified as being “at risk” will be referred to the Curriculum /PYP coordinator.

Students requiring additional support in Year 1 will be referred to the Reading Recovery teacher in
accordance with DEECD guidelines.

Incursions and excursions will be organised to enhance Units of Inquiry. This will provide the
context for language and will support all children in developing the appropriate concepts and
vocabulary.

Use of the Library is an essential part of the school programme through every classroom.

All students will access a high level language programme at Footscray Primary School for a
minimum of two hours per day which will:
o Build and develop a language profile for each learner
o Follow a language continuum scope and sequence which incorporates both PYP and VELS
outcomes
o Promote inquiry based authentic language learning through the development of rich
programmes of inquiry
o Focus on the transdisciplinary nature of language learning

Incorporate the teaching and learning of language into the Programme of Inquiry

Develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and media literacy

Inter-relate the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and media literacy

Provide for both Mother Tongue and the teaching of additional languages through
o Vietnamese Bilingual Program – 6 sessions per week
o Italian / Vietnamese LOTE Program – 1 session per week
o Chinese Saturday and Sunday School
o Vietnamese Saturday and Sunday School

Promote consistency of practice in the teaching and learning of all languages through regular
collaboration and moderation through
o Team meetings with the PYP Coordinator
o Whole school meetings facilitated by Literacy Leaders and the PYP coordinator

Professional development will be provided to enable a high level of expertise to be gained by all
staff
Speaking and Listening
“Listening and Speaking are natural developmental processes”… (Page 8 Language Scope and sequence)…
At Footscray Primary School Speaking and Listening are integrated across the whole curriculum through
meaningful and purposeful activities that build upon student‟s previous learning. Students are given
opportunities to participate as active listeners and speak in a variety of situations and for different purposes.
Speaking and Listening at Footscray Primary School is an integral part of all areas of curriculum and as
such all teachers are responsible for providing a myriad opportunities for students to build upon and enhance
their skills in oral language. We understand that oral language also encompasses the use of different
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languages and the maintenance of the students “mother tongue” language.
 Students are exposed to authentic speaking and listening activities continuously throughout the day.


Students will use different language according to the purpose of the activity they are engaged in and
their audience, for example, the language used in the classroom to give instructions will be different
from that in a conversation with peers.
Oral language development is embedded into classroom practice.

Through structured and explicit language experiences students gain understanding and improve their
skills in Speaking and Listening. This is evident when students ask and answer questions; participate
in whole class share time, use strategies such as Think-pair-share, community circles, reading aloud
to others, paired reading and when the students follow instructions and directions.

Providing a successful learning environment allows a natural progression to occur.

Students participate in programmes such as, Performing Arts, Celebrations of Learning, Reader‟s
Theatre, Buddy Program, School Productions, performances at school assemblies, exhibitions,
Leadership Program and Year 6 Graduation.
 There is an opportunity for students to also participate in Tournament of the Minds, the Bilingual
programme or take on a leading role in the school production. All of these build upon the speaking
and listening skills of the students.
 Conventions associated with Speaking and Listening are developed as the students move through the
year levels with modelling, sharing of poems, rhymes and reports, debates, making inferences,
predicting, paraphrasing and summarizing, modifying ideas and opinions, interacting effectively and
demonstrating how language is used differently for different purposes.
 Students are taught to understand the difference between literal and figurative language.
 All teachers at Footscray Primary School are provided with ongoing Professional development in all
areas of language including, ESL and language disorder. This ensures that all students‟ needs are
catered for.

Speech therapy is available to assist individual students.
 Education Support Staff attend speech therapy sessions and carry out individual programmes
designed by the speech pathologist during class.
 Parents are invited to attend speech therapy sessions so that children can be supported at home with
follow up activities.
Bilingual Education
“Bilingualism, if not multilingualism, is the hallmark of a truly internationally-minded person …” (p1
Language Scope and Sequence) At Footscray Primary School the Vietnamese Bilingual programme serves
a dual purpose of mother tongue maintenance for Vietnamese students and the acquisition of a second or
third language for other students.
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Language Policy
The Bilingual programme at Footscray Primary School:

Is delivered in Vietnamese.

Operates from years Prep to 4 and will operate from Prep to 5 in 2010 and Prep to 6 in 2011.

As children enter Prep they are given the option of pursuing bilingual education or choosing Italian
or Vietnamese LOTE. When students choose Bilingual Education the expectation is that they will
continue with it until year 6 and they will also choose Vietnamese LOTE to extend cultural
knowledge and social interactions.

Provides 7 sessions of language instruction per week.

Requires the Bilingual and classroom teachers to collaborate so that Bilingual students and nonBilingual students cover similar aspects of language acquisition during each session (i.e. Science is
taught at the same time; Arts is taught at the same time; Personal, Social and Physical Education is
taught at the same time; Social Studies is taught at the same time; Mathematics is taught at the same
time; and written language is taught at the same time).

Crosses all curriculum areas and enriches the Units of Inquiry being undertaken in the classroom.
This supports students‟ comprehension in all curriculum areas and strengthens their language
development.

Ensures that learning is engaging, relevant, challenging, and significant.

An extension of the Bilingual Program is the sister school relationship that has been developed with
PhuocTien Primary School in NhaTrang, Vietnam.

Every second year the school organises an exchange visit to our sister school. The exchange visit is
open to parents, staff and all students in Years 5 and 6 however children participating in the
Bilingual Program will be given preference if there are more students wishing to go than there are
places available.

Vietnamese oral language classes are held outside school hours for all interested parents and
students. During the exchange visit the students spend one week attending school and a second week
visiting the World Heritage listed city of Hoi An, the old capital Hue and the current capital of Ho
Chi Minh City. Students are immersed in the language, life and culture of the country.

The exchange visit by Vietnamese students, staff and parents is organised every alternate year. The
students attend our school for one week and various tours are organised for the second week.

There is wider community support of the Vietnamese Bilingual Program through Maribyrnong City
Council‟s JAM Project. This community support allows for deeper parental involvement in terms of
preparing and creating rich learning resources.
LOTE
“Acquisition of more than one language enriches personal growth and helps facilitate international
understanding.”P.68 Making the PYP Happen A Curriculum Framework for International Primary
Education.
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Language Policy
The languages other than English (LOTE) provided at Footscray Primary School are Italian and
Vietnamese. Language learning promotes cognitive growth through the development of literacy and
communication skills.
It enhances divergent thinking and fosters personal fulfilment through the acquired language skills and
cultural knowledge.

The LOTE programme at Footscray Primary School currently offers two languages, Italian and
Vietnamese.

It operates from years Prep – 6. As the students enter Prep they are given the choice of pursuing
either Italian or Vietnamese.

The LOTE programme is taught Prep -6 through one specialist lesson weekly.

The LOTE teachers plan together and the LOTE programmes support the units of inquiry undertaken
in the classroom where appropriate.

The LOTE programmes are sequential and allow for the development and realistic acquisition of
oral, written and visual language skills.

The LOTE Scope and Sequence chart details specific ways of supporting language development
through the Units Of Inquiry.

Language skills in Italian and Vietnamese will be developed through the Units of Inquiry at each
grade level.

The LOTE programme will incorporate the PYP and Victorian Essential Learning Standards.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language (ESL) supports the language development of students whose first language is
not English.

Ongoing Professional Learning for teachers is provided to ensure teachers are aware of and can provide
for the needs of ESL learners.

Parents of students newly arrived in Australia will be encouraged to enrol their child in the Western
English Language School.

Education Support Officers will provide support for English Language Learners under the guidance of
classroom teachers.

ESL students are catered for in classroom programmes, by teachers who individually scaffold language
teaching and learning.

Students‟ life experiences form the basis for language learning.
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Language Policy

Language Experience activities are planned in order to strengthen students‟ use of the English language.

Visual prompts are used in classrooms to facilitate discussions, deepen understandings and improve
English language structures.

Daily practice of speaking and listening in English is provided across all curriculum areas.
Mother Tongue Maintenance
Mother Tongue Maintenance is important in fostering language development and strengthening community
relationships.
Mother Tongue maintenance will be fostered through:

Displaying signs in other languages.

Reminding parents at information sessions about the importance of mother tongue maintenance.

Providing interpreters at parent information sessions and Student-Led Conferences.

Translating student reading material in a variety of languages.

Purchasing library books in a variety of languages.

Providing parents with incursion/excursion notices in languages other than English.

Utilising online interpreters for enrolments/parent queries/concerns.

