Literacy
The Science of Reading lives here
The Teaching of Literacy
Through explicit teaching, students are encouraged to learn and advance these skills in fun and interesting ways that excite students’ minds. Literacy lessons teach students the vital skills of reading and writing as well as develop equally important speaking and listening skills.
A Foundation student during a Spelling session.
State Premier Daniel Andrews and BPPS students celebrating the Premiers Reading Challenge
As a school community, we celebrate literacy throughout the year – from the Victorian ‘Premier’s Reading Challenge’ through to special guest speakers – with the aim to create passionate readers and writers for life.
The Science of Reading
The Science of Reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing.
This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages. The Rcience of Reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develops, why some have difficulty, and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.
The Science of Reading is derived from researchers from multiple fields:
cognitive psychology
communication sciences
developmental psychology
education
implementation science
linguistics
neuroscience
school psychology
Defining Movement. (2021, February 21). The science of reading: A defining guide. https://www.whatisthescienceofreading.org/science-of-reading-guide
The Writing Revolution
The Writing Revolution (TWR) transforms instruction across the curriculum through a proven, coherent method that enables all students to develop the literacy and critical thinking skills they need to engage productively in society.
TWR is based on the Hochman Method, an explicit set of evidence-based strategies for teaching writing. The TWR approach builds from sentences to compositions and is embedded in curriculum across all content areas and grade levels.
At Brandon Park Primary School, we believe that knowledge of content and of the vocabulary acquired through learning about content are fundamental to successful reading comprehension; without broad knowledge, children’s reading comprehension will not improve. We place background knowledge and vocabulary, along with fluent decoding, at the centre of reading comprehension.
Across all of our year levels at Brandon Park, we use rich content material, both fiction and non-fiction, to develop units of work, relating to the same topic. We use The Writing Revolution method to enable students to master the skills that are essential to become competent writers. It is these skills that also equip students to become more proficient readers, to communicate more effectively in writing and speaking and evaluate their thinking.
Using The Writing Revolution’s method at Brandon Park enables us to teach writing skills and content simultaneously. We know that students need explicit instruction in writing, right from Foundation and that sentences are the building blocks of all writing. When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.
The Reading League Conference
Our former Principal, Sheryl Chard and current Principal Kate Buck and Assistant Principal Janice Corbett were the VIP guests at the United States Reading League Conference in Syracuse, NY. The two-day conference featured leading Science of Reading researchers and advocates from around the world. It was a thrill and a privilege to be invited and we learned so much about the evidence underpinning our approach to teaching all components of Literacy. The highlight of the second day was meeting Professor Maryanne Wolf (UCLA), a scholar, teacher and advocate for children and literacy around the world.
The 3rd Annual Reading League Conference
Kate Buck, Sheryl Chard, Janice Corbett with Professor Pam Snow and Dr Tanya Serry
A visit from Daniel Andrews
We received a visit from our states Premier, Daniel Andrews to celebrate the ‘Premiers Reading Challenge’
