The Junior School have begun their exciting structured Literacy journey with the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA). BSLA aims to support children’s early reading, writing and oral language success.
It includes the systematic teaching of critical phonological awareness skills and letter sound knowledge skills through fun, games-based activities, activities making explicit links to the reading and spelling context, and structured small group reading sessions using the new Ready to Read – Phonics Plus early readers series. In addition, the approach includes explicit teaching in vocabulary skills and in building children’s oral narrative and listening comprehension skills through quality children’s story books’
A whānau workshop was held in Term 3 for all Year 0-2 Parents. There were over 70 parents in attendance. The teachers were able to show the various resources used, what the approach looks like in the classroom, how whānau can help at home and display the different picture books and ready to read readers that will be sent home. There have been several parents that have approached the teachers and have said they have really enjoyed the new learning their children are doing at school and have loved the suggestions from the whānau home learning sheets on how they can help at home.
Learners are loving the new Ready to Read – Phonic Plus books, the quality, shared picture books and the new Literacy games that consolidate the learning that has happening during the week. They are learning new skills like segmenting, blending, identifying phonemes and blends and gaining new English and Te Reo vocabulary.
The Junior School is very excited to continue our journey and see our students thrive in Literacy.
Link to parent website: https://www.betterstartapproach.com/families