Providing Education Support Staff (ESS) who have skills in languages other than English.

Ensuring all cultural groups are included and actively planned for during curriculum information
sessions conducted at school.
Reading
Guiding Principles
The following list of Guiding principles outlines how children learn to read and what we, at Footscray
Primary School can do as teachers to ensure children enjoy the reading experience and achieve high
educational outcomes:
At Footscray Primary School Reading is considered a fundamental element of learning, thinking and
communicating and is integral to the whole curriculum. The teaching and learning of reading at Footscray
Primary School occurs within authentic contexts and is learned across, and throughout, all subject areas, and
through the transdisciplinary Program of Inquiry.
All teachers in this school are considered teachers of reading.
All students need to develop high-level reading skills in order to participate completely in the academic and
social life of our local and international community, as well as to develop as individuals. We have
established high expectations for our students as readers and we have determined that our practices provide
the support necessary to achieve these expectations. Throughout our school program we provide many
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Language Policy
opportunities for our students to experience success as readers.

We promote learning to read as well as learning about the reading process, and using reading to
learn.

We consider it a high priority that we provide equity of access to all students learning to read,
valuing the diverse and changing socio-cultural circumstances of our school population. In
particular, the Bilingual and LOTE programs we provide to our school population support the
development of reading to all students.

The students at Footscray Primary School need to use reading to extend beyond their own classroom,
into the broader world of global electronic networks and through multi-media resources.

We are committed to involving the whole school community in the teaching and learning of reading
and the maintenance of a dynamic and flexible program through ongoing reflection, peer support,
and professional development.

The PYP Learner Profile and the essential elements of the PYP inform our planning, teaching and
assessing of reading.

Reading is a goal oriented complex problem solving process. It involves constructing meaning from
text by making inferences and interpretations.

The process of reading is interactive and involves the reader‟s purpose for reading, the reader‟s prior
knowledge and experience, and the text itself.

Students will learn to read for enjoyment, instruction and information.

They will recognise and appreciate the variety of literary styles, genres and structures. Students will
understand and apply a variety of structures, strategies and literary techniques.

At least one hour per day is set aside for a focused reading session.

Parents are important in developing students as readers and their contribution is acknowledged and
encouraged through the Home Reading Program.
Reading Foci
Learning to read is the predominant focus for children in early primary school and for some, prior to
beginning school. However as children grow older and move through the education system, there is a shift
towards reading to learn. Students learn to read through content. Students learn content through reading.

The “Gradual Release of Responsibility” through the workshop model, which incorporates whole
group, small group and independent learning, will be the model used for instruction and learning.

The reading focus for instruction and learning should be in response to student assessment through
formal assessment, observations and individual conferences with students.
Instructional practice will include:

Reading for meaning.
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
Teaching students to read and research using multimedia resources (multimodal texts and
digital literacies).

Encourage co-operative discussion and critical literacy.

Decoding, vocabulary, fluency and word knowledge.

Comprehension: research indicates that there are specific strategies that can improve
comprehension. Six key comprehension strategies are outlined in Snowball, Diane. (2005) CD
ROM Teaching comprehension: An Interactive Professional Development course. Aussie
Interactive. These strategies are integrated throughout the school from Prep to Grade 6. They
consist of:
o Visualising and visual representation
o Predictions and prior knowledge
o Text structure and features
o Thinking aloud
o Summarising
o Questions and questioning.

Metacognition; Being able to think about thinking, monitor the text meaning and verbalise
strategies and thoughts while reading.
The Reading Process is developed, reinforced and extended throughout the school from Prep to Grade 6.
This includes the use of the three cueing systems: meaning information, structural information and visual
information.
Reading crosses all curriculum areas. There is an explicit teaching of strategies to develop skills that can be
transferred to any reading task and used to assist in gaining meaning.
The Reading Process
Meaning
Information
Structural
Information
Visual
Information
Predicting
Checking
R
e
r
e
a
d
i
n
g
Rejecting
Confirming
Ian Morrison
Continuing
Reading crosses all curriculum areas. There is an explicit teaching of strategies to develop skills that can be
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Language Policy
transferred to any reading task and used to assist in gaining meaning.
Sources of Information in Texts
Meaning
Information
Structural
Information





 flow of language
 grammar
 repeated
sentences
 patterns
 prior experiences
with similar
structure
predictions
context
pictures
making sense
knowledge of
plot/story
 experiences
with content
Precise
Message
Visual Information
 letters, sounds
 letter cluster,
groups
 familiar/known
words
 shape, length of
words
 print
RosMancer 2008
Structures and instructional practice


Teachers will actively plan for whole class and small group/independent instruction within the
daily program. These elements have specific roles in reading, teaching and learning. Students
need time every day to independently practise the skills and strategies taught during whole
and small group class instruction.
Whole class instruction is explicit and may include:
o read aloud
o shared reading
o general reading strategies
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o other elements of books such as punctuation, speech bubbles, heading and subheadings
o teachers model comprehension strategies using “think aloud”, so that children can get
insight into the thought process of a fluent reader.

Small group reading will be promoted through activities such as:
o guided reading
o book clubs, literature circles
o reciprocal teaching
o small group shared reading
o small group read aloud
o general reading activities
o partner/buddy reading
o individual conferences

Independent Reading will be promoted through activities such as:
o independent reading
o conferences and conferencing
o partner/buddy reading
o Students need time every day to independently practise the skills and strategies taught during
whole and small group instruction.

Whole class sharing at the end of the session enables students to reflect on what they have learned:
o reflect and verbalise what they are doing when reading
o clarify thoughts and understandings
o identify how it impacts upon their reading
o describe the strategies they have used and how and when they have helped them to
understand. (if students can articulate what the strategies are and how and when to use them,
they can be in control of monitoring their own comprehension).

