Literacy at Shepparton East Primary School

At Shepparton East Primary School, we believe that strong literacy skills are the foundation for lifelong learning and success. Through the study of English, our students learn to think critically, express ideas clearly and creatively, and connect meaningfully with the world around them.

Our English curriculum is designed to ensure every student can:

• Listen to, read, view, speak, write and create with confidence, fluency and purpose.
• Understand and appreciate the richness of language and its power to inform, entertain, persuade and inspire.
• Use Standard Australian English effectively in both spoken and written forms.
• Develop a deep and lasting appreciation of literature.

A Structured Approach to Reading

At Shepparton East Primary School, reading is taught through a structured literacy approach based on the ‘Big 6’ essential elements of reading. Each of these components forms the foundation of our reading instruction and is carefully embedded across all year levels:

• Oral Language – developing students’ ability to understand and use spoken language to share ideas, knowledge and emotions.
• Phonemic Awareness – recognising and manipulating the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
• Phonics – understanding the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) to decode and spell words.
• Fluency – reading accurately, smoothly and with appropriate expression to support understanding.
• Vocabulary – building knowledge of words and their meanings, both in isolation and within context.
• Comprehension – making meaning from text, including understanding grammar, structure and author intent.

This evidence-based framework ensures that every student develops the essential skills needed to become a confident and capable reader.

Our Literacy Program

At Shepparton East Primary School, Literacy is a core focus across all year levels. Students participate in at least 10 hours of dedicated Literacy instruction each week, guided by the Readers and Writers Workshop Model. This approach provides a consistent and engaging structure for teaching reading and writing, helping students develop both skill and confidence.

Each Literacy session includes:

• Clear Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, so students know what they are learning and how they can be successful.
• Whole-class mini-lesson, where teachers explicitly teach and model a reading or writing strategy.
• Independent or small group learning, where students practise new skills while teachers confer and provide targeted feedback.
• A reflection and sharing time, where students discuss their learning and celebrate achievements.

Readers and Writers Notebooks

Every student maintains a Writers Notebook and a Readers Notebook to support their learning.

• The Writers Notebook is a space to record ideas, observations, interesting words and creative sparks that inspire writing.
• The Readers Notebook encourages students to think deeply about what they read — recording reflections, questions, summaries and personal responses.

These notebooks are unique to each learner and provide a valuable record of growth, creativity and progress throughout the year.

Expert Teaching

At Shepparton East Primary School, Literacy is at the heart of our teaching and learning. Our staff are committed to continually developing their expertise through professional learning, coaching and collaboration.

Every teacher at Shepparton East is a teacher of Literacy, dedicated to helping students become confident readers, writers and communicators who love learning and are equipped to succeed in all areas of life.

SMART Spelling

At Shepparton East Primary School, spelling is taught explicitly through the SMART Spelling approach (Years 1–6). This program provides a clear and consistent scope and sequence across the school, ensuring a structured progression of spelling knowledge and skills.

A typical week of SMART Spelling includes:

• Monday: A focused 20–30 minute lesson to introduce the weekly spelling pattern. Students select words to practise based on their level of understanding. Copies of their word lists are kept at school and sent home for practice.
• Tuesday–Thursday: Students spend around 10 minutes each day practising their chosen words through a variety of fun and engaging spelling activities.
• Friday: Students complete a short spelling test and dictation exercise to apply and consolidate their learning.

The SMART Spelling approach encourages students to understand why words are spelled the way they are — supporting phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension development while helping students become confident and accurate spellers.