The study of English is central to the learning and development of all young Australians. It helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through a sound command of English that individuals are equipped to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and with the world around them, and to take responsibility for Australia’s future. Standards in the English domain are organised in three dimensions:
Reading
The Reading dimension involves students understanding, interpreting, critically analysing, reflecting upon, and enjoying written and visual, print and non-print texts. It encompasses reading and viewing a wide range of texts and media, including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry and plays as well as popular fiction and non-fiction works, newspapers and magazines, illustrations, posters and charts, film and television and the texts associated with information and communications technology. Reading involves active engagement with texts and the development of knowledge about the relationship between them and the contexts in which they are created. It also involves the development of knowledge about a range of strategies for reading.
Students at APS explore literature in a variety of ways. These can include reading a book of choice, working on a group text or sharing a class text. Our senior students also enjoy their sessions in Book Club. Here, working alongside an adult (often one of our parent helpers) students explore the themes of the text and discuss the author's message. To facilitate this process our students use their ICT skills to create blogs allowing them to capture their thoughts and comment on the thoughts of others. Student progess in reading is carefully monitored and individual reading goals are created and revisited regularly as part of our reading program.
Writing
The Writing dimension involves students in the active process of conceiving, planning, composing, editing and publishing a range of texts including writing for print and electronic media and performance. Writing involves using appropriate language for particular purposes or occasions, both formal and informal, to express and represent ideas, issues, arguments, events, experience, character, emotion and information and to reflect on such ideas. It involves the development of knowledge about strategies for writing and the conventions of Standard Australian English. Students develop a metalanguage to discuss language conventions and use.
At APS we have adopted the Writer's Worshop model which provides a balance of free-choice writing and teacher led, structured lessons. Through a process of reflection, interactive (group) writing and conferencing staff and students work together to create individual writing goals which are revisited regularly during writing sessions. Our annual Writer's Festival provides a wonderful showcase for student writing at APS.
Speaking and Listening
This dimension refers to the various formal and informal ways oral language is used to convey and receive meaning. It involves the development and demonstration of knowledge about the appropriate oral language for particular audiences and occasions, including body language and voice. It also involves the development of active-listening strategies and an understanding of the conventions of different spoken texts including everyday communication, group discussion, formal presentations and speeches, storytelling and negotiating.
Students at APS are provided with many opportunities, both formal and informal, to develop their speaking and listening skills. These include working in teams in class, formally presenting work to an audience and leading or speaking at school events. In addition, our senior students develop their debating skills through the creation of a Year 6 parliament. Throughout the course of the year staff and students work together to develop and review Speaking and Listening goals.
Write by Day, Write by Night Festival
For the 2019 APS Writers’ Festival each class from Foundation to Year 6 contributed to a Big Book called A Day in the Life of a Writer.
A Day in the Life of a Writer is a rollicking adventure about Nicki Jackson, a 33 year old writer who dreams of winning literary prizes for her picture story books.
Nicki wakes peacefully at 6am for what turns out to be the longest day of her life. Journey with Nicki over the course of 24 hours to discover just what a writer gets up to in her pursuit of creative inspiration. A Day in the Life of a Writer is a celebration of writing that investigates how authors operate and how stories develop from a life experience, to a page in Nicki’s ubiquitous notebook, to a hopefully-prize winning new story.
The co-creation of our Big Book required each class to work together on an A0 sized piece of lined paper. Each class was allocated an hour of the protagonist’s day (older classes handled 80 minutes each) so that the end result covers 24 hours. A Day in the Life of a Writer constitutes a continuum of student writing from Foundation to Year 6. To read the story is therefore to witness the phenomenal growth in writing students achieve throughout their primary school education.
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and listening
Reading
The Reading dimension involves students understanding, interpreting, critically analysing, reflecting upon, and enjoying written and visual, print and non-print texts. It encompasses reading and viewing a wide range of texts and media, including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry and plays as well as popular fiction and non-fiction works, newspapers and magazines, illustrations, posters and charts, film and television and the texts associated with information and communications technology. Reading involves active engagement with texts and the development of knowledge about the relationship between them and the contexts in which they are created. It also involves the development of knowledge about a range of strategies for reading.
Students at APS explore literature in a variety of ways. These can include reading a book of choice, working on a group text or sharing a class text. Our senior students also enjoy their sessions in Book Club. Here, working alongside an adult (often one of our parent helpers) students explore the themes of the text and discuss the author's message. To facilitate this process our students use their ICT skills to create blogs allowing them to capture their thoughts and comment on the thoughts of others. Student progess in reading is carefully monitored and individual reading goals are created and revisited regularly as part of our reading program.
Writing
The Writing dimension involves students in the active process of conceiving, planning, composing, editing and publishing a range of texts including writing for print and electronic media and performance. Writing involves using appropriate language for particular purposes or occasions, both formal and informal, to express and represent ideas, issues, arguments, events, experience, character, emotion and information and to reflect on such ideas. It involves the development of knowledge about strategies for writing and the conventions of Standard Australian English. Students develop a metalanguage to discuss language conventions and use.
At APS we have adopted the Writer's Worshop model which provides a balance of free-choice writing and teacher led, structured lessons. Through a process of reflection, interactive (group) writing and conferencing staff and students work together to create individual writing goals which are revisited regularly during writing sessions. Our annual Writer's Festival provides a wonderful showcase for student writing at APS.
Speaking and Listening
This dimension refers to the various formal and informal ways oral language is used to convey and receive meaning. It involves the development and demonstration of knowledge about the appropriate oral language for particular audiences and occasions, including body language and voice. It also involves the development of active-listening strategies and an understanding of the conventions of different spoken texts including everyday communication, group discussion, formal presentations and speeches, storytelling and negotiating.
Students at APS are provided with many opportunities, both formal and informal, to develop their speaking and listening skills. These include working in teams in class, formally presenting work to an audience and leading or speaking at school events. In addition, our senior students develop their debating skills through the creation of a Year 6 parliament. Throughout the course of the year staff and students work together to develop and review Speaking and Listening goals.
Write by Day, Write by Night Festival
For the 2019 APS Writers’ Festival each class from Foundation to Year 6 contributed to a Big Book called A Day in the Life of a Writer.
A Day in the Life of a Writer is a rollicking adventure about Nicki Jackson, a 33 year old writer who dreams of winning literary prizes for her picture story books.
Nicki wakes peacefully at 6am for what turns out to be the longest day of her life. Journey with Nicki over the course of 24 hours to discover just what a writer gets up to in her pursuit of creative inspiration. A Day in the Life of a Writer is a celebration of writing that investigates how authors operate and how stories develop from a life experience, to a page in Nicki’s ubiquitous notebook, to a hopefully-prize winning new story.
The co-creation of our Big Book required each class to work together on an A0 sized piece of lined paper. Each class was allocated an hour of the protagonist’s day (older classes handled 80 minutes each) so that the end result covers 24 hours. A Day in the Life of a Writer constitutes a continuum of student writing from Foundation to Year 6. To read the story is therefore to witness the phenomenal growth in writing students achieve throughout their primary school education.
| big_book_pages_for_2019_write_by_day_write_by_night_festival.pdf |