A wide range of fiction and factual texts will be used
The following effective literacy practices have been outlined further:
Read Aloud
Introduces quality children‟s literature to students and allows them access to texts they may not be able to
read alone.
The teacher does all the reading, this models fluency and is a good way of introducing new strategies to
students, vis teacher modeling of “Think aloud”. Fiction and non-fiction can be read. Questions, comments
and discussion throughout the text are essential.
This is a whole class activity, from Grade Prep-6.
Shared Reading
Shared Reading is when the teacher and students read and reread enlarged texts together for pleasure and to
learn about reading.
It provides a context for explicit demonstrations of strategies proficient readers use and for students to take
on responsibility for using those strategies collaboratively. For beginning readers this is a great way for
them to learn “Concepts about print”.
This can be done with the whole class or a small group, from Grade Prep-6.
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Independent Reading
Students need time every day to enjoy reading and to independently practise the strategies taught during
whole and small group class instruction. This means students need to read „just right‟ texts (at least 95%
accuracy plus understanding) matched to their reading development and interests across genres and content
areas.
From Grade 2-6 students should have at least 30 minutes of daily independent reading. Younger students
build up to this.
Guided Reading
This is a small group activity when students have a common need, groups should not be fixed and should
consist of about 5-6 students. The text should be challenging, but not too hard. The text is introduced by the
teacher, students predict and are supported while looking through some of the text. Students are told the
focus for the group and they then read independently with the teacher moving from child to child listening
and supporting them with the strategy they are focusing on for the session.
This is for Grade Prep-6.
Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal Teaching is a proven routine for improving reading comprehension, where students work as
active members of a cooperative and collaborative group and are taught to comprehend text. They move
through a sequence of comprehension strategies: predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising.
Groups should be about 4-6 students.
At first the routine and strategies are demonstrated and discussed when working with a group of students
and then they take on the role of leader and initiate these strategies to make meaning from a variety of texts.
The interaction between students is reciprocal, that is, one student acts in response to another.
This can be done with students from Grade 2-6.
Book clubs and Literature Circles
Students meet regularly in small groups to read, think and talk about a common text, which may be selected
by the students or from a collection suggested by the teacher. Each student needs to be able to read the text
independently. Usually the groups are formed around similar interests in reading or hobbies and may remain
together for as long as these interests do not change and they can work cooperatively and collaboratively.
Students work in groups of 2-6 and assume responsibility for the discussion of the text and determine the
direction such discussions take, this usually requires a great deal of teacher modelling and support when a
Book Club begins.
This can be done with students from Grade 3-6.
Conferencing
Conferencing with students involves:
• listening to students read aloud to find out about their fluency and about the strategies they use in the
process of reading
• observing students applying comprehension strategies
• discussing the text to check students‟ vocabulary knowledge
• finding out about students‟ interests in reading (topics, genres, authors)
• engaging in quality talk about texts that deepens comprehension
• helping solve difficulties and clarify meaning
• monitoring students‟ selection of texts (suitable difficulty, range of genres and text types)
• providing feedback to students about their effectiveness as readers and doing „on-the-spot‟ teaching as
required
• encouraging students to reflect on their reading
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• setting individual goals for the students and recording information to help with the planning of future
teaching for groups and the whole class.
Teachers should have a folder set up in which to take notes during each conference, this is an valuable
assessment tool.
This can be done with students from Grade Prep-6.
Author study
An author study is a unit of lessons that gives students the opportunity to delve deeply into an author‟s life
and body of work. Students can critically evaluate an author‟s themes, characters, and writing style, make
connections between the author‟s life and work and make personal connections between their own
experiences.
In addition to reading several works by an author, key components of an author study include discussion,
comparison and comparing of the author‟s various texts.
For younger grades is a chance to chart text features such as: illustrator, publication date, characters, setting,
rhyming words and repetition.
This can be done with students from Grade Prep-6, at varying degrees of difficulty.
Language Experience
Language experience activities occur when the teacher and students engage in talk about a shared
experience and the students‟ language is recorded and subsequently read.
This recording of an experience may be developed with the whole class, a group or an individual. If the text
and accompanying
illustrations or photographs are produced as an enlarged text then students can later read this independently.
This can be done with students from Grade Prep-6, it is more common with Prep-2 students and ESL
students.
Classroom Libraries
Classroom libraries will be a feature of each classroom, as access to resources for Independent Reading is
essential. Classrooms should have a well-organised and appealing collection of reading materials including,
magazines, books, newspapers and digital texts representing a variety of genres, authors, and topics with a
range of difficulty levels. Classroom libraries should consist of a minimum of 500 books or other reading
materials.
Classroom libraries will contain a combination of levels, to provide a variety of easy, just right and
challenging books for all students in the class. Books will cover a variety of genres and be sorted into
categories by the students at the start of each year. Each category will be contained in a clearly labeled tub,
preferably with the covers facing forward.
Classroom library books will be processed through the school‟s library and a borrowing system will be
implemented within the class, so that students have access to books that can be taken home.
The classroom library will be well maintained, well looked after, kept in good condition and regularly
replenished.
Each student should have a collection of reading materials in their book bag/box, so that Independent
Reading time is spent with students engaged in reading rather than wandering about looking for something
to read.
A classroom library is required in every class from Prep-6.
Reading Recovery
Footscray Primary School will offer Reading Recovery to selected students in Year 1 and will ensure that a
teacher is identified each year to take on the role of Reading Recovery. The teacher will be provided with
either initial or ongoing training in Reading Recovery. Reading Recovery is a research –based early literacy
intervention to reduce reading and writing failure. It was developed in New Zealand by educator and
psychologist, Dame Marie Clay. Reading Recovery enables students to become active and independent
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readers and writers.
Reading Recovery:

Identifies students experiencing reading and writing difficulties after their first year of school

Provides intensive one- to -one teaching for 30 minutes each day

Is supplementary to the ongoing literacy activities in the classroom
The early years are critical for students who are at risk of failure as this period sets the stage for later
learning. Without such intervention, students often require expensive long-term, intensive support and
assistance. By intervening in Year 1, the second year of school, Reading Recovery can halt the cycle of
failure for students at risk and through intensive, daily instruction; generally bring the lowest literacy
performers up to average classroom levels within 12 to 20 weeks. Reading Recovery‟s goal is for students to
fully participate in classroom activities with their peers.
Selection of Students
One of the key ways in which students are selected is through the Online English Interview and an
Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. The Observation Survey is administered individually to
selected students and assesses their skills in the following areas:

Letter identification

Word knowledge

Print concepts

Writing vocabulary

Phonemic awareness

Text reading level
Students at risk are identified through the results of the English online Interview administered at the end of
the Prep year and through teacher observation. These students will participate in an Observation Survey
administered by the Reading Recovery Teacher. The students are then listed in terms of their text reading
level. Any child reading below level 5 is placed on the reading recovery list and the selection is made of the
children with the lowest reading levels. In some cases, students are not immediately selected for the
programme. New arrivals with limited English may be allowed to gain some confidence in English before
they begin the programme. Four students will be chosen to take part in the Reading Recovery Programme.
The other students are prioritised and will go on a waiting list. When a space becomes available the priority
list will be revised and will include any Year I child with low literacy skills who has enrolled since the
beginning of the year. After discussion with the Year 1 teachers a child will be selected from the list and
Observation Survey will be readministered.
As a student reaches the discontinuing targets they are removed from the Reading recovery Programme and
supported within the classroom setting. The Reading Recovery teacher will work in the classroom to ensure
that the student is using the strategies that have been taught and is transferring learning from Reading
Recovery to other literacy tasks. Over the course of a year approximately eights students will have
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undertaken the Reading recovery Programme.
The Reading Recovery Lesson
Before a student starts the Reading Recovery Programme the Reading recovery teacher meets with the
parents who are requested to support the programme through ensuring the student attends school unless ill
and works with the student each day to complete a sentence reconstruction and the rereading of the day‟s
text. Where parents are unable to support their child in the reading or homework tasks a Year 6 reading
buddy will help the child complete these activities.
Each day the Reading Recovery teacher works individually with the student who:

Reads 3 or 4 familiar books to gain confidence and fluency in reading

Writes a sentence using his/her own ideas

Re-assembles their cut-up sentence to practise searching for words

Works with letters and words to assist in spelling

Reads a new book to further develop reading skills
The Reading Recovery teacher at least once a year will follow up all children who have been discontinued
to ensure that progress is maintained and strategies are being fully utilised.
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Writing
Guiding Principles
At Footscray Primary School we believe writing in its many and varied forms and media is central to the
development of a self-confident, engaged and articulate learner. Through written expression students
communicate ideas, information and feelings and construct meaning. They are able to organize, demonstrate
and account for their learning in authentic and purposeful communications. It is recognised that multi-modal
writing underpins social engagement in the 21st Century. Through the Bilingual and LOTE programmes the
opportunity to gain knowledge of writing within another language will be provided to all students.

The teaching and learning of writing occurs in authentic contexts across all areas of the curriculum
and throughout the trans-disciplinary Programme of Inquiry.

It is an individual, developmental process of building on prior knowledge, strategies and skills
supported by a structured programme, guided by both PYP and VELS outcomes.

The writing programme incorporates specific strategies and skills introduced throughout the school
including the conventions of writing.

Strategies and skills will be modelled, shared and guided. Teachers will include explicit and focused
instruction when teaching which is supportive of individual learning needs.

A daily writing session will form part of the two hour literacy block.

Graphophonic, semantic and syntactic knowledge will be scaffolded and developed from Prep to
Grade 6.

Graphophonic
o Graphophonic knowledge will be developed through discussion, modelling and language
experience.
o Regular exposure to texts in the form of being read to, (guided reading, independent reading),
explicit teaching of letter blends, chunking, spelling generalisations and sounding out
strategies (for specific practices refer to spelling policy).
o Authentic language experience tasks linked to the unit of inquiry will be used to build
vocabulary.

Syntactic
o Syntactic knowledge is built through the explicit teaching, modelling and guided practice of
the elements of textual and grammatical structure.
o Students are introduced to text types and features from Prep and continue to deepen and
expand their understandings.

Semantic
o Writing occurs in the context of the whole-school transdisciplinary Programme of Inquiry.
o Rich and authentic Unit of Inquiry-based tasks drive the acquisition of a vocabulary built
around a basis of concept and topic knowledge which promotes a deep understanding of
world and cultural knowledge.
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o The provision of the explicit teaching and modelling of grammatical structure, text types and
features, word knowledge and the writer‟s voice will all be embedded into classroom practice
from prep to year 6.
o The writing process of planning, drafting, editing and conferencing, proofreading and
publishing will be scaffolded across the school years via the incorporation of sequentially
introduced, specific skills sessions that cover the conventions of language in these areas.

Students with a mother tongue other than English will be provided with opportunities to sustain their
skills in these languages and will be encouraged to celebrate and maintain their linguistic heritage.

Recognition of the importance of electronic text composition will be supported through the provision
of both an exposure to multi modal text types and specific instruction in writing for different forms
of electronic media.

