ST THOMAS MORE
BELGRAVE

Our staff are trained in Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) teaching, this is an evidence-based learning approach that links reading, writing, and spelling. 

 

We offer a program that promotes skill development in reading and viewing, writing, speaking, and listening in a supportive and stimulating environment. Planning is based on the Victorian Curriculum and is evidence-based, supported by best practices around literacy acquisition. We are working towards having a knowledge-rich curriculum and explicit direct instruction across all year levels. At St Thomas More we strive for two-hour daily literacy blocks that are non-interrupted learning time for students in Prep to Year 6. Strong literacy skills are crucial for future academic success, while reading for pleasure is also extremely important. We want our students to love reading for enjoyment, improving social skills, mental health, and learning outcomes.

 

The English language is a melting pot of linguistic ingredients and has a complex code that has evolved over the decades. Many word origins are borrowed from Latin, Greek and even Japanese. Learning to read is not a natural process like learning to walk, and students need to acquire knowledge at school about the patterns and constraints that are unique to English. Our brains are not hard-wired to read, and reading is a skill that is biologically secondary. The Science of Reading (SOR) refers to an enormous body of research and an emerging consensus that converges into how the brain learns to read and how educators should teach reading to ensure the best outcomes for all students. Structured literacy and explicit teaching are particularly beneficial for students with English as an Additional Language / Dialect (EAL/D).

  

Our Early Years’ Educators engage all students in Prep to Year 3 with daily Heggerty Phonological & Phonemic Awareness activities. We engage students in a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) program. SSP instruction is very structured and teaches students the 44 letter sounds and how we blend sounds to read and spell. Decoding, 'set for variability' (the ability to identify a mispronounced word correctly), and phonological awareness are crucial skills for early reading and spelling success. Our students are taught to use their code knowledge to spell words using the same patterns they are learning in reading. We have invested in new sets of decodable readers for our beginning readers. Our students use decodable readers to practise the sound-spelling relationships and use the decoding skills taught in phonics lessons. We provide students with authentic texts for adults to read aloud until children can decode well enough to tackle the books themselves. Our students borrow up to 3 library choice books per week. Teachers share rich texts with their students daily. We challenge students to read for at least 15 minutes a day in class, and nightly reading is encouraged. Parent/carer involvement is welcomed in the classroom. 

 

There are six key components of reading, which need to be integrated throughout reading opportunities. 

1. Oral Language

2. Phonological Awareness

3. Phonics

4. Vocabulary

5. Fluency

6. Comprehension

 

Students at St Thomas More Primary School will explore morphology (the study of words and their parts), syntax (sentence structure), and the fascinating world of etymology (the history and examination of the origin of words). Students learn a range of words with prefixes and suffixes throughout their time at primary school, usually starting in Year 2 and Year 3. Learning root words, prefixes and suffixes help students understand words better and unlock the structure and meaning within words. Students also begin to see links between different words and identify word families. 

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e.g. the word destructive

the prefix "de-" means, in this case, "removal" (eg "dehumidify" "defame" "detoxify").

the root "-struct" means "to build" or "to assemble". 

 

Literacy support at St Thomas More Primary School is our priority and a social equity issue. We have introduced a multi-tiered approach to learning instruction. In Tier 2 or 3 intervention, we differentiate instruction and target specific skills for struggling learners. Our team provides:

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• Tier 1 - whole-class instruction using evidence-based teaching

• Tier 2 - support in small group sessions for students identified as at risk to supplement skill-building

• Tier 3 - individual intensive 1:1 targeted support for our struggling learners. 

 

We offer the same model for literacy and numeracy.

 

Our internal data indicates that our change in practices implemented in 2021 is working for our students. At St Thomas More Primary School, we have undertaken significant professional development to align our instruction with evidence-based research. 

 

St Thomas More Primary School has proudly signed the Primary Reading Pledge. Five from Five, AUSPELD, and Learning Difficulties Australia have collaborated on an evidence-based framework to dramatically reduce the number of students who finish primary school unable to read proficiently. We endorse and are working towards the goals outlined in the pledge. Our school is committed to using evidence-based reading instruction, assessment, and intervention.