Literacy
The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate with and build relationships with others and with the world around them. The study of English helps young people develop the knowledge and skills needed for education, training and the workplace. It helps them become ethical, thoughtful, informed and active members of society. In this light it is clear that English plays an important part in developing the understanding, attitudes and capabilities of those who will take responsibility for Australia’s future.
English aims to ensure that students:
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learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex and sophisticated spoken, written and multimodal texts across a growing range of contexts with accuracy, fluency and purpose
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appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations and develop a sense of its richness and power to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interaction with others, entertain, persuade and argue
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understand how Standard Australian English works in its spoken and written forms and in combination with non-linguistic forms of communication to create meaning
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develop interest and skills in inquiring into the aesthetic aspects of texts, and develop an informed appreciation of literature.
Reading
Lilydale Primary School uses the Café Reading approach to develop student literacy. Café is an acronym for the four major components of reading. They are Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding Vocabulary. Through conferencing with the teacher individuals are taught strategies within these Café categories to help them become better readers and writers. This approach teaches independence and gives children the skills to create a lifetime love of reading and writing.
Writing
Students develop personal writer’s notebooks that they use to stimulate their writing. Through explicit teaching children are taught to write in a variety of genres with an emphasis on spelling, grammar and punctuation. Through individual teacher conferencing students identify their needs to develop their skills in writing. Children are encouraged to publish and share their writing with the class.