Ongoing professional development will be provided to ensure that all staff are skilled in and
maintain high levels of expertise in the teaching of writing.
Writing crosses all curriculum areas and is an integral component of the Units of Inquiry from Preps to Year
six.
Writing foci

Writing process ~ prep – 6 across all curriculum areas LOTE and Performing Arts, Visual
Communication; viewing and presenting
o Writing process explicitly taught - planning, organising, composing, drafting, editing,
revising, proofreading, publishing
o Visual Representations e.g. Story maps, Venn diagrams, spider graphs, other thinking tools
yellow/black hat thinking, concept maps, Mindmaps, sandwich, brainstorm,

Text types ~ prep - 6
o A range of factual and fiction texts that include information, recount, report, labelled
diagrams, procedure, description, discussion, explanation, response, exposition, persuasive,
transactional texts, narrative, reflections, poems, scriptwriting and multimodal Comic Life
KidPix, MS PowerPoint: Presentations.
o All grade levels should be exposed to all text types, however not all grade levels will focus
explicitly and in the same way on all text types. For example: exposition. A prep grade may
read or jointly construct an exposition piece, whereas a grade 6 class could independently
write one using more sophisticated language.
o Where possible, the text type should be chosen to mesh with the Unit of Inquiry.
o For each unit of inquiry, there is a different text type focus.
o All grades, and in particular the grades 3 and 5 will focus on narrative writing in preparation
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Language Policy

for the NAPLAN testing.
Scaffolding
o The “gradual release of responsibility” through the workshop model which incorporates
whole group, small group and independent learning. The writing focus for instruction and
learning should be in response to student assessment through observations and individual
conferences with students.
o modelled, shared, independent
o deconstruct/reconstruct
o language experience
o Visual stimulus e.g. pictures

Text features (conventions of writing VELS)
o structure (layout of information, graphic elements, print elements such as letters, words,
paragraphs, punctuation, referencing).
o language (technical, tense, connectives, particular nouns, adjectives, qualifiers, figurative,
voice).
o purpose (describe, retell, entertain, instruct, explain, persuade, respond, etc.).

Writing workshop
o Student-directed/chosen writing projects.

RECIPROSITY BETWEEN READING AND WRITING
o (not just knowing how to write a text type, but understanding how to read it)
o Author studies
o Writer‟s voice
Spelling
Learning to spell is a process of working out patterns and systems of languages, then applying these
understandings to new words as they are encountered. All students need to be able to spell correctly so
others can read their writing. It is important all children know that their writing is valued regardless of the
stage of development of their spelling.
While the explicit teaching of spelling occurs primarily within the reading and writing strand of the English
curriculum, all curriculum areas have a role to play in reinforcing, promoting and contributing to this
learning.
In teaching spelling teachers will:

Teach learning strategies as required, including letter knowledge, phonological awareness,
morphemic strategies, visual strategies, high frequency words, chunking, dictionary and thesaurus
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Language Policy
skills, ICT software use, proof reading and editing.

Provide appropriate spelling activities throughout the week based on what we decided constitutes a
rich and meaningful spelling programme (i.e learning of personal words, word of the day, spelling
investigations and proof reading and editing).

Integrate vocabulary from PYP units of inquiry and across the curriculum.

Treat spelling as a developmental process. Early spelling skills unfold in developmental stages much
like learning to speak, from general to specific. You must use invented spelling to set the foundation
for spelling competence.

Model conventional spelling through class writing activities. During shared writing spelling
strategies can be demonstrated. During independent writing children can use all of the strategies they
have learned and teachers can use this sample to assess their strengths and needs and plan suitable
spelling focuses. Interactive Writing is an opportunity for spelling strategies to be demonstrated by
the teacher and attempted by the children.

Provide frequent, varied and authentic opportunities to write for a range of purposes and audiences.

Pay attention to high frequently used words or words we must learn to spell because authors use
them a lot in their writing.

Individualise spelling by including personal words identified through the child‟s writing.

Provide a rich print environment within classrooms and expose students to everyday words.

Teach the underlying skills of phonics, spelling and grammar within context.

Encourage an interest in words and word origins (etymology).

Support students in becoming independent spellers.

Encourage students to take risks when spelling.
Our Scope and Sequence for the teaching of spelling is included in the appendix. This was developed by the
teachers at F.P.S in 2011 and the expectation that this will be used at team planning each week.
Handwriting
“Learning handwriting is part of the larger task of learning to communicate by written expression” (Evely
1985 p.16). This is an important skill which is applied through all other subject areas.
At Footscray Primary we will:

Use the Victorian Modern Cursive handwriting script.

Model correct letter formation.
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
Use the Victorian Modern Cursive handwriting script in the classroom environment.

Demonstrate dynamic, formal handwriting sessions weekly.

Emphasise the correct posture and pencil grip to develop fluency, style and speed.

Give students in the beginning stages of handwriting opportunities to develop fine motor skills.

Offer suggestions for improvement and advancement through the handwriting stages.

Provide students with the appropriate stationery according to their handwriting stage.

Provide meaningful purposes and contexts for the teaching of handwriting skills. This may be done
in accordance with PYP units of inquiry.

Encourage all students to do their personal best by taking pride in the presentation of their writing.
Praise students‟ efforts.
“Children best learn handwriting by modelling the actions of the teacher” (Evely 1985 p.16).
Reference:
Evely, M. 1985 ‘The Teaching of Handwriting’ Education Department of Victoria.p.16.
Stages of Handwriting Development
Beginning Stage
KNOWLEDGE
The children will be led to understand:

That writing, like reading, starts at the left side of the paper and moves to the right side.

Writing and reading start at the top of the page.

Most letters begin at the top.

The terms up, down, beginning, end, clockwise and anticlockwise.
SKILLS
The children will be given opportunities to ensure that they develop the following skills and abilities:

Adequate muscular coordination

A writing hand preference
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
Visual memory of letter shapes

Ability to draw basic shapes e.g. Ovals, horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines

An awareness of the following:
o Direction
o Positioning of letters on a line
o Spacing between words
o Top and bottom of a page

Ability to copy writing patterns

Copying numerals
 An adequate pen grip e.g. Precision grip which enables fine finger and writing movements
and hence smaller letter formation .
Early Achievement Stage
KNOWLEDGE
The children will be encouraged to understand:

That handwriting has a purpose

The appropriate terminology and concepts. These need to be taught in the context of discussion
about handwriting e.g. Left, right, up, down, slanting, straight, round.

The basic conventions of print
o
o
o
o
i.e. lines
Long, short, big, little, thin, thick
Straight-horizontal, diagonal, vertical
Curved – oval, circular, stroke

Letters may be on the line, below the line, above the line
o i.e. letters
o body, head, tail

The letter “a” has a body only

The letter “h” has a body and a head

The letter “g” has a body and a tail

The letters have entries and exits
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Language Policy
SKILLS
As well as the skills listed in the Beginning Stage, the children will be given opportunities to develop the
following skills and abilities:

Correctly identify and form the twenty-six upper case and lower case letters of the alphabet

Use a recommended precision grip as recommended in the Victorian Cursive Script(see Page 18-31
The Teaching of Handwriting)

Place paper so that writing can be clearly seen and there is freedom of movement when writing (see
guideline Page 83 The Teaching of Handwriting)

Position the hand so that the writing hand is below the actual line of the writing to enable the child to
clearly see what he/she is writing and what he/she has previously read.
Growth Stage
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
The children will be encouraged to gain an understanding of and develop competence in:

The correct formation of all letters of the alphabet, lower and upper case

Joining techniques i.e. forming pen lifts, touch joins, diagonal joins, horizontal joins, joining to
ascenders, speed loops, letter clusters

Use of correct posture, paper position, and the appropriate equipment to use

Writing on lines, within dotted thirds and on unlined paper

Using speed loops to aid legibility and fluency

Printing of labelling for tasks such as projects, mapping and other displays

Holding pens correctly
Extension Stage
KNOWLEDGE
The children will be encouraged to develop:

An understanding and correct application of correct letter formation and joins
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
Awareness of various styles of handwriting and writing implements for different effects
SKILLS
The children will be given opportunities to develop the following skills:
 Ability to write with a variety of implements

Correct pen/implement grip

Legibility and speed

Fluency using joins

Specific letter formation and joins

Posture
Library
Language development will be enriched and developed through the use of the school library through:

Ongoing explicit teaching of library skills P-6 by classroom teachers

Using the internet to research units of inquiry; Safari, Internet Explorer, Fire Fox, search terms/key
words, URL‟s

Using multimodal texts to enrich the fabric of the Primary Years Programme

Using a variety of references including books, visual and technological media to search for, record
and present information

Constant monitoring, assessing and updating of library texts

Ensuring the texts in the library support the Units of Inquiry, reflect the cultural diversity of our
students and their interests

Explicit lessons to strengthen research skill development using multimedia resources

Explicit teaching of critical literacy in relation to online content

Borrowing books regularly

Reading books regularly to students

Appreciating authors, illustrators and a variety of genres
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Language Policy

Updating literature regularly to expose students to a wide range of literature including world classics
and purchasing of the short listed books each year for the Children‟s Book of the Year awards

Timetabling for teaching sessions in the library each week for each class

Cataloguing library resources in a variety of ways in order to support the Units of Inquiry and to
include the PYP Learner Profiles
Visual Communication
Viewing and presenting is the ability to understand and produce visual images allows for a deeper
understanding of the world around us. At Footscray Primary School students learn how to view critically
and thoughtfully in order to respond to the complexities of a constantly changing international world. We
provide a balanced programme with opportunities for students to experience a variety of visually rich
learning across the curriculum.


