Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is a research-based early literacy intervention. It aims to help children develop reading and writing skills at an accelerated rate so that they develop greater independence and can function more successfully in the classroom setting.

Reading Recovery was developed in New Zealand by educator and developmental child psychologist Dame Marie Clay. It is trademarked around the world.

At Pinewood, Reading Recovery is available to selected students in Grade 1. All Grade 1 students are assessed at the beginning of the year and monitored throughout the year to ensure that Reading Recovery is available to the students who need it most. Students are removed from the classroom for 30 minutes of individual instruction each day.

A specially trained teacher develops a series of lessons to meet the individual needs of each child. Each lesson contains the same core elements and follows the same sequence culminating in the reading of a new book. The websites listed below contain detailed information about Reading Recovery, current research and ways for parents to help their children at home.

The Reading Recovery teacher has been at Pinewood since 1999 and is always happy to answer any questions.

 

EAL Program

Catering for English as an Additional Language (EAL) students is a long-term, shared school community commitment at Pinewood where cultural and linguistic experiences of all students are valued, monitored and celebrated.

There are three main aims of the English as an Additional Language (EAL) program at Pinewood:

  • To provide the best possible inclusive program to meet the individual needs of students who attend the school after consultation with school staff, support staff and parents.  Within time and staffing constraints design a program for students in Foundation – Year 6 who have EAL needs.
  • To liaise with classroom teachers to ensure the EAL program articulates and links with individual progress of the student.
  • To consult with school staff, conduct an on-going review of all students’ progress and keep staff informed of new strategies, programs and resources available to inform best EAL practice.

 

Premiers’ Reading Challenge

At Pinewood, every student is encouraged to complete the Premiers’ Reading Challenge each year. The Challenge promotes a love of books by encouraging children to read more widely.

For students in Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 the challenge is to read or ‘experience’ 30 books by themselves or with the assistance of a family member or friend. At least 20 of these must be from the Reading Challenge booklist. For students in Years 3 to 6 the challenge is to read 15 books. At least 10 must be from the Reading Challenge booklist. Books from the booklist are available from the school library, local libraries and in the take-home book tubs. You may also have some at home.

The official website contains a range of information including a full list of the Reading Challenge books, lists of the top 100 books read last year for each age group, important dates and frequently asked questions so it is well worth taking the time to look.

Premiers’ Reading Challenge

Literacy Pro

The Lexile Program was introduced at Pinewood in order to develop independent reading skills and foster reading motivation for students. This program has been updated and is now called Literacy Pro.

All students from Grade 4 to Grade 6 are on the program, where they read recommended books for their reading level. Students are able to participate in online comprehension quizzes based on their chosen Lexile book. The library continually sources new books to support the program.

Literacy Pro