TRBPS Literacy Learning Specialist is Cyndi Wiltshire, who will be happy to answer any questions you have about the TRBPS literacy program.
Literacy includes the areas of Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. Literacy is incorporated into all curriculum areas across the school. We firmly believe in the explicit teaching of literacy skills either as a whole class, small groups or individually.
In reading we use strategies from the Fountas and Pinnell reading program. Our PFA has donated many of our wonderful reading resources including the Fountas and Pinnell Classroom System. Spelling is a part of reading and writing. As a school, we incorporate many of the strategies used in the Words Their Way spelling program. This focuses on phonics and word study. It facilitates the learning of sounds, word building and Greek and Latin roots.
P-2 Early Years Literacy
The Early Years Literacy Program is a strategic approach that aims to ensure that all children achieve success in early literacy. It was written as a result of extensive research of best practice in Victoria, Australia and internationally. 
The strength of the Early Years Literacy Program lies in its essential features:
- A daily focused two-hour literacy session includes Reading, Writing (including spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Speaking and Listening
- Whole-school commitment.
- Professional Learning and practice modelling for staff.
Classroom Helpers
The Classroom Helpers Program is designed to support the work of parents, carers, helpers and aides who assist in classrooms.
It consists of the five interactive sessions and is linked to the classroom literacy program.
The course will:
- Develop in participants an increased understanding of the development of literacy skills.
- Demonstrate various learning situations to participants so they can act as role models for students in classrooms.
- Train participants in how to provide effective literacy support for individual or small groups of students.
If you would like to become a classroom helper, you will need to complete a series of sessions run by the school in Term 2. An information morning will be presented at the beginning of Term 2 and parents/carers are welcomed to attend.
| Session 1: | Being a Helper | 2 hrs. |
| Session 2: | Helping with Speaking and Listening | 2 hrs. |
| Session 3: | Reading is … | 2 hrs. |
| Session 4: | Helping with Reading | 2 hrs. |
| Session 5: | Helping with Writing | 2 hrs. |
If you have any queries, contact Ellise Mehl – Classroom Helpers Coordinator.
Literacy 3-6
Literacy in years three to six follows the same instructional model as P-2. We also incorporate many of the Early Years Literacy Program components in our delivery of this topic. Although reading, writing and speaking and listening are often inter-twined we also teacher these topics explicitly. Teachers place students in smaller needs-based learning groups to delve deeper into comprehension strategies in reading. Teams teach writing skills as a whole class and small groups that may incorporate student conferences. In the 5/6 area, students are placed in writing groups to further pinpoint the needs of each student in the area of writing structure.