Viewing and presenting at Footscray Primary School, embraces all areas of the curriculum,
including Reading, Writing, Mathematics, The Arts, Dance, LOTE, Physical Education, Bilingual
Program, Science and E-Learning in the culture of the PYP. All students in classes from Prep to 6
are supported in their Inquiry learning through a variety of media in order to understand the world.
Footscray Primary School has a multi-modal approach to student learning embracing a variety of
technologies such as a multimedia centre comprising of Apple Mac Computers as well as having
PC‟s, Interactive Whiteboards, Digital Cameras and HD Video Cameras in every classroom to
support student Inquiry-based learning.

Students explore and use emerging worldwide trends such as Web 2.0, which encompasses emerging
technologies like wikis, blogs and podcasts as tools for inquiry learning.

To further promote visual communication and International Mindedness throughout the school,
Footscray Primary School has a visually-rich print environment in response to the PYP. Both around
the school and in classrooms, print media in the form of charts, diagrams, student work, photographs
and illustrations, as well as PYP Essential Agreements, PYP Attitudes and Values and Programmes
of Inquiry are pronounced.

The Arts is an important means of developing Visual Literacy at Footscray Primary School. By
embracing the different cultures of families in our school through Wakakirri Festival, School
Concerts, Cultural Experience Nights and the annual Global Jamboree we create an atmosphere
where students can learn to interpret and appreciate other cultures.

Students are well prepared for interpreting any visual media they will encounter on excursions,
incursions and in their daily lives.
Assessment
Assessment of student language will be on-going and consistent with the school‟s language assessment
schedule including:

School Entry: Meeting with individual students‟ parents/carers to determine individual learning
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Language Policy
needs or support required

Year Prep: Online English Interview at the beginning and end of the year (mandated)

Years 1 and 2: Online English Interview at the end of the year (mandated)

Years 3 and 5: NAPLAN Testing (mandated)

Years Prep to 6 as required:
o Alphabet Recognition (Letters and Sounds)
o Burt Word Test
o Hearing and Recording Sounds in Words
o Concepts About Print
o Running Records
o Student testing for Reading Recovery Program in Year 1
o Hearing Screening Test by State Nurse
o On-going assessment of skill development against the Language Scope and Sequence
documents
o Assessment against VELS progression points for reporting to parents
o Miscue analysis
o Writing sample analysis
o Portfolio
o Full Language Observation Survey as required
o Student testing for Reading Recovery Program (Year 1 only)
o Running Records
o On-going assessment of skill development against Language Scope and Sequence
documents.
o Portfolio
o Assessment against VELS progression points in English and LOTE for reporting to parents

Students with additional needs:
Students with additional needs in language will be referred to the Community Liaison Officer or
Assistant Principal who will discuss the need for support. This may include referral to:
o
o
o
o
Speech pathologist
Guidance officer
Welfare officer
School nurse

Teachers, students and community members may be involved in supporting the language programme
through celebrations of learning, visiting guests and performers.

Teaching and learning resources will be provided through the school‟s curriculum budget to ensure
the delivery of a stimulating language programme which supports improved student learning
outcomes.

Parents will be supported, and provided with, brochures in mother tongue where possible which
encourages and supports the use of their home language. Interpreters will be provided either through
the schools interpreter or All Graduates telephone interpreting service.

