Primary (K-6)
The ability to communicate is at the heart of being a human. To be able to write and speak effectively and to read and listen critically is vital in our information-rich world.
They work closely with each other to develop crucial skills in interpersonal communication and collaboration. Importantly, students are supported in continuing or establishing independent reading as a priority in busy lives through regular library visits and involvement in reading programs. Talking about what we are reading is part of the LDHS culture and reading for pleasure, along with our English program, helps to develop our core values of “we care, we succeed”.
The English program at Leonora District High School allows students to build on their existing knowledge and skills in the areas of reading and viewing, writing and creating, and speaking and listening.
At Leonora DHS we use the Letters and Sounds program to teach phonics and spelling to our primary students, as well as phonological awareness (Phase 1) to our junior primary students. We have the Department’s Phonics Toolkit resources available to supplement this program and a series of games called Cracking the Code for further teaching of phonological awareness.
We have embedded Talk for Writing as our whole school writing program from K-10 since 2018. The program offers students with learning and language difficulties an opportunity to develop stronger writing skills. Feedback from students indicates that they find Talk for Writing ‘fun, engaging and motivating.’ The Letters and Sounds program aims to build children’s speaking and listening skills in their own right as well as to prepare children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills. It sets out a detailed and systematic program for teaching phonic skills for children. This program runs from K-6.