Systematic Synthetic Phonics Prep-Year 2

Next week, our first group of Prep-Year 2 teachers will be attending a four-day Sounds-Write training course and will begin implementing their new learning in their classrooms from the following week. As our teachers have been following a similar scope and sequence for spelling and phonemic awareness across these year levels, they will be able to begin implementing their new learning right after training, with support from our HOD-Curriculum and other members of staff who have been trained as Sounds-Write practitioners already. This is an exciting time for our Early Years Teachers who are all super keen to learn the latest research on teaching reading and embed it in their classrooms.

In Prep, students will continue learning the concept that one spelling represents one sound, and focus on blending, segmenting, and manipulating CVC words. For example, this fortnight the Preps are working on learning the sounds of the initial code spellings d, e, f and v. They will be learning to sound out words like dog, beg, fed, vet, and cod all comprised of letter/spelling code they have learned up until now and this fortnight’s learning, and to sound the spellings to write these words (e.g. /b/ /e/ /d/ spells bed).

In Year 1 and Year 2, the students will be working on extended code and learning to blend, segment and manipulate spellings that represent the sound /ow/ as in cow, out, clown, ground. They will begin to work with spellings where one sound is represented by two letters and applying these spellings to words with a CVC sound pattern, and in Year 2 they may begin exploring words with more than one syllable.

Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading Challenge is not a competition but is a way to encourage students to develop a passion for reading.

Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books they’ve read during the reading period, between 8 May and 25 August.

To complete the challenge:

• Prep to Year 2 – must read or experience 20 books
• Year 3 and 4 – must read 20 books
• Year 5 and 6 – must read 15 books (less books than year 3 and 4 due to likelihood of being longer and more complex)

For suggested books, or for more information about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, please visit:

https://readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au/

Every student who completes the challenge will receive a Certificate of Achievement, signed by the Premier.  Your child should receive a record sheet and consent form this week from their classroom teacher.  Completed record sheets with student’s full name and class on them.