At Warranwood Primary School, we are committed to delivering a dynamic, evidence-based approach to literacy learning that is consistent across the school and aligned with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0.

Our goal is for every student to become a confident and capable reader, writer, speaker and listener.

All students participate in a dedicated two-hour Literacy Block each day, integrating:

• Spelling
  
• Reading
  
• Writing
  
• Speaking and Listening
  
  

Our Literacy Block includes:

• Explicit whole-class instruction
  
• Targeted small group teaching
  
• Individual conferencing
  
• Reflection and review
  
  

Explicit literacy teaching where skills such as phonics, vocabulary and comprehension are systematically broken down, modelled and practised significantly improves student achievement, engagement and confidence. This structured approach:

• Reduces cognitive overload
  
• Ensures foundational skills are mastered
  
• Provides targeted support
  
• Benefits struggling readers
  
• Promotes educational equity
  
  

Our classrooms are supported by well-stocked classroom libraries celebrating a wide range of student interests. Students have access to decodable texts in Prep–Year 2 and phonics-based readers for older students. These are also available as take-home books, allowing students to revisit and consolidate the grapheme-phoneme correspondences and skills being taught in class.

Prep – Year 2

From Prep to Year 2, Warranwood implements InitiaLit, an evidence-based, whole-class literacy program that provides students with essential core knowledge and strong foundations for reading and writing success.

InitiaLit is a structured three-year program delivering explicit, systematic and cumulative instruction in:

• Phonemic awareness
  
• Phonics
  
• Vocabulary
  
• Fluency
  
• Comprehension
  
• Spelling
  
  

InitiaLit operates as a Tier 1 program delivered to whole classes by classroom teachers. This ensures consistency, clarity and equity in foundational literacy instruction across the early years.

InitiaLit includes extension and support resources to ensure:

• Capable students are appropriately challenged
  
• Additional scaffolds are provided where required
  
  

To further support students, targeted intervention programs are available, including:

• MiniLit
  
• MacqLit
  
  

By embedding InitiaLit within our structured literacy approach, we ensure every child develops the skills, confidence and automaticity required for long-term literacy success.

Years 3–6

Spelling and Word Knowledge

In Years 3–6, students build on their foundational skills through Word Origins, an evidence-informed program developed by Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation (DSF).

Word Origins focuses on:

• Morphological knowledge (prefixes, suffixes and roots)
  
• Etymology (language of origin)
  
• Vocabulary development
  
• Spelling accuracy
  
• Reading fluency
  
  

This supports students as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

Reading Comprehension

As decoding becomes increasingly automatic, literacy instruction shifts towards strengthening:

• Language comprehension
  
• Vocabulary depth
  
• Background knowledge
  
• Active thinking strategies
  
  

Students are explicitly taught to:

• Predict
• Summarise
• Connect
• Visualise
• Question
• Infer
• Synthesise
• Analyse
• Evaluate

These strategies support deeper understanding and critical thinking across all learning areas.

Writing Instruction

Writing at Warranwood is structured, explicit and purposeful.

Teachers model the writing process, thinking aloud to demonstrate decisions about structure, vocabulary and audience. Students receive explicit instruction in:

• Voice
  
• Organisation and Text Structure
  
• Ideas
  
• Conventions and Grammar
  
• Precise Word Choice
  
• Sentence Construction
  
  

The Writing Process

Students are taught to:

• Plan
• Draft
• Revise
• Edit
• Publish

They learn the structure and features of different genres, including narrative, persuasive and informative writing. Students are explicitly taught how language features shift according to purpose and audience.

Graphic organisers support planning, sequencing and logical organisation of ideas. Through imitation, innovation and invention, students first learn model texts, then adapt them, and finally create original pieces. This structured approach builds confidence and independence in writing.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and Listening is explicitly taught and embedded across all curriculum areas.

Students develop:

• Active listening skills
  
• Structured oral language
  
• Accountable talk
  
• Collaborative discussion skills
  
  

Strategies include:

• Visual supports
  
• Role-plays
  
• Structured conversations
  
• Clear, measurable speaking goals
  
• Collaborative and interactive tasks
  
  

At Warranwood Primary School, literacy is the foundation of all learning. Through explicit instruction, structured programs and intervention, we ensure every student is supported to grow, succeed and thrive.