Information about Mother Tongue language classes will be provided to all relevant families.
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EVALUATION
There will be ongoing collaborative reflective practices in place to monitor the implementation of the
Language Policy which will be formally reviewed through staff and School Council each three years in line
with school policy documents.
References:
Making the PYP Happen - A curriculum framework for international primary education
Language Policy Development
WMR Blueprint
VELs Continuum
Snowball, Diane and Bolton, Faye. (1999) Spelling K-8 Planning and Teaching. Stenhouse Publishers
Snowball, Diane. (2005) CD ROM Teaching comprehension: An Interactive Professional Development
course. Aussie Interactive.
PM writing,
Eather, Jenny Writing Fun (http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/writingfun/writingfun.html has examples
of text types throughout year levels, deconstructs text, text type templates)
Wilson, Lorraine Write Me a Sign.
Lesley Wing-Jan. (2008)Write Ways-Modelling Writing Forms OUP Australia
Fountas, I and Pinnell G (2001) Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-6, USA
Harvey, S and Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: teaching comprehension for understanding and
engagement (2nd Ed). USA: Stenhouse.
Keene, E.O and Zimmermann, S. (2007). Mosaic of thought: the power of comprehension strategy
instruction (2nd Ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. and Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy, Reading, writing and
Children’s literature (4th edition). Sydney, Australia: Oxford.
Endorsed by:
With acknowledgement of the dedication and hard work of the staff of Footscray Primary School
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Appendix 1: Spelling Scope and Sequence
Letter Knowledge
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
Phonological Awareness
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Recognising 26 upper and
lowercase letters by name and
all positions in word.
Immersing children in
experiences that develop
phonological awareness.
Realising that a letter may be
pronounced in different ways
(for example, the letter c in cat,
circle and ocean).
Hears and records initial, middle
and final sounds in most words.
Prep
Exposure to digraphs
(ch, th, sh, ck)
Creating awareness of highfrequency words.
Building on one-syllable highfrequency word knowledge
using onset and rime structure.
Most children can spell first 20+
high frequency words
accurately.
Footscray Primary School
Building words where rime has
same spelling pattern, such as
w-ent, s-ent, t-ent.
Encouraging children to notice
what words look like.
Meaning/Word Structure
Strategy
Building word families such
as play/plays; hat/hats.
Language Policy
Letter Knowledge
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
Phonological Awareness
High-Frequency Words
Knowing difference
between letter names
and sounds.
Revise sound symbol relationships
Initial consonant blends.
st sm gr gl pl pr sc sk sl sm sn sp
Spell 1st 100 high
frequency words
accurately.
Know that a letter can
make a range of
sounds.
Some exploration of ways to make long
vowelsounds.
a as in day; e as in me; o as in nose; I as in tiger
and u as in moon
Choosing high frequency
words to learn and using
various strategies for
learning them.
Vowels and consonants.
Using onset and rimes in
these words to build lists
of other words.
Year 1
Digraphs-initial and final
(ch, th, sh, ck, ng)
Visual Strategy
Building words where rime has
same spelling pattern.
Changing other letters to form
new words (hot, hat, hit, sit, set)
Strengthening visual strategies
using the “look, say, name,
cover, write, check” technique.
Meaning/Word Structure
Strategy
Building word families, such
as play, plays, played,
playing.
Make plausible spelling
attempts of unfamiliar words
using a variety of strategies.
Simple meaning patterns
twin twice twenty two
Medial digraphs
oo ar ee
Identify spelling patterns and the sounds they
make.
Identify the different spelling patterns found in a
word (farm, f-arm, f-ar-m)
Simple homophones
To too two
Year 2
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
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Language Policy
Letter Knowledge
Phonological Awareness
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Exploring sounds and grouping according
to letters representing the sound: /ay/,
/ee/, /igh/, /oh/, /oo/ (food), /yoo/, /a/, /e/,
/i/, /o/, /u/, /oo/ (good), /ou/ (now), /er/,
/ar/, /ah/, (bath), /or/, /aw/, /air/, /ear/
(hear), /oy/, schwa and rounded schwa
sounds.
Spell 1st 200 high frequency
words.
Exploring common spelling
patterns and grouping words
according to their
pronunciation: th, sh, wh, ph,
ch, ea, a-e, o-e, i-e, ee, ow, ai,
oo, ou, ar, or, ay, ie, igh, -y, oa,
ew, e-e, oi, u-e.
Setting class high-frequency
words to learn from across the
curriculum plus individual
words of own choice.
Long and short vowels
a as in baby, tape, snail and tray
e as in tree, beach, tree, key and pony
I as in tiger, kite, light and fly
o as in nose, boat, note and snow
u as in moon, screw and glue
Forming generalisations where
appropriate, about common
ways to pronounce a spelling
pattern, such as ou is usually
pronounced as in the word
round.
Meaning/Word Structure
Strategy
Building word families, such as
play, plays, played, playing,
playschool, playground,
plaything, played, player,
players, playtime
Contractions
Some compound words
Prefixes re, un.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Tense past and present ed ing
Onsets and rimes
Simple word meaning triple
triangle tricyle
Forming generalisations, such as the most
common ways to represent a sound or
how a position in word affects
pronunciation.
High frequency homophones
There their they‟re
Understanding that every syllable has a
sound.
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Language Policy
Letter Knowledge
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
Phonological Awareness
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Not applicable
Revising some exploration with
more extensive vocabulary , and
accordingly to children‟s
writing needs.
Year 3
Selecting and learning class
high –frequency words from all
curriculum areas plus individual
words o choice.
Exploring spelling patterns- ir,
ur, er, ear. ere
O as in frog o,a,au,ou
Or as in fork or,a, aw,au,oor
Revise exploring sounds and
grouping according to letters
representing the sound
Revise exploring sounds and
grouping according to letters
representing the sound
Homophones – their, there,
they‟re, two, to which witch
Add endings –ing, ed, ly.er.s
Revision of long and short
vowels
Make spelling of same letter
pattern but different sound
pattern eg. have gave
Awareness of the schwa sound
a as in zebra
e as in garden
i as in fossil
o as in lion
u as in circus
Meaning/Word Structure
Strategy
Common plurals, such as adding
s, adding es, and changing y to i
before adding es to words that
end in consonant plus y
Exploring how to add other
common prefixes: re, im, dis
Exploring suffixes ed and ing
and other ways to form the past
tense
Know/ knew,
Talk/ told, teach/taught
Mean/meant, catch/caught
Building word families:
Know, knows, knew,
knowledge,
More compound words
Abbreviations
Synonyms
Antonyms
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Year 4
Letter Knowledge
Not applicable
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
Phonological Awareness
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Homophones, especially there,
they‟re, their, too, to, two,
which, witch.
K as in cake, king, chemist,
quilt and ache
Ow as in how, found and
plough
air as in hair, square and bear
a as in weigh
s as in sit, press, course,
circle
Selecting and learning highfrequency words from all
curriculum areas plus
individual words of choice.
Exploring spelling patterns:
augh, iew, ue, eir.
Select 400 most common
Oxford words which were
misspelts and learn them.
Once learnt, the girls are
expected to know them for
ever.
Irregular consonant blends for
example „ch‟; champagne &
choir.
Initial silent letters. example
Meaning/Word Structure Strategy
Exploring suffixes: less, ness, ful, ily.
Exploring how to add other common
prefixes: dis, il, im, ir, in, mis, anti, under.
Building word families: run, running, ran,
runner, runs.
Compound words.
Some revision of previous
spelling patterns with more
extensive vocabulary,
according to children‟s writing
needs.
Base words.
Proofreading skills, meaning first and then
punctuation and spelling.
sh as in ship, machine,
motion, ocean, mission
Blended words such as smog (smoke +
fog)
w as in with, white and quilt
Contractions.
Silent final letters.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Students discover and develop simple
spelling rules through the inquiry process
and investigations.
Footscray Primary School
33
Language Policy
Year 5
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Selecting high and learning
high-frequency words from all
curriculum area plus individual
words of choice and Oxford
Word List
Revising some spelling patterns
with more extensive vocabulary,
according to children‟s writing
needs.
Meaning/Word Structure
Strategy
Common prefixes: ex, sub,
extra, super, uni, tri, bi, trans,
inter, semi, pre
co, in, im, ill, ir
Teachings strategies to proof
read to allow students to select
personal spelling words.
Irregular Consonant Blends
Final silent letters e.g. e, b, ing.
Common suffixes: ist, ment,
ship, tion, sion, ion, able, ible
Comparative/Superlative
Contractions: all
Acronyms – scuba, flak
Antonyns/ Synonyms
Homophones from Yr 5/6 list
Difficult homophones meddle
and medal
Footscray Primary School
34
Language Policy
Year 6
Children Are Engaged in Daily, Sustained Reading and Writing Experiences.
High-Frequency Words
Visual Strategy
Selecting high and learning high-frequency Revising some spelling patterns with
words from all curriculum area plus
more extensive vocabulary, according to
individual words of choice.
children‟s writing needs.
Teachings strategies to proof read to
allow students to select personal spelling
words.
Meaning/Word Structure Strategy
Less common prefixes: auto, non, circum, be,
en, co, contra, counter, dia, macro, post, pro,
octa, multi, fore, vice.
Less common suffixes: action, aga, ary, oid,
ate, ic, ure, ance, ence, ant, ent.
Plurals
Possessive apostrophises
Acronyms
Eponyms (words named after people or place)
sandwich, fuchsia
Words from other languages. Aqua, tele, geo
