Parents

During this time students are engaged in activities where teachers model thinking aloud as they read and write in order to provide a model of what a proficient reader and writer does. Students are given scaffolded purposeful talk opportunities in order to enable them to talk their way towards new concepts and understanding. Students:

• actively listen to one another, share ideas, consider and evaluate alternative viewpoints

• participate in purposeful talk opportunities that are integrated throughout all reading and writing opportunities.

• For example,

  • engage in purposeful talk before, during and after reading and writing activities

  • plan, rehearse and deliver presentations for defined audiences and purposes

  • justify personal opinions by citing evidence, negotiating with others and recognising their opinions

  • demonstrate understanding of ideas and issues in texts through dramatic representation

  • discuss different ways they learn to read and write

Is a time when teachers model a love of literature and passion for reading as well as proficient reading as they read and re-read a range of texts

Occurs in mixed ability groups where students are involves in explicitly-planned and focused shared reading, re-reading or viewing sessions that have a specific learning intention - eg, comprehension strategies, concepts of print, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, grammar, phrasing and fluency, etc.

During this time students are listening as well as engaging with teachers as they model proficient reading through, for example, think-aloud sessions. This also:

• involves students reading along with the teacher at some points

• involves students practising skills or strategies modelled by the teacher during the think-aloud

• involves students listening and engaging with teachers to develop a love of literature and passion for reading

• involves students knowing the learning intentions and success criteria

• involves students engaging in conversation about the overall meaning of the text

• involves teachers modelling the problem-solving strategies required when reading or viewing

• involves students practising reading skills and problem solving while reading continuous text

This is a small group session (6-8 students) work with a teacher based on their particular learning needs. During this time students are:

• involved in reading texts that are at an instructional level and which have been carefully selected to provide opportunities for guided instruction and practice of targeted skills and strategies as identified on a running record

• involves students knowing the learning intentions and success criteria

• involves students engaging in short conversations about the overall meaning of the text

• involves teachers intervening only when necessary during student reading of the text

• involves teachers in maintaining the focus through skilled use of instructional strategies such as questioning, prompting, explaining or modelling of what good readers do

• involves teachers engaging in genuine conversations about the text and encouraging such conversations amongst students - after the reading

Students not engaged with the teacher in a Guided Reading session:

• are involved in purposeful learning tasks that enable them to practise and consolidate specific reading, writing and oral language skills and strategies

• may work in mixed-ability groups in order to provide good models for students and support from peers

• may work in ability groups or independently in order to target the needs of the learner (differentiated model)

During Modelled Writing the teacher and students jointly construct a range of texts and writing structures. Teachers model writing structures and elements of writing such as grammar, punctuation and vocabulary through the writing process (planning, drafting, editing, proofreading and publishing).

During the writing process students observe and participate in focus instructions based on, grammatical structures, language features, purpose, audience, spelling strategies, handwriting.

The guided writing session students work in a group of 6-8 students with a teacher based on observed learning needs. These groups are fluid and subject to changed based on the writing skill that is needed and based on the teachers observation of their learning needs.

Students are beginning to construct texts for a wide range of purposes, audiences and contexts independently based on the modelled writing session.

Students also receive support (guided writing), feedback and feed forward from teachers before, during and after writing - greater frequency for students with higher need.