Korumburra

At Korumburra Primary School our aim is to create lifelong readers, writers and speakers as well as fostering a love of literacy. Our teachers are passionate and knowledgeable of the current best practice teaching for literacy and the DET curriculum expectations. We spend optimum time in building literacy strength across all year levels.

​

Literacy instruction follows the Gradual Release of Responsibility model of ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’. Students are engaged in authentic instruction and learning and are scaffolded and supported to independence through modelled, shared, interactive and guided teaching, with application at the student’s point of need and level. Instruction may be conducted in whole class groups, small groups or individual level. Literacy intervention is provided for students who require timely or more individual targeted learning support.

​

Lesson instruction regularly follows a structure beginning with a tune in and engaging motivation or inquiry, connecting with prior knowledge and understanding, followed by a mini lesson with a key focus and learning goal, then worked examples and shared practice, exploration and discovery, including timely targeted support and check ins, conferences with independent application and ending with shared learning review.

​

Oral Language and Speaking and Listening underpin the foundation for literacy through all year levels. Developing an understanding of phonic sound awareness and knowledge, building a wide vocabulary and grammar concepts, together with speech and voice, formal and informal language, are progressively developed with a sense of purpose and audience.

​

Reading and Writing are inevitably interrelated, while specific concepts and skills may be taught and practiced separately. Students are engaged in authentic reading and writing activities across all text types and purposes. Students build reading decoding skills and respond to their reading while increasing their ability to understand, comprehend and apply reading skills across all areas of learning, increasingly reading to learn and for enjoyment. 

In Writing students develop writing skills and conventions progressively through building sound and letter knowledge for encoding and recording words and sentences as an authentic means to tell their ‘story’ and communicate and are encouraged to be writer’s and enjoy the craft of writing.

​

Teachers and students access a wide range of literacy learning tools and activities including Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, Writer’s Notebook, Literacy Circles, digital and multi modal platforms and programs such as Soundwaves and ABC Reading Eggs, together with our fabulous school library and varied and engaging reading materials across the school.

​

Feedback and assessment take many forms, before, during and after instruction, both formal and informal, summative and formative, informing teachers and students of progress, areas for further learning and providing celebration and reflection.