Greek and Latin words
Difficult homophones
Base words and word building
Confusing words affect effect practice practise
accept and except
Footscray Primary School
35
Language Policy
Appendix 2- Reading Scope and Sequence
Reading strategies and knowledge to be taught in PREP
Concepts about Print,
Phonological Awareness and
Reading routines
Concepts about print:
Front of the book,
Print contains a message,
Where to start reading,
Reading left-right,
Return sweep,
Word to word matching,
First and last concept,
Line order,
Left page before right.
Meaning of:
Full stop, capital letters,
comma, quotation marks, bold
writing, and speech bubbles in
books.
Letter identification and
sounds that individual letters
make, plus combinations such
as: sh, ch, th, ph.
Classroom Library:
-Setting up effective practices
for take-home books.
- Categorise the class library to
suit student‟s needs and
interests.
- Choosing just right texts
Start Group work
Term 1, Week 5-6
All children should be in
flexible groups for guided
reading.
Goal setting
Work collaboratively with the
teacher during regular
conferences to set reading
goals.
Decoding
Strategies
Fluency and
expression
Revise and
teach decoding
strategies:
o Look at
the
pictures
o Initial
sounds
o Rereading
o Chunkin
g (used
to be
called
sounding
out)
o Reading
on
o Does it
look
right?
o Does it
sound
right?
o Does it
make
sense?
This may occur
during whole
class minilesson and
during guided
reading.
 Teachers
engaged in
rich
introductions
to unknown
texts to
facilitate
comprehensio
n
 Teachers
ensure access
to reading
materials at
their
independent
reading.
 Read
smoothly.
 Re-read to
develop
fluency.
 Change voice
for
punctuation,
such as bold
letters and
exclamation
marks.
Predicting and
Prior Knowledge
Visualising
 Introduce the
concept of
predicting.
 Predict likely
events or
outcomes before
and during
reading.
 Use illustrations
and the front cover
to predict before
reading.
 Use illustrations
throughout the text
to predict.
 Use some prior
knowledge when
predicting.
 Compare
predictions to the
actual text.
 Introduce the
concept of
Visualising.
 Be able to
visualise
characters, places
and things.
 Children draw
some of their
visual images in
their reading
journal.
 Use prior
knowledge to help
make visual
images.
 Visualises
throughout the
reading of a text.
Comprehension Strategies
Questions and
Summarising
Questioning
 Introduce the
concept of
questioning.
 Ask questions
about a text
before reading,
during reading
and after reading.
 Focus on asking “I
wonder”
questions.
 Discuss questions
with peers and
teachers/adults.
Footscray Primary School
 Introduce the
concept of
summarising.
 When
summarising a text
remember
important ideas,
events and details.
 Integrate new
knowledge with
prior
understandings.
 Find important
parts in a text.
Think aloud
Text Structures
and Features
 Introduce the
concept of thinkaloud.
 Think aloud can
be used by chn
during their
reading to focus
thinking, or be
used by the
teacher to model
other strategies.
 Notice thinking
during reading.
 Change direction
of thinking during
reading according
to text evidence.
 Introduce genres
and the associated
text structure, for
that genre.
 Use appropriate
language to talk
about the structure
of texts.
 Connect texts
using top-level
structures:
o
List-like
o
Cause and
effect
o
Compare
and
contrast
o
Fact and
opinion
o
Chronolo
gical
order
o
Problem/
solution
 Express
preferences for
reading particular
genres.
36
Language Policy
Reading strategies and knowledge to be taught in GRADE ONE/TWO
Concepts about Print, Phonological
Awareness and Reading routines
Revise the meaning of:
Full stop, capital letters, comma,
quotation marks, bold writing, and
speech bubbles in books.
Meaning of question marks and
exclamation marks.
Revise phonological awareness,
including letter identification and
sounds that individual letters and
groups of letters make.
Classroom Library:
-Setting up effective practices for
take-home books.
- Categorise the class library to suit
student‟s needs and interests.
- Choosing just right texts
Independent Reading:
- Focusing on building their reading
stamina.
- Develop excellent understandings of
the decoding strategies.
- Making clear the expectations of
readers during reading lessons.
Start Group work
Term 1, Week 5-6
All children should be in flexible
groups for guided reading.
Start Reciprocal teaching for Grade
2s in Term 3-4.
Goal setting
Work collaboratively with the teacher
during regular conferences to set
reading goals.
Decoding
Strategies
Fluency and
expression
Revise and teach
decoding
strategies:
o Look at the
pictures
o Initial
sounds
o Re-reading
o Chunking
(used to be
called
sounding
out)
o Reading on
o Does it
look right?
o Does it
sound
right?
o Does it
make
sense?
This may occur
during whole
class mini-lesson
and during
guided reading.
 Teachers
engaged in
rich
introductions
to unknown
texts to
facilitate
comprehensio
n.
 Read
smoothly,
without
hesitation and
with
comprehensio
n.
 Achieve
accuracy in
word
recognition.
 Ensure access
to reading
materials at
their
independent
reading.
 Re-read to
develop
fluency.
 Read with
expression,
pausing
correctly at
punctuation.
 Change voice
for different
characters in a
narrative.
Clarify the
meaning of
unknown words.
Predicting and
Prior
Knowledge
Visualising
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of predicting.
Predict likely
events or
outcomes before
and during
reading.
 Use illustrations
and the front
cover to predict
before reading.
 Use illustrations
throughout the
text to predict.
 Use some prior
knowledge when
predicting.
 Confirm,
disconfirm and
modify
predictions as you
read.
 Predict likely
events using
evidence and prior
knowledge.
 Support
predictions with
evidence from the
text and explain.
 Compare
predictions to the
actual text.
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of Visualising.
 Be able to
visualise
characters, places
and things.
 Children draw
some of their
visual images in
their reading
journal.
 Use prior
knowledge to help
make visual
images.
 Visualises
throughout the
reading of a text.
 Develop a
sequence of visual
images of a text,
by drawing and
modifying the
picture as you
read.
Comprehension Strategies
Questions and
Summarising
Questioning
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of questioning.
 Ask questions
about a text
before reading,
during reading
and after reading.
 Questioning the
author and asks
follow-up
questions during
reading.
 Focus on asking I
wonder questions.
 Focus on
Question-Answer
relationship cards:
Right there and
Think and Search
questions.
 Discuss questions
with peers and
teachers/adults.
 Use post-its,
jottings, highlight
or underlines text
to document
questions.
Footscray Primary School
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of summarising.
 When
summarising a text
remember
important ideas,
events and details.
 Integrate
information from
Personal
experiences, other
texts and general
knowledge.
 Integrate new
knowledge with
prior
understandings.
 Use of scanning
and skimming to
help when
summarising and
finding important
parts in a text.
Think aloud
Text Structures and
Features
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of think-aloud.
Think aloud can
be used by chn
during their
reading to focus
thinking, or be
used by the
teacher to model
other strategies.
 Notice thinking
during reading.
 Discuss thinking
during reading.
 Change direction
of thinking during
reading according
to text evidence.
 Reflect on own
use of thinking
about reading.
 Introduce and revise the
concept of text structures
and features.
 Use appropriate language to
talk about the structure of
texts.
 Use text structure to locate
information.
 Connect texts using toplevel structures:
o
List-like
o
Cause and effect
o
Compare and
contrast
o
Fact and opinion
o
Chronological
order
o
Problem/ solution
 Express preferences for
reading particular genres.
37
Language Policy
Reading strategies and knowledge to be taught in THREE/FOUR
Concepts about Print, Phonological
Awareness and Reading routines
Independent Reading
Develop effective Independent
Reading structures in the class.
Classroom library
Develop good understandings of how
the classroom library operates.
Set up an effective process for
changing take-home books.
Reading strategies
Revise and list all reading strategies,
divide these up into decoding and
comprehension strategies.
Reading conferences
Discuss reading and thinking with
peers and teachers/adults.
Sets goals for improving performance.
Reflects on own use of thinking about
reading.
Start Group work
Term 1, Week 5-6
Guided reading or
Reciprocal Teaching with all students.
Book clubs in Term 3-4.
Naplan test features and practise
during Term 1, Week 9 until the test
Read directions carefully, re-reading.
Skim, scan, read.
Locate most important words/parts in
a passage.
Practise past Naplan texts and
multiple-choice questions.
Goal setting
Work collaboratively with the teacher
during regular conferences and
independently to set reading goals.
What does it mean to be a strategic
reader?
Decoding
Strategies
Fluency and
expression
Revise and
teach decoding
strategies:
o Look at
the
pictures
o Initial
sounds
o Rereading
o Chunking
(used to
be called
sounding
out)
o Reading
on
o Does it
look
right?
o Does it
sound
right?
o Does it
make
sense?
This may occur
during whole
class minilesson and
during guided
reading.
 Read
smoothly,
without
hesitation and
with
comprehension
.
 Achieve
accuracy in
word
recognition.
 Ensure access
to reading
materials at
their
independent
reading.
 Re-read to
read fluently in
meaningful
phrases, rather
than word-byword.
 Practise
reading for
speed and
accuracy.
 Read with
expression,
pausing
correctly at
punctuation.
 Change voice
for different
characters in a
narrative.
 Speak clearly
when reading
or sharing with
a group.
Clarify the
meaning of
unknown
words.
Comprehension Strategies
Predicting and
Prior Knowledge
 Introduce and revise
the concept of
predicting.
 Predict likely events
or outcomes before
and during reading.
 Uses some prior
knowledge when
predicting.
 Confirm, disconfirm
and modify
predictions in light of
new information.
 Predict likely events
using evidence and
prior knowledge, then
confirm, disconfirm
and modify in light of
new information.
 Support predictions
with evidence from
the text and explain
inferences.
 Monitor predictions
formed before and
during reading, and
compare them with
the actual text.
 Introduce inferring, as
“Read between the
lines”.
