From the APL&T
Dear Nativity Community
Reading at Nativity
Reading is one of the most powerful skills we can support children to develop. It underpins learning across all areas of the curriculum and plays a key role in building confidence, understanding and future success. Unlike speaking, reading is a skill that must be carefully taught and strengthened over time through regular engagement.
The acquisition of reading skills is similar to learning to play football, learning to swim or to drive a car. Whilst we can be taught the fundamental skills, unless we practise regularly, the reading does not become fluent and embedded.
At school, we work on a number of different strategies to begin learning to read. The first key area is oral language – talking, listening, repeating, rhyming, singing and playing with words. We also use a sequential way of explicitly teaching letters and sounds. We use decodable texts as the children’s first books to provide successful attempts at reading with known sounds and letters. We share stories both through reading and orally. We introduce more words and discuss these books and we have the children write letters, then words and then sentences and stories.
Reading helps children to:
build strong vocabulary and understanding
• develop imagination and creativity
• improve focus and concentration
• learn about the world and different perspectives
• grow confidence and success across all learning areas
To become fluent and confident readers, children also need frequent opportunities at home to read, listen and talk about books. When school and home work together, children are best supported to read with meaning and enjoyment.
Helping students at home develop an enjoyment of reading
Some strategies include:
• set aside some uninterrupted time to read aloud with your child
• read to your child in your first language – research shows that using your first language will help your child when he or she learns to read English
• listen to your child read every day, even if only for a short time
• talk about books together – make reading a shared, enjoyable activity
• discuss the meanings of stories and words
• ensure there is a range of reading material for your child at home, both fiction and nonfiction
• give books as presents
• join your local library – borrow books for yourself as well as your child.
Here are some tips to encourage reading in older children:
• It is recommended that you continue to read together in the later primary years, even if your child is reading independently.
• Take your child to the local library often so they can choose, borrow and renew books. Taking your child to the library at the beginning of school holidays encourages weeks of independent reading.
• If your child likes an author, find another book or a series of books by the same author.
• Encourage your child to read about their favourite author or illustrator at their website.
• Introduce your child to read different genres such as fantasy, science-fiction, action and adventure.
• Introduce your child to reading different types of texts, such as poems, recipes, music lyrics, and short plays.
• Encourage your child to read non-fiction. The newspaper or an online encyclopedia might be a good start, but your child might also be interested in history books or autobiographies of their favourite sportsperson or celebrity.
Premiers Reading Challenge
At Nativity, we strongly encourage reading and helping children develop a lifelong love of books. Every year our students participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge, where they are encouraged to read 12 books by September. More information about Premier’s Reading Challenge can be found at, Home | Premiers Reading Challenge SA
• Early Years students complete the challenge as part of their classroom learning.
• Years 3–6 students keep a personal record of the books they read.
Scholastic
Our Years 3–6 students are participating in Scholastic’s Term 1 Read & Win Challenge, which makes independent reading fun and motivating. We are very proud of our school’s strong reading efforts, with our school currently being rating as high in reading words across SA and NT.
A special congratulations to Henry (Year 3), who was recognised by the Scholastic State Manager for his excellent quiz results and his outstanding contribution to our whole school word count. Henry received a book and a Book Club voucher—what a fantastic achievement, well done Henry!
Our Term 1 Global Concept: Community
This term, learning across the school is guided by our Global Concept of Community, with the big question:
How can communities work together to create positive change?
Through this concept, students are learning that:
• everyone belongs and everyone matters
• communities are made up of people who help and care for one another
• working together can make a real difference
Learning is hands on, creative and connected to real life experiences. Students are developing the skills to be curious, connected, confident communicators and creators.
What Learning Looks Like in the Early Years
Reception – Learning About Community Helpers
Reception students explore the question: How do people in a community work together to help others?
Students learn by:
• sharing how families help each other at home
• learning about people who help in our community (such as family members, carers and community helpers)
• listening to stories, watching videos and role playing helping situations
• creating drawings, posters or books showing how helpers support others
Through this learning, students build an understanding of kindness, care and belonging.
Years 1 & 2 – Belonging and Community
In Years 1 and 2, students learn that they are part of local, school, church and wider communities.
Students explore:
• different types of families and communities
• how families care for and support one another
• who helps us in our community and why their roles are important
• how belonging helps people feel safe, loved and valued
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Students show their learning by:
• sharing ideas through speaking, drawing and writing
• creating posters, mini books and role plays
• working together and listening respectfully to others
This learning is strongly connected to our Catholic values of care, service, diversity and God’s love.
I would like to leave you these words from Dr Seuss and invite you to reflect on the places you have visited through reading…
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.”
Kind regards,
Melinda James