Literacy

All classrooms at Nathalia Primary School have a dedicated two hour Literacy block every morning.

Effective literacy lessons accross all classes includes a whole class focused mini-lesson following by the opportunity for students to practise skills and strategies independently or in small groups with a teacher or Education Support staff.

In line with the Victorian Teaching & Learning Model 2.0, all Foundation-Grade 2 classes begin with explicit instruction in Phonemic Awareness and Structured, Synthetic Phonics.

Lessons include clear Learning Objectives and Success Criteria which are developed by teachers and shared with students. Students have the opportunity to develop a joy of reading and writing across a variety of genres and text types, with activities differentiated to support students at their point of need.

During a writing lesson you will see students observing high quality modelled writing, sharing writing stratgies and being given plenty of time to develop their own writing skills.

SMART Spelling

SMART Spelling is an approach that supports primary teachers to teach spelling well. There is a clear Foundation-6 scope and sequence that is well established at Nathalia Primary School. In a SMART Spelling classroom, students are explicitly taught spelling patterns, one at a time. Teachers start by teaching the meaning of words to expand vocabulary and then break words into syllables, sounds and letter patterns. Teachers use their professional knowledge to give meaningul feedback to students about their spelling in writing, teaching at the point of need.

Our staff are committed to regularly attending Professional Development and the continued improvement of teaching methods. We reguarly attend conferences, training sessions, and visit other schools to observe best-practice, and make time to visit each others classrooms to provide constructive comments on their practice.