 Use evidence to infer
motives, emotions,
situations and what
happened before and
after.
Visualising
Questions and
Questioning
Summarising
Think aloud
Text Structures and
Features
 Introduce and
revise the
concept of
Visualising.
 Be able to
visualise
characters,
places and
things.
 Children draw
some of their
visual images in
their reading
journal.
 Use prior
knowledge to
help make
visual images.
 Visualises
throughout the
reading of a
text.
 Build and
develop a
sequential visual
image of a text,
by drawing and
modifying the
picture as the
child continues
reading.
 Support visual
images with
evidence from
the text
(verifies).
 Introduce and revise
the concept of
questioning.
 Initiates questions
before reading,
during reading and
after reading.
 Questioning the
author and asks
follow-up questions
during reading.
(e.g. What does the
author mean here?
Does the author
explain this clearly?
How could the
author have said this
more clearly? What
would you say
instead?)
 Focus on QuestionAnswer relationship
cards: Right there,
Think and Search,
Author and Me &
On my own.
 Discuss questions
with peers and
teachers/adults.
 Use post-its, jottings,
highlight or
underlines text to
document questions.
 Explain how
questioning helps
own reading
comprehension and
reflects on own use
of questioning.
 Introduce and
revise the
concept of
summarising.
When
summarising a
text remember
important ideas,
events and
details.
 Integrate
information
from Personal
experiences,
Other texts,
World
knowledge,
using text-text,
text-self, and
text-world.
 Connect
important ideas
to each other.
 Use text to
support
summaries,
 Integrate new
knowledge with
prior
understandings.
 Discuss and use
synthesising.
 Use of scanning
and skimming
to help when
summarising
and finding
important parts
in a text.
 Introduce and revise
the concept of thinkaloud. Think aloud
can be used by chn
during their reading
to focus thinking, or
be used by the
teacher to model
other strategies.
 Notice thinking
during reading.
 Discuss thinking
during reading.
 Support thinking with
evidence from the
text.
 Support thinking with
background
knowledge of people,
events or other texts.
 Use post-its, jottings,
highlights or
underlines text to
document parts of the
text that forces
thinking.
 Change direction of
thinking during
reading according to
text evidence
(decides).
 Explain how thinking
about reading helps
own reading
comprehension.
 Reflect on own use of
thinking about
reading.
 Introduce and revise the
concept of text structures
and features.
 Use appropriate language
to talk about the structure
of texts.
 Use text structure to locate
information.
 Use text structure to
anticipate story line.
 Predict text organisation in
familiar genres.
 Introduce and refer to the
“Genre chart”, see
appendix.
 Connect texts using toplevel structures:
o
List-like
o
Cause and effect
o
Compare and
contrast
o
Fact and opinion
o
Chronological
order
o
Problem/ solution
 Express preferences for
reading particular genres.
 Explain how using text
structure helps own reading
comprehension.
 Reflect on own use of toplevel structures.
 Sets goals for improving
knowledge and use of text
structure to help reading
comprehension.
Footscray Primary School
38
Language Policy
Reading strategies and knowledge to be taught in GRADE FIVE/SIX
Concepts about Print,
Phonological Awareness
and Reading routines
Decoding
Strategies
Fluency and
expression
Independent Reading
Develop effective Independent
Reading structures in the class.
Classroom library
Develop good understandings
of how the classroom library
operates.
Set up an effective process for
changing take-home books.
Start Group work
Term 1, Week 5-6
Revise skills and strategies of
Reciprocal teaching using
Collaborative Cloze activity.
(Predicting, Clarifying,
Questioning and Summarising.)
Introduce SQ3R and SAIL
(Students Achieving
Independent Learning)
Book clubs and literature
circles.
Naplan test features and
practise
Read directions carefully, rereading.
Skim, scan, read.
Locate most important
words/parts in a passage.
Practise past Naplan texts and
multiple-choice questions.
Goal setting
Work collaboratively with the
teacher during regular
conferences and independently
to set reading goals.
What does it mean to be a
strategic reader?
Revise and
teach decoding
strategies:
o Look at
the
pictures
o Initial
sounds
o Re-reading
o Chunking
(used to be
called
sounding
out)
o Reading
on
o Does it
look right?
o Does it
sound
right?
o Does it
make
sense?
This may occur
during whole
class minilesson, but more
likely during
guided reading,
with children
needed support.
 Read smoothly,
without hesitation
and with
comprehension.
 Achieve accuracy
in word
recognition.
 Ensure access to
reading materials
at their
independent
reading.
 Re-read to read
fluently in
meaningful
phrases, rather
than word-byword.
 Practise reading
for speed and
accuracy.
 Read with
expression,
pausing correctly
at punctuation.
 Change voice for
different characters
in a narrative.
 Speak clearly
when reading or
sharing with a
group.
Clarify the
meaning of
unknown
words.
Predicting and Prior
Knowledge
Visualising
 Introduce and revise
the concept of
predicting.
 Uses some prior
knowledge when
predicting.
 Confirm, disconfirm
and modify
predictions in light of
new information.
 Predicting using
literary knowledge
 Form predictions
using knowledge of
text structures of
genres and text
features.
 Form predictions
using knowledge of
top-level structures
(cause/effect,
compare and
contrast, list-like,
problem/solution)
before and after
reading.
 Form predictions
using knowledge of
story grammar.
 Introduce inferring,
as “Read between the
lines”.
 Use evidence to infer
motives, emotions,
situations and what
happened before and
after.
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of Visualising.
 Be able to visualise
characters, places
and things.
 Children draw
some of their
visual images in
their reading
journal.
 Use prior
knowledge to help
make visual
images.
 Visualises
throughout the
reading of a text.
 Envisage (using all
senses) before and
during reading.
 Build and develop
a sequential visual
image of a text, by
drawing and
modifying the
picture as the child
continues reading.
 Support visual
images with
evidence from the
text (verifies).
 Draw visual
representations to
understand and
summarise the text
(timelines, flow
charts, Venn
diagrams etc.)
Comprehension Strategies
Questions and
Summarising
Questioning
 Introduce and revise
the concept of
questioning.
 Form questions and
wonder.
 Questioning the
author and asks
follow-up questions
during reading.
e.g. What does the
author mean here?
Does the author
explain this clearly?
How could the author
have said this more
clearly? What would
you say instead?)
 Focus on QuestionAnswer relationship
cards: Right there,
Think and Search,
Author and Me & On
my own and Dig deep
questions.
 Discuss questions with
peers and
teachers/adults.
 Use post-its, jottings,
highlight or underlines
text to document
questions.
 Explain how
questioning helps own
reading
comprehension and
reflects on own use of
questioning.
Footscray Primary School
 Introduce and
revise the concept
of summarising.
 When summarising
a text remember
important ideas,
events and details.
 Form connections
to personal
experiences, to
texts and to world
events.
 Use text-text, textself, and textworld.
 Connect important
ideas to each other.
 Use text to support
summaries.
 Integrate new
knowledge with
prior
understandings.
 Discuss summaries
during and after
texts – thinking
about the text
structures and
author‟s purpose.
 Discuss and use
synthesising.
 Use of scanning
and skimming to
help when
summarising and
finding important
parts in a text.
Think aloud
Text Structures and
Features
 Introduce and revise
the concept of thinkaloud. Think aloud
can be used by chn
during their reading
to focus thinking, or
be used by the
teacher to model
other strategies.
 Discuss thinking
during reading.
 Support thinking with
evidence from the
text.
 Support thinking with
background
knowledge of people,
events or other texts.
 Use post-its, jottings,
highlights or
underlines text to
document parts of the
text that forces
thinking.
 Change direction of
thinking during
reading according to
text evidence
(decides).
 Explain how thinking
about reading helps
own reading
comprehension.
 Reflect on own use of
thinking about
reading.
 Consciously think
about and verbalise
the strategies used.
 Introduce and revise the
concept of text structures
and features.
 Use appropriate language
to talk about the structure
of texts.
 Use text structure to
anticipate story line.
 Predict text organisation in
familiar genres.
 Think about how the author
organised the text.
 Introduce and refer to the
“Genre chart”, see
appendix.
 Connect texts using toplevel structures:
o
List-like
o
Cause and effect
o
Compare and
contrast
o
Fact and opinion
o
Chronological
order
o
Problem/
solution
 Express preferences for
reading particular genres.
 Explain how using text
structure helps own reading
comprehension.
 Reflect on own use of toplevel structures.
 Sets goals for improving
knowledge and use of text
structure to help reading
comprehension.
39
Language Policy
Genre chart
Appendix 3.
Genre
Narrative
Recount
Report
Procedure
Explanation
Exposition
Response
Test
To entertain,
stimulate and
motive.
To retell a series
of events.
To present
information
about an object,
animal, person or
place.
To tell how to
make or do
something.
To tell or explore
how things work
or how they
came to be.
To argue or
persuade a case
for or against a
particular point
of view.
To respond to
something you
have seen, heard
or been told.
To find how
much
information
someone knows
about a topic.
Main Top
level
structure
found in
each
genre
Problem and
Solution
Chronological
order
Compare and
contrast
List-like
Cause and effect
Fact and opinion
Fact and opinion
Text types
Picture book
Novel
Comic book
Graphic novel
Retell
Biography
Autobiography
Memoir
Diary
Log
Blog
News report
Informational
Scientific
Observations
Article
Digram/table
Instructions
How to…
Recipe
Scientific
experiment
Manual
Rules
Map
Informational
Scientific
Diagram
Advertisement
Opinion
Book/movie
review
Job application
Speech
Debate
Article
Analysis
Journal
Review
Styles
Adventure
Fantasy
Comedy
Science-fiction
Historical
Forms,
that can
be in any
genre
Naplan
Essay
Multiple choice
Essay
Question and
answer
Poetry, letter, poster, postcard, lyrics, song, script, essay, summary.
Footscray Primary School
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