English

At Henley Beach Primary School we take a structured approach to the teaching of English and follow best practice advice. 

The Science of Reading underpins our approach to reading and it refers to a large body of research about how children learn to read and the most effective ways to teach reading. It draws on evidence from many fields, including psychology, education, and neuroscience, to help teachers understand what works best for helping children develop strong reading skills. 

Research shows that learning to read is not a natural process—most children benefit from explicit, systematic instruction in areas such as phonics (how sounds and letters connect), vocabulary, and comprehension. Good reading instruction helps children learn to decode words, understand their meaning, and make sense of texts. 

Scarborough’s Reading Rope is a helpful model which shows that skilled reading comes from weaving together both word recognition (like sounding out words and recognising spelling patterns) and language comprehension (like understanding vocabulary and how sentences work). 

By following what the science of reading tells us, our teachers use proven approaches that support every child in becoming a confident, skilled reader. At Henley Beach Primary School we use the  InitiaLit program in junior primary and the DfE Spelling and Morphology Program in primary years, alongside all other English Curriculum areas. 

Children who are strong readers also become strong writers. By looking closely at examples of good writing, students in primary school learn how to create their own clear and creative texts. They practise making choices about words and the way their writing is organised, so it suits different topics and audiences. This helps children think carefully about the decisions they make in their writing and what effect those choices have. 

Building a culture of reading at home is the key to cementing the learning that happens at school. Finding the time to either read to or with your child helps to build both a stamina and love for reading. We are fortunate that we have our own school library where students can browse and borrow. Linda, our SSO librarian, is continually updating our stock to inspire young readers. We are open on a Wednesday after school for families to come along and explore our range or you can visit the local Ngutungka Henley library for a wider range of texts.