Program Overview

Welcome to the R.E.A.D program, where our goal is to help primary school students develop a love for reading and become confident and proficient readers. Our program is designed to teach children to read for engagement, appreciation, and discovery of knowledge.

In the "Learning to Read" stage, students will develop the basic skills necessary to understand written language, such as phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program uses a variety of methods, such as explicit instruction, interactive activities, and games, to teach students the five pillars of reading. These skills will provide them with the tools they need to read effectively and to understand and appreciate written texts.

In the "Reading to Learn" stage, students will use reading as a tool to acquire new information and knowledge, expand their understanding of the world around them, and become critical thinkers. The program focuses on engagement, appreciation, and discovery. Students will have access to a wide range of reading materials and activities, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, which will help them to develop their reading skills and to appreciate the written word.

Our program is tailored to meet the needs of each individual student, ensuring that they make steady progress in their reading skills and confidence. We believe that reading is a key to personal empowerment and the ability to discover and understand new information and ideas. We are excited to see our students grow as readers and discover the joy of reading.

Stages of the R.E.A.D Program

Learning to Read

This stage of the program is designed to help students develop the basic skills necessary to understand written language, such as phonics, vocabulary, and fluency. We use a variety of methods, such as explicit instruction, interactive activities, and games, to help students learn the alphabet, recognize words, and understand grammar and sentence structure.

The Learning to Read Stage of the R.E.A.D program is designed to help students develop the basic skills necessary to understand written language, such as phonics, vocabulary, and fluency. We use a variety of methods, such as explicit instruction, interactive activities, and games, to help students learn the alphabet, recognize words, and understand grammar and sentence structure. This section is further divided into the following five pillars of reading as described in the Reading Panel report:

Decoding

Phonological & Phonemic Awareness

This essential element of the R.E.A.D program aims to develop students' understanding of the sound structure of language. Through a variety of activities, learners practice identifying, segmenting, and manipulating individual sounds (phonemes) within spoken words. They also explore the concept of syllables and develop the ability to recognize and produce rhyming words. This strong foundation in phonological and phonemic awareness helps students become efficient readers and spellers.

Phonics & Word Study

This component of the R.E.A.D program focuses on teaching students the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, as well as decoding strategies to read unfamiliar words. Students engage in activities to identify and manipulate letter-sound relationships, learn to blend sounds to form words, and practice breaking words into syllables. The Word Study aspect also helps students recognize common patterns, such as prefixes and suffixes, to build their vocabulary and reading skills.

Fluency- Orthographic Recognition

In this component, students work on improving their reading fluency by developing orthographic mapping and decoding of high-frequency words and common word patterns. Activities and exercises are designed to help students read texts with greater accuracy, speed, and expression. As they become more fluent readers, students will gain confidence in their ability to comprehend and engage with a wide range of texts, fostering a lifelong love for reading and learning.

Comprehension

Literacy Knowledge

This strand of the R.E.A.D program focuses on helping students develop an understanding of the basic conventions of print and the organization of written language. Students learn about text features such as titles, headings, and captions, as well as various text structures and genres. By exploring different types of texts, students become more adept at navigating and interpreting various reading materials, which ultimately enhances their overall reading comprehension.

Fluency- Read Alouds & Shared Reading

In this comprehension strand, students participate in read alouds and shared reading experiences to build their fluency, listening comprehension, and expressive language skills. Teachers model fluent and expressive reading, allowing students to hear how texts should be read and to learn new vocabulary in context. Shared reading provides opportunities for students to actively engage with texts, ask questions, and discuss their understanding, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Vocabulary & Morphology

In this strand, students work on expanding their vocabulary and understanding of word structure through the study of morphology. Activities focus on identifying and using prefixes, suffixes, and root words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. By building a rich vocabulary and understanding of word formation, students can better comprehend and engage with a variety of texts.

Syntax and Grammar

This component of the R.E.A.D program emphasizes the importance of understanding the structure and rules of language. Students are taught to recognize and apply grammatical rules and conventions in both written and spoken language at the sentence level using Colourful Semantics. By developing a strong foundation in syntax and grammar, students can effectively decode, comprehend, and analyze texts, as well as express themselves clearly and accurately.

Comprehension & Reasoning

The core of the R.E.A.D program, this strand aims to develop students' ability to deeply comprehend and analyze texts. Students are taught to employ various comprehension strategies, such as making connections, predicting, inferring, and summarizing. They also engage in critical thinking and reasoning activities, which enable them to evaluate the validity of information and synthesize ideas from multiple sources. Through this strand, students become skilled readers who can effectively interpret, appreciate, and respond to a wide range of texts.

Reading to Learn

Once students have learned to read, we focus on helping them use reading as a tool to acquire new information and knowledge, expand their understanding of the world around them, and become critical thinkers. We provide students with a wide range of reading materials and activities, including fiction, non-fiction, and informational texts. We also teach students how to ask questions, make connections, and summarize what they have read.

The "Reading to Learn" stage of the R.E.A.D program is based on a framework consisting of engagement, appreciation, and discovery. This framework includes the following components:

Engagement

This component is designed to help students become actively engaged with the texts they read. This includes providing students with a wide range of reading materials that are both challenging and enjoyable, fostering a sense of curiosity and a desire to learn, and encouraging students to ask questions and explore new ideas.

• Students will participate in book clubs where they will read and discuss texts chosen by the group.

• Students will be encouraged to choose texts that interest them and to share their thoughts and opinions with the group.

• Students will participate in literature circles where they will read and discuss different literary genres, such as poetry, plays, and short stories.

Appreciation

This component is designed to help students develop an appreciation for literature and the written word. This includes providing students with exposure to a variety of literary genres, teaching them how to analyze literary texts, and encouraging them to express their own thoughts and opinions about what they read.

• Students will be introduced to different literary elements such as plot, character development, setting, and theme, and will learn how to analyze and evaluate texts using these elements.

• Students will participate in writing workshops where they will write and share their own literary texts, such as poetry, short stories, and plays.

• Students will participate in field trips to local libraries and bookstores to learn about different authors and literary works.

Discovery

This component is designed to help students make connections between what they read and the world around them. This includes teaching students how to make connections between what they read and their own experiences, how to analyze and evaluate information, and how to use reading as a tool for personal growth and development.

• Students will participate in research projects where they will use reading as a tool to acquire new information and knowledge.

• Students will be encouraged to make connections between what they read and the world around them by participating in debates, discussions, and presentations.

• Students will participate in service learning projects where they will use their reading and writing skills to make a difference in their community.

Overall, the framework of engagement, appreciation and discovery aims to create a love for reading and a desire to learn by providing students with a well-rounded reading experience, that goes beyond just reading the words on the page, but encourages students to actively engage, appreciate and discover new information, ideas and concepts.