As students move into the middle and upper years, the focus expands to include deeper comprehension, vocabulary development, and reading fluency. Programs such as Sound Waves support spelling and word knowledge, while Literacy Pro provides access to a digital library and tracks students’ reading levels through Lexile assessments. Students also participate in DIBELS assessments, which measure reading fluency and help monitor progress over time.
A good reader is someone who can read fluently and can understand the meaning of words.
In our middle and upper primary area, teachers teach Sound Waves at least three times a week to build spelling and word knowledge. Reading lessons follow a clear structure. Our teachers teach comprehension strategies outlined in the Australian curriculum and provide opportunities to fill in gaps of learning outlined in student data.
Books used in reading lessons match the writing genre being taught to demonstrate the link between reading and writing, and students use Literacy Pro for home reading in complete Lexile tests one to two times per term. Literacy Pro also has a digital library that can be accessed at home and quizzes on some of the texts.
We are looking at persuasive texts, where we understand the writer’s point of view by writing and reading multiple persuasive texts. We use a range of assessments to track progress and to guide our lessons that we teach involving reading.
Firstly, we use the initial assessments that occur during the term. We use Lexile tests or Literacy Pro to gain an understanding of students’ lexile levels. We use DIBELS, which is an assessment that looks at fluency and also vocabulary. During the DIBELS assessment, we have a one minute timer to read as many words in a paragraph. At the end of the test, you will receive a slip with the amount of words that you have read and how many incorrect words.
The programs we have in place promote clear expectations and consistent teaching across the school. We ensure every child, including our large EALD cohort, has the opportunity to grow into a confident and capable reader.
