Corpus Christi School Our Team Vanessa Aquilano (1/2) Widford Street, Glenroy, 3046 Telephone: 9306 3062 Fax: 9306 2227 www.ccglenroy.catholic.edu.au principal@ccglenroy.catholic.edu.au Our Team Vanessa Aquilano (1/2) Deborah D’Aprano (Foundation) Claire Ellis (1/2) Emma Hinss (Literacy Leader) Simone James (1/2) E.H to introduce team 1

2014 Foci: Evidence based practice Colourful Semantics and Story Grammar Marker (Braidy) SPAT-R Oral Language focus (ICPALER, Vocabulary and Four Pillars) Kathy Walker John Munro’s Vocabulary Sequence Evidence based practice. Embedding Colourful Semantics and Story Grammar Marker (Braidy) into our learning and teaching. Using the SPAT-R to direct our teaching of Phonological Awareness based on identified needs. Having an Oral Language focus in planning to explore texts and shared readings (ICPALER, Vocabulary and Four Pillars) Kathy Walker Approach extending from F-2. Using the vocabulary sequence to engage students in new topics and texts. 2

Identifying the Students’ O/L Needs: 3 levels of testing (universal/whole grade; small focus groups; individual learning needs) Variety of tests at each level (much of the testing is undertaken by the class teacher, some specialised testing conducted by Lit Leader) 3

Teaching practice continued… We used Excel to input our SPAT-R data to get an overview of class/individual needs. We didn’t just look at the total score we analysed the percentiles and identified the students’ ZPD. 4

Evidence Directing Teaching Target groups were set up according to the students’ ZPD and we accommodated for these needs in shared and guided reading opportunities in addition to when the students were our focus child for the week. 5

General Needs Phonological Awareness Using longer and more complex sentences Vocabulary In general after analysing our data we realised across the board our cohort had some general needs. 6

How Have We Evolved? 7

Vocabulary sequence and the ‘What is not a …?’ We have shown great progress in the last year. In continuing our focus on O/L we decided as a team to explore the use of John Munro’s vocabulary teaching sequence. For each text we used for shared reading we planned our first session to revolve around the vocabulary exploration sequence. We 8

Planning Using the Four Pillars and ICPALER Framework Last year the ½ team continued to use the ICPALER framework for planning and the Foundation team began to explore the links evident between the framework and their learning intentions. This year we extended this to look more holistically at our planning in accommodating for the ICAPLER (including the four pillars) across the curriculum as best as we can. 9

Collaborative Online Learning Community Last year our Literacy leader created an online space for us to access links, resources and for our professional development. This in conjunction with our Google Drive and Google Calendar have allowed for our team to continue to plan and work more collaboratively and effectively for O/L learning in an online space. 10

Learning Intentions We specifically target the evident needs of our students through our fortnightly learning intentions. Students are tracked, assessed and provided with feedback regularly throughout the day as these intentions remain visible and are often referred to across all learning opportunities. This approach has helped to make learning in O/L explicit and relative throughout the day…… 11

Significance of Images and Visuals Engaging in the use of visuals to support and scaffold the learning for our students has proven to be highly beneficial for our highly EALD community. The students have been able to relate to the images and connect their learning as they engage in conversation practice, play, reading and writing. Using the images in our learning intentions and teaching time helps to make the learning very explicit and much clearer for the students and always on the agenda. Students have related well to the Braidy character in reading and comprehending texts in addition to telling stories, recalling stories and in writing. 12

Developing Writing We have found that although the visuals have been effective in supporting O/L, they have been particularly important in developing our students’ writing. Here you can see through the simple images, once students practiced orally recounting a story, they were able to use the visual prompts to write about different elements. This scaffolded learning and enabled students to peer assess and determine which elements were left out of their recount. 13

Embedding Our Approach Across the Learning RE Investigations Literacy As the F-2 have adopted the Walker Learning philosophy and work to engage our students in structured play based learning opportunities that naturally lend themselves to oral exchanges we have endeavoured to extend the use of the Colourful Semantics and Braidy visual supports to not only in our structured Literacy ventures, but also in into our investigations and across the curriculum. For example when we read stories from To Know Worship and Love, we ask questions and wonder using the CS cards as a prompt, or we may use Braidy and talk about different elements of the story. 14

Vocabulary Rich Learning Areas Our learning areas are gradually becoming more CS and Braidy friendly. We try at every opportunity to link the learning throughout our visuals. In addition to this, we specifically try to have vocabulary rich learning areas and opportunities for phonological learning throughout. Last year we also purchased Toobaloos that are used by students to practice letter sounds, practicing new vocabulary, reading and rehearsing sentences. Through the Toobaloo, students get auditory feedback and hear themselves more clearly. Toobaloos 15

Key Learnings! Vocabulary sequence provides access to learning from F-6. Oral rehearsal/mimicry enables O/L structures to be embedded in memory. Visuals help with explicit teaching. Oral language rehearsal proceeding writing is important! Play and language are important. This approach has relevance up to Years 5/6. Throughout the last year through having a strong focus on O/L of our key learnings are that: 16

Planning for 2015 and Beyond: EH- So where to from here on in? Keep it on the agenda. Keep it at the core of all learning for O/L is the key. Celebrate for we have made great progress in such a little amount of time. 17