FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
NAPLAN
NAPLAN assessments will begin next week. Students in Year 3 and 5 will be participating in
- Writing Tuesday 11th May
- Reading Thursday 13th May
- Language Conventions Monday 17th May
- Numeracy Wednesday 19th May
If students are absent they will have an opportunity to catchup when they return to school. NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. It is important to remember that NAPLAN is not about passing or failing, but about assessing learning progress.
ENGLISH AT ST PAT’S
This week we were privileged to have Colleen Caddey and Lisa Harris from Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn visit our school. Colleen Caddey is a well known part of our St Pat’s community in the past and brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise in literacy. Colleen spent time in Year 3-6 classrooms, talking with teachers and leadership to ensure we are continuing to implement rigorous English curriculum. Lisa Harris is a driver of literacy and numeracy in the K-2 space. She has supported the implementation of the InitiaLit program into our schools and is developing opportunities for our teachers to build strong mathematical knowledge. At St Pat’s we highly value the input of such specialists and their input will ensure we are continuing to strengthen the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy.
Photos below show students in Kindergarten participating in InitiaLit where they are introduced to tricky words, learning them through explicit teaching and practice, and identifying them on the tricky words tree. Kinder students can then use this knowledge to build on their vocabulary and writing skills.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR LITERACY
The proven benefits of reading with your childParents and carers who read aloud with children in a secure, safe and comfortable context motivate their children to read. Parents’ perceptions, values, attitudes, and expectations play an important role in influencing their children’s attitudes toward reading, and subsequent literacy development. When children share a book with someone who makes them feel special, the attitude that reading is pleasurable is transferred to other reading encounters. Relationship buildingAt the core of reading is a relationship and it is the bond between children and parents that is enhanced through reading together. It only takes ten minutes a day to build this relationship. Children’s reading improvesThe research is conclusive: When parents successfully support their children’s literacy learning from an early age, everyone benefits. When teachers and parents work together to support children’s reading and academic success, learning outcomes for all children improve. Children read moreStudents who read with their parents are better prepared for school. They begin school with knowledge of book language and familiarity with concepts of print. They understand how books work and have many more exposures to text types and vocabulary. Children’s self-esteem improvesKnowing someone cares enough to take time out of a busy schedule to give you undivided attention around a book makes a significant difference to how students perceive themselves as learners and readers. When parents show an interest in their children’s learning, children respond positively. Reading unites families through shared storiesWhen a family reads together, stories form a common ground for communicating. Stories bind families and help students makes sense of where they fit in the world. |