English in Prep-Grade 2
Sounds Write
Sounds-Write is the phonics program used across Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 at Lara Lake. It is a linguistic phonics program which takes a 'speech to print' approach. That is, students first learn to carefully identify and hear the sounds they speak, before learning which letter/letters represent them in written words.
Students apply the knowledge they learn during explicitly taught Sounds-Write sessions when reading decodable readers both at school and at home, and when writing short sentences and texts.
Learn more about Sounds-Write by viewing a recording of the parent information session run in Term 1, by accessing the following link: https://youtu.be/_4OWbAdqNok
Home Reading
Students take home one decodable reader and one ‘sound review’ sheet per week. The decodable reader and ‘sound review’ sheet are reviewing the content that has been taught in the previous fortnight. This is so students are engaging in retrieval practice when reading at home, which provides them with additional opportunities to consolidate their new learning to their long-term memory. The act of retrieving previously learnt information, and attending to it in their working memory, strengthens learning being embedded into long-term memory, so that it can be effortlessly retrieved and used in the future.
Learn more about how to support your child with reading at home by viewing the following videos relating to decodable readers and the ‘sounds review’ sheet: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwJYIbCc049sW2bbQ_TtcYorcCiozKAfz
Students at Lara Lake also have access to a “Decodable Readers Australia” account. This is another resource that can be used at home to support students with their reading. Your child’s teacher will unlock the relevant level of texts for your child, based on the code knowledge they know and are working on at school. The following video from the Decodable Readers Australia (DRA) YouTube Channel may support you and your child with using this resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ0rWjWx9M4
English in Grades 3-6
More information coming soon.