Literacy

At Bairnsdale Primary School, we use evidence-based teaching practices to support every student to become a confident and capable reader and writer.

Our literacy approach provides students with explicit, systematic and carefully sequenced instruction across all areas of literacy. We place a strong emphasis on phonics and word reading, particularly in the early years, ensuring students develop the knowledge and skills they need to decode and read words accurately and fluently.

Our teaching is guided by the Gradual Release of Responsibility model, where teachers explicitly model new skills and knowledge, work alongside students through guided practice, and progressively provide opportunities for students to apply their learning independently.

Our approach includes:

• Explicit phonics instruction – students are systematically taught the relationships between sounds and letters to develop strong decoding and word-reading skills.
• Vocabulary development – we deliberately build students’ vocabulary through explicit teaching, rich texts, classroom discussion and meaningful learning experiences.
• Spelling and word study – students develop their understanding of spelling patterns, sounds, word structures and morphology through explicit and structured instruction.
• Reading fluency and comprehension – students are supported to develop accuracy, fluency and a deep understanding of what they read.
• Writing instruction – students receive explicit teaching in sentence construction, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and the development of ideas.
• Oral language – purposeful conversations, discussion and listening experiences help students develop the language skills that underpin reading and writing.
• Gradual Release of Responsibility – teachers model and explicitly demonstrate new learning, guide students through supported practice, and gradually transfer responsibility to students as their confidence and competence develop.

Teachers use assessment and student learning data to identify what students know, what they need to learn next and how best to support or extend them. Teaching is responsive to individual student needs, with intervention and additional support provided where required.

Our goal is to ensure that every student develops the essential literacy knowledge and skills needed to read, write, communicate and participate successfully in learning and life.