At Orchard Grove Primary we believe that Literacy is central to the development of all young people. Through Literacy, we aim to develop critical and creative learners with the capacity to think, analyse and communicate effectively.
From Foundation onwards, we teach with an explicit phonics approach. Students study sounds and sound patterns to develop their skills in reading, spelling, writing, and speaking and listening. Throughout the school, students participate in regular phonics and spelling sessions to develop their spelling skills and vocabulary knowledge.
We use the language of the 6+1 Traits of Writing to develop authorship skills in our students. The traits of organisation, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, ideas, voice, and presentation are the foundations of good writing. We explicitly teach these traits alongside the required text types.
Our reading program builds from learning to read, with students learning to decode texts, to reading to learn, where students develop high-level comprehension skills across a wide range of text types. All learning at Orchard Grove is highly differentiated and engaging to ensure that students’ individual needs, interests, and abilities are catered for. Teachers use regular and consistent assessment practices to ensure students’ next steps for learning are individual and visible.