Literacy

At St John’s, teaching literacy skills is a priority. Our students engage with purposeful listening, reading, viewing, speaking and writing activities everyday. Students learn new vocabulary through listening and reading and apply their knowledge and understanding in their speaking and writing, as well as in their comprehension of both spoken and written texts.

Structuring Literacy Lessons at St John's

• Explicit whole class teaching of reading and writing skills
• Focus group teaching to target individual learning needs
• Weekly targeted spelling program
• Phonics based reading and writing
• Regular and ongoing Assessment of English skills

Learning in Literacy is supported by:

• Spelling and grammar programs

• Handwriting skills

• 6+1 Writing Traits

• Literacy intervention programs 

• Extension programs 

• Public Speaking opportunities

• Debating program

• Celebrating Literacy and Numeracy Week and Book Week

• Extensive Resource Centre (Library)

• ICT devices and Google Apps For Education

• Reading Eggs/Eggspress - online programs to target specific learning goals

At St John’s our students learn to be competent users of English in Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. They learn to appreciate, enjoy and use language efficiently, working to analyse, understand and effectively communicate with others.

Our English Program includes:

• A two hour daily Literacy Block for Prep to Year Six involving shared texts, teacher-led focus groups, independent activities, use of technology and contemporary resources.

• We rely on ongoing assessment to continually inform our teaching and provide content that is differentiated for the individual student’s needs. 

• We provide explicit teaching of phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension strategies from Prep to Year Six.

• We provide English learning that is based on analysis, critical thinking, reflection and responding in all modes of English.

• We provide ongoing Literacy Coaching and Professional learning for our staff using contemporary approaches to teaching and learning.

• We provide early intervention programs such as ERIK, PERI, Toe By Toe, GReeaD, EAL support, and Extension education groups, Oral language support and other personalised interventions to ensure that all students are challenged and extended.