Reading and Viewing

The children work with a wide variety of different reading material and media texts; both fiction and nonfiction on a daily basis. Through these experiences the children will build on their reading strategies to interpret, analyse and evaluate such texts. Each student is supported in their learning to become an independent reader.

The workshop model is a literacy teaching structure from F-6 that involves the integration of the three English language modes: Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening

It involves:

• a sustained block of time that is uninterrupted.
• whole cohort, small group (differentiatedor collaborative learning) and individual teaching.
• the use of the gradual release of responsibility practices to support student learning.
• the use of texts as a core resource in teaching sequences.

Writing

Children are actively involved in creating, planning, writing, editing and publishing a range of texts to express their ideas and experiences. The Sherbourne Literacy Festival gives children the opportunity to share their published writing with their peers, fellow students, parents and visitors to the school.

Sound Waves Spelling is a whole-school program from F-6 developed by Australian teachers for use in Australian classrooms.

Informed by research on the best practices for teaching spelling, the program incorporates four key areas of teaching:

• Phonemic awareness: the ability to work with phonemes.
• Synthetic phonics: phonics instruction that involves teaching phoneme–grapheme relationships.
• Morphology: knowledge of the meaningful parts of words: prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots.
• Etymology: understanding of word origins and history.

Speaking and Listening

Many opportunities are given to Sherbourne students to express themselves in both formal and informal situations. Participation in and contributing to discussions, sharing ideas, information, experiences and opinions, allows all students to clarify and build their ideas and understandings. Active listening behaviours are encouraged as children engage in presentations from all members of the school community.